Financial Controller
Location: Cambridge, UK
Salary: £64,000 – £68,000 p.a. full-time equivalent, dependent on experience
Basis: 18 month fixed-term contract; full-time, part-time or flexible
Eligibility: You must be eligible to work in the UK

The role

We are looking to recruit a fully qualified (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) Financial Controller to oversee the day-to-day financial management of the Raspberry Pi Foundation and its charitable subsidiaries in Ireland, India, and the USA. The Raspberry Pi Foundation has an annual expenditure of £15m and employs 160 people in the UK, Ireland, India and the USA. We are anticipating further growth in the coming years. 

Reporting to the Director of Operations and working closely with the Chief Financial Officer, you will manage all aspects of the finances of the charity and its subsidiaries. The role will include financial planning, budgeting and analysis, management accounting, and statutory accounting, including the annual audit, tax compliance, payroll, and oversight of financial policies, processes, and systems across our group entities. You will lead a highly-skilled team of finance professionals, including a Finance Business Partner, two Senior Accounts Assistants, and a Finance Apprentice.

The ideal candidate will have experience of leading a Not-for-Profit finance function, excellent knowledge of UK charity accounting requirements. You will have strong analytical ability and attention to detail. You will be accustomed to working with colleagues at all levels of the organisation and will be used to presenting and communicating financial information to non-finance people.  We welcome candidates who have had, and experience of managing non-UK subsidiaries.

We strive to make the Foundation a place where talented people who care about our mission can do the best work of their careers. We have a flexible and collaborative approach to all aspects of our work. If you’re the right person for the job, we’ll make it work for you, and you can be confident that you’ll be working with an exceptional team.

Responsibilities

• Work with the Chief Financial Officer, Director of Operations, and members of the Leadership team to develop the annual budget and mid-year reforecast
• Manage the monthly accounting cycle for group entities, including month-end procedures
• Monitor and develop the financial performance reporting of group entities, including the production of monthly management accounts, cash flow reporting, and any other reports required by the Board and Leadership team
• Work closely with the Fundraising and Partnerships team to oversee income, including financial reporting and compliance on contract and grant income
• Develop, manage, and review financial policies, systems, and controls across group entities, and train and support colleagues to uphold financial policies and processes
• Prepare and/or review all year-end information for the auditors and liaise with them to ensure that the audit runs efficiently across group entities
• Prepare the statutory accounts in the UK and Ireland, and ensure that all accounting-related filings are made in the USA and India on a timely basis
• Ensure that all financial practices are conducted in compliance with Charities SORP (FRS 102) and other relevant regulations
• Ensure effective tax management and compliance, including VAT and Gift Aid  
• Build, lead, and manage a highly skilled team, providing clear direction and support to enable them to do the best work of their careers

Experience and personal attributes

We recognise that everyone has the potential for growth, and we welcome applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they have some, but not all, of the experience and personal attributes listed here.

• A current accountancy qualification (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) or equivalent
• Experience of working with charity accounting practices including SORP, and complying with the specific tax regime regarding UK charities
• Experience in creating management accounts, P&L reports, and balance sheet reconciliations
• Experience working in a multi-currency environment with international subsidiaries
• Excellent organisation and prioritisation skills and good attention to detail
• Effective communication skills, particularly the ability to produce well-written commentaries and coherent supporting documentation when required
• Experience using accounting software, ideally Xero, and other financial software, e.g. ApprovalMax, Fathom
• Proficiency in MS Excel, including using formulae and pivot tables
• Experience in leading a remote team, coaching and developing people, and managing performance through giving and receiving feedback

About us

The Raspberry Pi Foundation is a UK-based educational charity with the mission to enable young people to realise their full potential through the power of computing and digital technologies.

Established in 2008 and first known for our product — the wildly successful Raspberry Pi computer — the Foundation has developed education programmes, learning experiences, and products that are helping millions of young people learn vital new knowledge and skills

Through Code Club and CoderDojo, we support the world’s largest network of free informal computing clubs for young people. Tens of thousands of educators have taken our online courses, and millions of people use our free online learning resources. To deepen our understanding of how young people learn about computing and how to create with digital technologies, we conduct academic research, and we use that knowledge to increase the impact of our work and advance the field of computing education.

Across all of our work, we work hard to engage young people who come from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in the field of computing or who experience educational disadvantage. We work all over the world, with teams based in the UK, Ireland, North America, and India, and partnerships with mission-aligned organisations in over 40 countries.

We are at the forefront of the global movement to help young people learn about computing and digital making. You can read more about our mission, values, and goals in our Annual Review 2022 and our Strategy 2022–2025.

Benefits

In addition to competitive salaries, we offer a range of benefits for all of our colleagues, including:

• 25 days’ annual leave initially, growing to 30 days after five years service
• Company-wide close down for 3 days at the end of the year
• Generous company pension scheme with 8% employer and 4% employee contributions
• Private healthcare
• Life assurance and long-term illness insurance policy
• Investment in professional development and learning
• Flexible work hours as needed, to fit around childcare or other commitments
• Generous family leave policy
• Cycle-to-work scheme and season ticket loan

Timetable for applications
Closing date: 18 April 2024, 9.00am GMT
Phone screen: Week commencing 22 April 2024
First-round interview: Week commencing 22 April 2024
Second-round interview: Week commencing 29 April 2024

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. If successful in the selection process, you will be required to undergo a background check to confirm that you are a suitable person to work with children. Further background checks will be made at regular intervals thereafter.

British Council