​​This role is offered on a hybrid contract giving you the opportunity to also work from home three days a week.

Purpose of job:​ 

Comic Relief is offering a fantastic opportunity to join our Finance team in the role of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) Lead. This role would suit a senior management accountant with experience in finance business partnering including working with senior stakeholders. You will be joining our wider Operations directorate to support the charity as we implement our 5-year strategy to support our mission of a just world free from poverty. 

We’re looking for someone who can lead on all aspects  financial planning & management reporting within Comic Relief including delivery of budgets, forecast, management information and longer-term financial modelling.  

The successful candidate will lead a team of finance business partners, forming Comic Relief’s FP&A team, and be involved in key finance projects including building long term financial forecasts and improving management reporting in our newly implemented finance system. 

This role forms part of Comic Relief’s finance leadership team consisting of the Head of Finance and a team of finance leads. 

​​Key responsibilities: ​ 

• Develop a strong understanding of Comic Relief’s financial performance and the key underlying drivers and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). 

• Own the organisational budget, forecasting, management reporting and financial KPI’s processes, including ensuring budget and forecast version control and accuracy of reporting to stakeholders, 

• Establish and maintain a rolling 3 year plan that supports the organisational strategy, with scenario planning and risk management embedded 

• Developing and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders across the business including with members of the executive and senior leadership teams. 

• Lead on and supervise month end and year end processes carried out by the FP&A team, providing expertise and support. 

• Drive financial ownership, accountability and understanding across the organisation by ensuring budget owners have the knowledge, skills and tools to manage their budgets effectively. 

• Improve quality and effectiveness of reporting to ensure business managers have appropriate and timely information for decision making and the reporting functionality of new finance system is fully utilised 

• Developing and innovating financial analysis and planning tools to aid organisational decision making  

• Assist in preparation of papers for Comic Relief’s Board and sub-committees. 

• Provide support and cover to other finance leads across the finance team 

People management 

• Proactively undertake business planning, prioritise activities and set clear and realistic objectives based on capacity, expertise, and aspirations. 

• Provide balanced, constructive feedback, undertake effective performance management to embed accountability and proactively support the professional development and growth of the FP&A Team. 

• Maintain regular two way communication and dialogue with staff, ensuring information is cascaded and escalated as needed. 

• Model an enabling, inclusive and empowering leadership style that builds a values-based culture throughout the charity. 

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Person specification​ 

​​Essential criteria​ 

• Fully qualified accountant with relevant post qualification experience in a financial planning role 

• Experience of using a range of finance systems and financial planning tools  

• Knowledge of Charities SORP and statutory accounting regulations  

• Experience of building relationships with senior stakeholders 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills and able to communicate financial information to non-finance colleagues. 

• Proactive approach to problem solving and finding solutions  

​​Desirable criteria​ 

• Experience of using Xledger (finance system) 

• Experience of using Adaptive Insights (financial planning tool) 

• Experience of managing staff 

• Experience of training non-finance staff to understand financial information  

• Advanced excel skills  

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Comic Relief we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Why work at Comic Relief

There are lots of good reasons to join us at Comic Relief. You can read more about our employee benefits, such as our commitment to flexible and hybrid working. We ask staff to come to the office twice a week, normally on agreed team days, so that we can do all those things that are difficult to do online. Our office is based in Whitechapel, London,. There are lots of opportunities to develop your skills and experience at Comic Relief, including opportunities to become a Mental Health First Aider or to participate in our Employee Network Groups that focus on making Comic Relief a more inclusive place to work.

Disability Confident employer

 As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we take positive action by providing first-round interviews to candidates who have a registered disability, provided they meet the minimum criteria for the role, as demonstrated on their CV and application questions.

We ask that candidates that wish to be considered for this scheme email j.scott@comicrelief.com to discuss further. Please do not email CV's/cover letters