Location: London, EC4A (hybrid working – 2 or 3 days per week in office)
Accountable to: Senior Finance Manager
Contract type: Permanent, full-time (flexible working options)

Salary: circa. £28,000 to £30,000

Overall Purpose of the Role:

As we bed in our exciting and pioneering listed social impact investment trust - the Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust (SBSI) - and come to implement our 2025 strategy, it couldn’t be a better time to join Big Society Capital (BSC) - the UK’s leading social impact-led investor, aiming to improve the lives of people in the UK through investment with a sustainable return. 

We are looking for an enthusiastic graduate to join our team as a Finance Assistant. We foster a collaborative, inclusive working environment with a culture of continuous learning, and where everyone is encouraged to bring their own creative ideas. Throughout your time with us, you will gain experience in finance within the social impact investment sector whilst completing the ACCA Accounting qualification.

This is a unique opportunity to accelerate your Finance career as part of a lean, dynamic and supportive team, offering the opportunity to perform day-to-day financial processes whilst learning and progressing as you study for exams. Our flexible, hybrid working culture along with generous study leave will allow you the time and space needed to study whilst gaining valuable experience in a full-time role.

The Finance Assistant will contribute to the mission and vision of Big Society Capital by supporting all of the organisation’s corporate accounting across both SBSI and BSC.  The position will initially focus on supporting key finance processes including investment accounting, preparing and monitoring departmental budgets, management of transactions within the BSC and SBSI treasury portfolios, production of BSC monthly management accounts, external reporting requirements and annual year-end tax reporting. It will also include some responsibility for the half yearly valuation of investments.

Who you will be working with at BSC:  The Finance Team currently consists of the Head of Finance, Senior Advisor – Financial Management, 3 Senior Managers, Finance Assistant and Finance Apprentice. You will also collaborate with and learn from the wider BSC team, particularly the Investment Group, the Legal and Compliance team and the IT and Business Support teams.

Who you will be working with outside BSC: Fund managers, Suppliers, Auditors, investees, treasury management providers, Banks, administrators, custodians, depositories.

Key Responsibilities:

·       Support the month end accounting process, including reporting to Senior Management.

·       Support the investment drawdown processes including monitoring the mailbox, arranging drawdown checklists, payments and posting accounting entries.

·       Transactional support for the Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust (SBSI) and preparation of relevant reporting files for the 3rd party Administrators.

·       Review quarterly Fund reporting and Audited Accounts from BSC’s investments and ensure Fund income and expenditure and valuation gains/losses are accurately recorded in BSC’s accounting system.  Liaison with Fund Managers as required.

·       Responsibility for collating fund partnership tax returns for each fund investments and preparing relevant summaries to support BSC’s year end tax reporting.

·       Responsibility for management of key processes for acquisition and disposal of Treasury holdings including ensuring that custodian requirements are met and all Treasury transactions are correctly accounted for.

·       Assist in liaising with auditors to ensure accurate and timely completion of the year end process.

·       Assist in preparing and updating finance procedures.

·       Undertake project work to support the development of BSC and the finance function, including supporting the introduction of external social impact investing products.

·       Absence cover for other team members

·       Perform ad hoc financial requests as needed.

Person Specification

Essential experience

·       Graduate – preferably with finance, business, economics or mathematics background

Desirable experience

·       Excel experience

·       Prior experience in an accounting role

Skills, abilities and attributes

·       Problem solving skills: able to come up with innovative solutions to complex problems and contribute ideas of processes

·       Collegial team player - Flexible and willing to work with and contribute to a team

·       Self-starter - able to work under own initiative and source new opportunities

·       Organised with great attention to detail

·       Good communication and relationship- building skills

·       A passion for social impact and BSC’s mission

Please note…

·       Location: We are a UK-based business with an office in the Chancery Lane area of London, accessible to a number of public transport links. Our current approach allows colleagues to spend 40% - 60% of their working hours in the office, and the remainder from home. We hope that this working pattern encourages Big Society Capital employees to achieve a healthy balance between work and personal goals, as we continue to adapt to the changing needs of our diverse workforce.

·       Right to work: all applicants must have the existing right to work in the UK

·       Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Big Society Capital is committed to being a diverse organisation that is truly representative of the communities we serve. We are an equal opportunities employer with an inclusive environment where all employees can contribute to their fullest potential. We want every colleague to be able to deliver their work with dignity, equality, comfort and independence. Our office is fully accessible with step-free access and an open-plan set up. We are open to accommodation requests regarding assistive technologies, accessibility tools, flexible working or any other reasonable adjustments that will make working or visiting here more accessible for you. If you have a disability or other access needs and require any support to assist you through the recruitment process, please get in touch with Ruth Davidson (People and Talent Manager) at rdavidson@bigsocietycapital.com