Finance Officer

Improving lives and developing local pride, through professional theatre

Finance Officer Job Description

Job Purpose

To support the charity's daily operations by delivering accurate, timely, and robust financial administration. This role is responsible for maintaining financial integrity, supporting compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and ensuring management of restricted and unrestricted income streams

Proposed Hours 24 hours/3 days per week

Reporting:

Line Manager: Artistic Director

Governance: Support Treasurer in reporting financial matters to the Board of Trustees.

Operational Liaison: General Manager

Key Relationships: Close work with Department Heads/Budget Holders

Key Responsibilities

Budget and Strategic Management

Support organisational financial decision-making through financial analysis, management accounts, budget monitoring and variance reporting.

Attend regular month-end finance meetings with the Treasurer and General Manager to review financial reporting.

Develop and maintain templates for recording budgets, cashflow, freelance payment schedule and continuously improve financial systems and processes.

Support department leads to plan, monitor, and manage budgets, and to meet reporting deadlines as set by the Artistic Director and Trustees.

Assist the Artistic Director in managing budgets and associated cashflows where there is no other identified project lead.

Aid the Treasurer in preparing financial reports to the Board by supplying figures/tables as required.

Financial Processing & Bookkeeping

Record Transactions: Record all income, expenditure, invoices and expenses accurately in the cashbook, cashflow forecasts and accounting software.

Bank Reconciliations: Complete monthly reconciliations for all bank accounts, PayPal, Stripe and GoCardless, investigating and resolving discrepancies.

Ledger Management: Maintain accurate and up-to-date purchase, sales, and general ledgers.

Payment Processing: Prepare and process approved supplier payments and staff/volunteer expense claims, ensuring appropriate authorisation and supporting documentation.

Credit Control: Monitor outstanding invoices and payments, follow up overdue accounts and escalate persistent or significant debts as appropriate.

Supplier Invoice Processing: Receive, check and process supplier invoices, ensuring they are correctly allocated to the relevant project, department or budget and appropriately authorised before payment.

Fund Accounting & Income Management

Restricted Funds: Track and allocate restricted grant and donated funds, ensuring expenditure complies with funder terms and conditions.

Gift Aid Claims: Maintain accurate Gift Aid records and ensure compliance with HMRC requirements. Reconcile GoCardless transactions with supporter databases (RABBLE Rousers) and prepare and submit quarterly Gift Aid claims.

Theatre Tax relief (TTR): Coordinate with the organisation's accountant on eligible Theatre Tax Relief claims, working with project leads to maintain accurate production cost records and provide supporting financial information.

Grant Reporting: Support project leads with providing financial evidence packs and spend validation reports back to external institutional funders.

Payroll, Pensions & Tax

Payroll Processing: Work with the payroll provider to support monthly payroll processing, ensuring statutory deductions are accurate.

Pensions: Oversee pension administration and employer contributions for eligible employees.

PAYE Administration: Support the onboarding of new PAYE staff by ensuring required payroll, tax and pension information is collected and accurately recorded.

Reporting & Audit Support

Management Accounts: Assist project leads in preparing termly variance reports for leadership.

Reporting: Prepare quarterly finance report for Trustee meetings

Budget Tracking: Monitor organizational cash flow and alert leadership to potential financial risks.

Year End Accounts: Liaise with the accountant/independent examiner during the annual independent examination, prepare supporting schedules and documentation, maintain audit-ready financial records, and provide financial information required for the statutory annual report and accounts.

Person Specification: Skills & Qualifications

Essential Requirements

Experience: Minimum of 3 years' experience in hands-on bookkeeping, finance administration or management accounting.

Qualifications: Part-qualified ACCA/CIMA, AAT Level 3 or 4 qualified, or equivalent will be considered.

Software Skills: High proficiency using cloud accounting software like Xero, QuickBooks, or Sage.

Spreadsheets: Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel, including VLOOKUPs, pivot tables,data analysis and reporting.

Values Alignment: A strong commitment to the charity's core mission and an understanding of donor fund stewardship.

Desirable Attributes

Experience working in the charity, arts, culture or not-for-profit sector.

Knowledge of Charity SORP requirements.

Experience managing restricted and unrestricted funds.

Experience preparing Gift Aid claims.

Experience supporting audits or independent examinations.

Knowledge of Theatre Tax Relief or other creative-sector tax incentives.

Experience of VAT accounting within a charity environment, including an understanding of the VAT treatment of grants, donations and fundraising income.

Who are RABBLE?

We are a professional Theatre Company who commission and stage award winning productions. We also work in partnership with a range of communities from all over Reading, to deliver projects that inspire excellence, teach new skills and provide pathways to a career in the arts.