Are you a talented individual looking to develop your career in a progressive conservation organisation? The reason the John Muir Trust exists - to conserve, protect and repair wild places for the benefit of everyone - has never been more important.

Are you a Financial Controller looking to apply your skills in an organisation that is making a positive difference to the world? Do you want the opportunity to implement processes, shape a team and work closely with the Chief Finance Officer & Director of Corporate Services to influence the direction of a Finance and Governance function? Then we want to hear from you!

The John Muir Trust is recruiting a Financial Controller to help shape and establish efficient processes and controls within the Finance function.

The role reports directly to the CFO and Director of Corporate Services and will be instrumental in shaping the infrastructure of a growing charity during a period of significant change, in alignment with the objectives of the new Corporate Strategy 2022 -2026. In this role you will be responsible for the overall financial governance of the Trust in respect of BAU processes and finance projects. You will be given the autonomy to identify gaps in processes and implement improvements. You will work closely with all levels of staff, leadership and trustees providing sound financial advice and support.

The John Muir Trust is committed to working together to promote a more inclusive environment and we need a diverse team to realise this. Applicants are welcome from all walks of life with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences to support our work on behalf of wild places.

Main responsibilities

Key duties

Finance Management

• Responsible for the design of the Trust’s financial control environment and processes.

• Ensure policies and procedures are in place and functioning effectively.

• Identify process inefficiencies, scope and undertake projects/initiatives to deliver improvements.

• Manage the processing of all financial transactions, ensure month end deadlines are met and that all bank and control account reconciliations have been completed. Ensure treatment of transactions are appropriate and compliant with Charity SORP.

• Develop and maintain appropriate chart of accounts and support the development of finance systems and procedures across the Trust.

• Responsible for planning, preparing budgets, forecasts, management accounts, financial reporting and cash flow reports.

• Be the main point of contact for the annual external audit and statutory accounts preparation.

• Prepare papers as required for the Board and committees and attend meetings as requested.

• Provide financial expertise and analysis to key stakeholders and leadership within the Trust.

• Provide accurate financial data to allow leadership to effectively forecast budgets and support decision making.

• Responsible for assessing risks, mitigating controls and analysing efficiency.

• Review procurement contracts, including performing IR 35 assessments and provide advice to contract managers.

Staff management

• Responsible for the people management of the Finance Team.

• Agreeing objectives and work plans.

• Managing workload and prioritisation through regular one-to-one line management discussions.

• Planning and implementing a personal development plan of relevant skills and competencies for each team member.

• Undertaking performance management reviews.

For further details please download the full job description from the Job Overview panel on the right hand side of this page.

Other details

Type of contract: Permanent

Hours: 35 hours

Salary: Competitive

Pension: 5% employer contribution to a group auto-enrolment pension scheme

Reporting to: CFO and Director of Corporate Services

Location: Mainly remote working. Occasional travel to Edinburgh and Pitlochry

Holidays: 34 days per year plus 2 ‘wild days’ or 2 sustainable travel days

John Muir Trust standard terms and conditions of employment apply.