Finance Director

Finance Director 

London

£55,000 per annum, Negotiable DOE

Overall purpose of the role

Sir John Soane's Museum, a national museum under the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, is seeking a Finance Director as a key member of its Senior Management Team (SMT). This role is central to the Museum's financial affairs, as well as those of its trading subsidiary Soane Museum Enterprises and an independent charity Sir John Soane's Museum Trust.  The Finance Director is responsible for the day-to-day financial management of the Museum   ensuring that it fulfils its charitable objectives and corporate governance requirements.

This is a demanding post requiring attention to detail, the ability to take an overview and to make progress with several tasks in parallel while working under pressure. It is also an exceptional opportunity to work in a small and friendly environment at a busy and exciting time. The ideal candidate will have some understanding of the museum sector and an interest in the work of a high-profile National Museum.

Key responsibilities:

• To manage the financial affairs of the Museum and support the Director in his role as Accounting Officer with advice on all financial and budgetary matters, ensuring Trustees and Managers are supplied with timely, accurate and relevant financial information. This includes business plans, budgets for the Museum, trading subsidiary, individual departments and capital and revenue projects as necessary, as well as quarterly management accounts, cash flow and forecast, with additional analyses and reports as necessary. Key to the successful execution of these duties would be an understanding of financial information in relationship to the activities of the Museum and to explain these clearly to the Director, SMT, and Trustees.

• To act as a Company Director to the trading subsidiary, Soane Museum Enterprises, and to provide the Board of Directors with relevant financial and management accounting information as required.

• To act as Company Secretary to Sir John Soane's Museum Trust, an independent charity to which the Museum provides administrative, accounting and fundraising services.  This also involves supporting the Trust's Board of Trustees, production of reports and financial information as required and production of the Trust's Annual Report & Accounts.

• To ensure compliance with Treasury publication ‘Managing Public Money', Financial Reporting Manual (FReM), the Financial Memorandum and the Funding Agreement issued by DCMS, Cabinet Office control of Civil Service Pensions, current UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice and Charities SORP 2015.

• To prepare final consolidated accounts for audit and ensure audited Annual Report & Accounts are ready for approval by the Trustees for presentation to Parliament before the summer recess.  This includes working closely with the Management Team, Internal Auditor, National Audit Office (NAO) and Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

• To liaise with DCMS on financial and other matters, developing a good working relationship. This includes the monthly claim for Grant-in-Aid, completion of annual and other reports including the Museum's Consolidation Pack (C-Pack) Return, and an ability to tackle such matters as efficiency savings, modernisation, transparency and resourcing into the future. 

• To  oversee the payroll and pensions functions and to cost and co-ordinate any pay review and provide information and advice to the Remuneration Committee.

• To maintain and review financial and internal control systems, mindful of requirements of Audit Committee, internal audit and NAO.  This will include updating the financial elements of the Risk Register.

• To provide papers in a timely manner for, and attend meetings of, the Trustees and their Finance and Audit Committees and provide draft minutes of the Committee meetings for approval.

• To participate in Museum events from time to time. These may include events such Patrons' events and private views which usually take place weekday evenings at the Museum.

Person Specification

• A qualified accountant (CCAB or CIMA) educated to degree level with evidence of progressive career development and a number of years' experience, ideally within the charity/not-for-profit sector.  Knowledge of government accounting would also be desirable.

• An understanding of compiling charity SORP and company accounts as well as company secretarial duties.

• A broad understanding of VAT requirements (including partial exemption methods) and other taxation issues such as the operation of Gift Aid in the charity sector and corporation tax within trading subsidiaries.

• Experience  in forward planning, policy formulation and implementation, staff management and control of budgets.

• Excellent communication skills with a willingness to take a hands-on approach and an ability to make decisions. The Museum has only a small staff covering a multitude of disciplines working closely together in a cooperative environment.

• Excellent IT skills, including advanced Excel, and a working knowledge of accounting systems, preferably with direct experience of Sage.

• An interest in the museum sector.

Remuneration

This is a full-time post at a salary of £55,000 (negotiable depending on experience) with 26.5 days annual leave plus Bank and public holidays. There is also an annual bonus for outstanding work.

Museum staff can choose to join an excellent, defined benefits pension scheme, the Principal Civil Service Scheme Alpha. The Museum provides an annual season ticket loan.

Our Annual Report can be found in the ‘About Us' section of our website www.soane.org.uk

Background information

The house-museum of the celebrated Regency architect, Sir John Soane, displays his varied and idiosyncratic collections just as he left them on his death in 1837.  This National Museum receives more than 130,000 visitors a year and employs the equivalent of around 45 staff, with full programmes of education, exhibitions, research and publication.

The Museum receives government funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).  The Senior Management Team, of which the Finance Director is a member, are currently in the process of developing a future vision and strategy for the Museum to ensure financial resilience in the challenging but exciting period of opportunities that lie ahead.

The Museum is a Registered Charity no. 313609 , governed by unincorporated Trustees and constituted by the Sir John Soane's Museum Order. The Museum is VAT registered and reclaims VAT under Section 33(a) as a National Museum. The Museum is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and as an employer, it is committed to equality of opportunity and inclusion.

Applications:

The application period will continue until January 3^rd 2019 but we plan to review applications from December 3^rd and hold interviews both before and after Christmas.  

First round interviews will be held on Wednesday,      12 December 2018.

Please apply by sending a covering letter and CV to     recruitment@soane.org.uk