Finance Manager (Part Time)
Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) £40,000 - £50,000 Closing date 12 January 2026
Reports to: CEO
Direct Reports: None
Hours of work: 14 hours per week (equivalent to two days), with up to an additional 7 hours per week during busy periods. Hours may be distributed flexibly across the working week
Location: A mix of office (West Wing, Somerset House, London) and remote working. The first three months will be primarily office-based, moving thereafter to a minimum of four office days per month (open to discussion). Fully office-based working is also possible
Contract type: Permanent, Part-time
Salary scale: £40-£50k pro rata + 8% employer pension contribution
Probationary Period: Six months, with option to extend
Job Overview
The Finance Manager will play a crucial role for the organisation, with responsibility for the charity’s finance function including day-to-day management and book-keeping as well as providing strategic support for the CEO. You will produce quarterly management reports in line with YCAT’s reporting framework, create project budgets and reports for funders, prepare the annual statutory financial statements and lead the relationship with the charity’s external auditors.
This role requires practical, hands-on experience of delivering the wide range of finance and accounting services required by a small business or charity; an excellent understanding of Accounting Principles; a knowledge of charity SORP and charity statutory accounting are highly desirable; solid experience of the audit and preparation of annual financial accounts are essential; you must already hold a full qualification in either AAT, ACCA, ACA or CIMA; practical experience of preparing management and statutory reports is required; and experience of advising senior leadership on finance matters to inform strategic planning.
You will be highly motivated by the charity’s work; have a sound working knowledge of Xero and Google Sheets/Excel; strong attention to detail, producing work with a high level of accuracy; excellent written and oral communication skills and an ability to use information effectively and apply sound judgment in order to make decisions. You will be adaptable and organised in prioritising workloads; work effectively to deadlines and demonstrate integrity, understanding the care needed with sensitive information.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Strategy / Management
- Support the CEO in strategic and financial planning
- Prepare detailed annual budgets, quarterly management reports, forecasting and cash flow plans
- Report quarterly to Trustees, on finance, risk or compliance issues, supplying further reports or analysis of specific issues as required
- Ensure effective investment management, with support from relevant trustees, maximising returns and reporting performance to the Board
- Carry out regular bank reconciliations and balance sheet control account reconciliations, and produce quarterly management accounts
- Liaise with the outsourced payroll provided to ensure that payroll is properly processed in a timely manner and all HMRC reporting requirements are complied with including the submission of annual P11Ds
- To manage the quarterly VAT filing ensuring that all transactions are correctly coded and the calculation of the de-minimis and partial exemption for irrecoverable VAT.
- To manage cash reserves on a quarterly basis to ensure investments meet the investment policy
- Ensure robust finance systems, policies, procedures and internal controls are in place
- Work with the Artist Management team to ensure that Artists are paid in a timely manner and the amounts due to artists and artists expenses control accounts are reconciled on a monthly basis
- Provide support to the Development Manager, preparing budgets and reports relating to projects and donations, overseeing and submitting annual Gift Aid claims
- Liaise with the general manager to ensure invoices are properly recorded on the system and paid in a timely manner
- Support Artist management team with financial information when required for foreign visa/tax applications and submissions
- Support the general manager with tasks relating to the financial activities of the charity or audit requirements as needed, such as insurance renewals / trustee paperwork
Governance and Compliance
- Produce the audit file and liaise with the external auditors on the production of the annual statutory accounts and provide all required information for the completion of the annual audit
- Ensure timely submission of all statutory returns to Companies House and the Charity Commission
- In consultation with CEO and General Manager, advise and develop the organisation’s approach to risk management
- Ensure the business adheres to financial statutory and legal obligations as an employer and charitable organisation
Person Specification
The following attributes are essential:
- Professional accountancy qualification
- A strong working knowledge of Charity SORP, partial exemption VAT, Gift Aid, and charity finance generally
- Proven experience of strategic financial planning, organisation-wide budgeting processes and cash flow planning
- Experience of managing and reporting on restricted funds
- Excellent communication skills; ability to impart financial information to non-finance professionals to enable them to make sound decisions
- High level of proficiency in Cloud based systems (Google Sheets/Docs)
- Excellent attention to detail
The following attributes are desirable:
- Good working knowledge of Xero accounting software
- Experience of senior management in a small organisation or middle management in a larger organisation
- Understanding and appreciation of classical music
020 7379 8477
Somerset House
West Wing
Strand
London
WC2R 1LA
Direct Reports: None
Hours of work: 14 hours per week (equivalent to two days), with up to an additional 7 hours per week during busy periods. Hours may be distributed flexibly across the working week
Location: A mix of office (West Wing, Somerset House, London) and remote working. The first three months will be primarily office-based, moving thereafter to a minimum of four office days per month (open to discussion). Fully office-based working is also possible
Contract type: Permanent, Part-time
Salary scale: £40-£50k pro rata + 8% employer pension contribution
Probationary Period: Six months, with option to extend
Job Overview
The Finance Manager will play a crucial role for the organisation, with responsibility for the charity’s finance function including day-to-day management and book-keeping as well as providing strategic support for the CEO. You will produce quarterly management reports in line with YCAT’s reporting framework, create project budgets and reports for funders, prepare the annual statutory financial statements and lead the relationship with the charity’s external auditors.
This role requires practical, hands-on experience of delivering the wide range of finance and accounting services required by a small business or charity; an excellent understanding of Accounting Principles; a knowledge of charity SORP and charity statutory accounting are highly desirable; solid experience of the audit and preparation of annual financial accounts are essential; you must already hold a full qualification in either AAT, ACCA, ACA or CIMA; practical experience of preparing management and statutory reports is required; and experience of advising senior leadership on finance matters to inform strategic planning.
You will be highly motivated by the charity’s work; have a sound working knowledge of Xero and Google Sheets/Excel; strong attention to detail, producing work with a high level of accuracy; excellent written and oral communication skills and an ability to use information effectively and apply sound judgment in order to make decisions. You will be adaptable and organised in prioritising workloads; work effectively to deadlines and demonstrate integrity, understanding the care needed with sensitive information.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Strategy / Management
- Support the CEO in strategic and financial planning
- Prepare detailed annual budgets, quarterly management reports, forecasting and cash flow plans
- Report quarterly to Trustees, on finance, risk or compliance issues, supplying further reports or analysis of specific issues as required
- Ensure effective investment management, with support from relevant trustees, maximising returns and reporting performance to the Board
- Carry out regular bank reconciliations and balance sheet control account reconciliations, and produce quarterly management accounts
- Liaise with the outsourced payroll provided to ensure that payroll is properly processed in a timely manner and all HMRC reporting requirements are complied with including the submission of annual P11Ds
- To manage the quarterly VAT filing ensuring that all transactions are correctly coded and the calculation of the de-minimis and partial exemption for irrecoverable VAT.
- To manage cash reserves on a quarterly basis to ensure investments meet the investment policy
- Ensure robust finance systems, policies, procedures and internal controls are in place
- Work with the Artist Management team to ensure that Artists are paid in a timely manner and the amounts due to artists and artists expenses control accounts are reconciled on a monthly basis
- Provide support to the Development Manager, preparing budgets and reports relating to projects and donations, overseeing and submitting annual Gift Aid claims
- Liaise with the general manager to ensure invoices are properly recorded on the system and paid in a timely manner
- Support Artist management team with financial information when required for foreign visa/tax applications and submissions
- Support the general manager with tasks relating to the financial activities of the charity or audit requirements as needed, such as insurance renewals / trustee paperwork
Governance and Compliance
- Produce the audit file and liaise with the external auditors on the production of the annual statutory accounts and provide all required information for the completion of the annual audit
- Ensure timely submission of all statutory returns to Companies House and the Charity Commission
- In consultation with CEO and General Manager, advise and develop the organisation’s approach to risk management
- Ensure the business adheres to financial statutory and legal obligations as an employer and charitable organisation
Person Specification
The following attributes are essential:
- Professional accountancy qualification
- A strong working knowledge of Charity SORP, partial exemption VAT, Gift Aid, and charity finance generally
- Proven experience of strategic financial planning, organisation-wide budgeting processes and cash flow planning
- Experience of managing and reporting on restricted funds
- Excellent communication skills; ability to impart financial information to non-finance professionals to enable them to make sound decisions
- High level of proficiency in Cloud based systems (Google Sheets/Docs)
- Excellent attention to detail
The following attributes are desirable:
- Good working knowledge of Xero accounting software
- Experience of senior management in a small organisation or middle management in a larger organisation
- Understanding and appreciation of classical music
Contact details
recruitment@ycat.co.uk020 7379 8477
Somerset House
West Wing
Strand
London
WC2R 1LA