Draft Job Description

Charity governance is a balanced relationship between the employed staff; the Chief Executive, the Finance & Admin Manager (FAM), and the volunteers on the Board of Trustees (BOT). This team is responsible for directing the affairs of a charity, ensuring that it is solvent, well-run, and delivering the intended charitable benefits.  A key role is that of the Honorary Treasurer as an ‘office-holder’ among the charity trustees. While financial matters are the responsibility of all trustees, it is often the Honorary Treasurer that the other trustees look to on all aspects of the charity’s financial management and reporting.    

Main purpose of role

• To report resources to the BOT in order to ensure that the organisation’s resources are used to further its aims.
• To ensure that the Accountant and Auditors oversee the financial affairs of the charity and ensure they are legal, constitutional and within accepted accounting practice. 
• To ensure appropriate mechanisms are in place to ensure proper records are kept and financial procedures are followed.
• Monitor and report to the BOT on the financial health of the charity. 
• To ensure that procedures are in place to oversee the production of necessary financial reports/returns, accounts and audits. 

Specific responsibilities

• Liaise with Chairman, CEO, FAM and BOT to ensure the financial viability of the charity.
• Regularly report the financial position at Board meetings (balance sheet, cash flow, etc).  Attend Financial Sub-Committee meetings, (FinComm).

• To support the Chairman in making fellow Trustees aware of their financial obligations and to take the lead in interpreting and presenting financial data to them.
• To work with Chairman, CEO and FAM to oversee the production of an annual budget and propose its adoption at the last BOT meeting of the previous financial year.

• To work with Chairman, CEO and FAM to oversee and present budgets, internal management accounts and annual financial statements to the BOT.  
• To work with Chairman, CEO and FAM to oversee the charity’s financial risk-management process
• To ensure that procedures are in place to ensure proper records are kept and that effective financial procedures and controls are in place, ie: Cheque/electronic payment signatories /authorisations /grant payments 

• To work with Chairman, CEO and FAM to ensure Board-level liaison with the auditors on specific issues such as the Auditors’ Management Letter and the related board representations

Qualities required

• Knowledge and experience of current finance practice relevant to voluntary organisations and charitable trusts  (obtained through Headway Surrey’s membership of NCVO)
• Knowledge of financial management (as necessary) 
• Good financial analysis skills. 
• Ability to communicate clearly 

For more information or to send CV: Contact sonja@headwaysurrey.org  01483 455225.