GISF Finance Manager

• Part-time – working 15 hours per week
• Salary: up to £65,000 per year, pro rata (depending on experience)
• Reporting to: Executive Director
• Supervises: Finance Officer
• Location: London, UK

About GISF

 The Global Interagency Security Forum strengthens NGO safety and security practices worldwide. We have more than 130 member INGOs and offices in London and Washington, DC. GISF’s member-led structure makes us a trusted platform for collaboration, a driver of innovative security risk management (SRM), and a repository of best practices. We also work closely with policymakers to enhance their understanding of SRM. We strengthen NGO security practice worldwide by:

• Maintaining and building from our expertise in humanitarian security risk management
• Offering trusted platforms for coordination and knowledge sharing
• Driving innovation, capturing best practice, and improving SRM capabilities.
• Supporting policy-makers and the humanitarian system to increase their understanding of SRM and maximise access to people in need

GISF was established almost 20 years ago, but only began operating as a legally-registered entity in February 2024. Our finance policies and procedures are compliant with relevant requirements, but require continued strengthening to align with growth plans.

What We Offer

• 25 days of annual leave increasing after 2 years, up to a maximum 30 days (plus bank holidays)
• Office shutdown between Christmas and New Year
• Employer Pension contributions
• A focus on professional development, including access to overseas events, workshops, and training

The Job
The Finance Manager plays a leadership role within GISF, overseeing all aspects of the organization’s financial management and ensuring its long-term financial sustainability. This position not only leads the development and execution of GISF’s financial planning and systems but also drives the financial strategy, aligning it with GISF’s broader organizational goals and priorities.

Working closely with the Executive Director and as part of the Senior Leadership Team, the Finance Manager ensures that GISF’s financial operations support the organization’s mission and strategic direction. The role includes providing expert financial guidance to GISF’s partners and stakeholders to ensure financial interoperability and collaboration across projects. Additionally, the Finance Manager oversees all internal and external financial reporting, auditing, and statutory compliance, contributing significantly to the organization’s governance and decision-making processes.

By working with key internal teams, the Finance Manager ensures GISF’s financial stability, including managing reserve funds, overseeing payroll, grant budgeting, and financial reporting to donors. This role is pivotal in shaping GISF’s financial strategy, advising on new income streams, managing relationships with external financial bodies, and ensuring the organization meets all statutory and donor requirements.

An onboarding plan will be negotiated with the successful candidate, for additional hours per week to be worked during the initial month/s of the role.

Key Responsibilities

Governance

• Collaborate with the Treasurer to produce financial reports and present them to the Board.
• Ensure timely and compliant financial submissions for the Annual Report.
• Oversee all internal and external audit activities, ensuring compliance with external regulatory requirements.
• Develop and monitor the implementation of GISF’s internal financial policies
• Ensure GISF’s compliance with all external and statutory regulations.

Strategy

• Lead the development of annual and long-term financial plans to support GISF’s strategic aims and maintain a stable financial base.
• Prepare and propose the annual budget, aligned with GISF’s strategic priorities, for approval by the Senior Leadership Team, Governing Body, and relevant committees.
• Monitor GISF’s financial performance against the agreed annual budget and long-term forecasts.
• Provide timely and accurate financial information to key staff, aiding decision-making and enabling effective planning.

Internal Finance

• Provide expert advice and leadership to the Senior Leadership Team and Board on all financial matters, including cash flow, banking, value for money, and exploring new income streams.
• Support the Finance Officer in the execution of their duties.
• Manage GISF’s reserve funds and ensure adherence to the reserve fund policy.
• Lead the production and submission of GISF CIC accounts and financial statements, ensuring compliance with relevant financial regulations.
• Handle the preparation and submission of VAT returns.
• Liaise with external bodies such as HMRC, pension providers, banks, Companies House, and external accountants.
• Oversee GISF CIC’s payroll processes, ensuring timely and compliant execution.
• Ensure financial returns are completed accurately, on time, and in full compliance with statutory obligations.
• Where required, support the Operations Team with the implementation of of GISF’s procurement processes.

Programme Finance

• Lead the financial input for the development of budgets for new funding opportunities, ensuring full cost coverage in project proposals.
• Oversee the Finance Officer’s grant management, including the preparation of financial reports to donors, ensuring compliance with donor requirements.
• Provide training and support to Budget Holders and Budget Managers, ensuring they fully understand and are accountable for the financial aspects of their roles.

Person Specification

Qualifications/Experience/Skills/Knowledge

• Professionally qualified accountant ACA, ACCA or CIMA
• Experience of working within donor compliance frameworks, particularly USAID, FCDO and ECHO, or experience of other highly regulated programmes.
• Experience of governance and working within a governance framework
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to strategic decision-making
• Excellent communication skills, including ability to write policies and undertake formal presentations to staff and Board
• Strong management and leadership skills, both in relation to own staff, but also in relation to advising colleagues and in relation to ensuring employee engagement with change processes
• Able to make sound business decisions and identify key business opportunities and challenges
• Understanding and appreciation for overseas development work
• Knowledge of financial legislation, regulations and statutory frameworks, ideally including those relating to Community Interest Companies and the charitable sector
• Ability to network and establish good working relationships with a variety of contacts, comfortably engaging with people at a range of levels, as well as with those who have both significant and limited technical understanding of GISF’s work.
• Enthusiastic, willing to learn, and motivated by honing skills and working as part of a new team that is developing effective ways of working.
• Committed to the vision, mission and values of GISF.

All GISF staff are expected to undertake the following general duties;

• Work within the framework of GISF’s core values, promoting its ethos and mission statement.
• Work towards achieving GISF’s objectives
• Ensure familiarity with and adhere to all GISF policies and procedures and keep informed of GISF activities
• Undertake and apply learning from appropriate training and development programmes.
• Travel overseas, sometimes to developing countries and areas in conflict, as and when required.
• Undertake the role in a manner appropriate to the cultural context and within the local legal framework.
• Understand and uphold the standards outlined in GISF’s Safeguarding Framework

How to Apply

Application is by submission of an application form, CV and cover letter. This should be sent to the Recruitment Manager (recruitment@gisf.ngo)

The cover letter should be no more than two pages, and explain why you are interested in this post with GISF and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

Also complete the attached Application Form. Your application will not be considered without this

Closing date:               13 January 2025

For further details:         See www.gisf.ngo/about or contact justina@gisf.ngo

Due to the high volume of applications that we receive, we are not able to respond to every application. If you have not heard back from us within 3 weeks after the deadline, it means that your application has not been successful.

As this post is UK-based, you will need to show evidence of your eligibility to work in the UK. Further information will be provided when an offer of employment is made.

For further details:         see www.gisf.ngo or contact justina@gisf.ngo