Chief Financial Officer

Context

Independence Matters Group is a care sector, Community Interest Company (CIC), comprising of Independence Matters (IM) which is a wholly owned Teckal compliant trading company of Norfolk County Council (NCC) with a subsidiary company Home Support Matters (HSM).

The group provide Learning Disability and Domiciliary Care services across Norfolk and parts of Suffolk. IM currently employs approximately 500 staff and HSM approximately 190 staff.

A large proportion of their work is commissioned through NCC, which means they have strong links to local government and operate within the public sector environment. Some of their support service functions, including ICT and Payroll, are delivered by NCC via SLA’s.

Location: Hybrid and onsite in Norwich (Joseph King House) / Dereham
Hours: 37
Team: Senior leadership team
Reporting to: Managing Director of Independence Matters Group and Board
Responsible for: Group Finance Business Partner and Finance Team, General Manager, Norfolk Industries

Job Purpose

Lead and oversee the Group’s strategic finances, ensuring robust short and long-term financial planning, budget setting, financial reporting and management.
Lead improved financial performance through robust contract negotiations and lead the lead group risk management whilst ensuring effective compliance with all financial statutory requirements.
Lead the finance team ensuring all day to day, month end, and year end reporting is undertaken on time and accurately, ensuring the overall effective financial management and commercial objectives of the group are achieved.
Board Member and Company Secretary, responsible for ensuring compliance with all Group filing requirements. Audit and Risk Committee Member and co-opted Remuneration Committee member.
Senior Accountant Officer for HMRC as Independence Matters is part of the Norfolk Council Group.
Lead in the growth of the Group and setting the business development strategy.
Lead contract renewals, negotiations and bidding for new contracts working closely with the Care Delivery Directors to ensure existing contracts are fulfilled and new business secured is achievable and integrated fully.
Lead IM’s small social conscience factory based in Norwich, Norfolk Industries, providing employment to people with disabilities.

Key result areas - principle duties and responsibilities

Formulate the annual Group finance plan (£20 million P&L and £4 million balance sheet) and the 3-year medium-term strategic finance plan and forecast ensuring alignment with the Group Business Plan objectives to ensure the ongoing financial sustainability of the Group.
Establish and drive continual improvement of systems and controls that strengthen financial probity, ensure robust management of income, expenditure, and cash flow and which are suitable for the Group’s current activities and future growth.
Lead the annual audit process and ensure the Group’s financial statements are accurate and comply with the Companies Act 2006 and UK (United Kingdom) Accounting standards (UK GAAP). Lead the External Auditor tender process.
Oversee production of monthly management accounts and preparation of accurate, timely and comprehensive financial reporting packs to enable the Senior Leadership Team, Board and Shareholders to make sound strategic decisions.
Develop and oversee the Group’s risk strategy and risk matrix, working with SLT colleagues to ensure this is kept up to date and complete and ensuring the Board’s risk appetite is accurately reflected in the mitigations recorded and the residual risk targets.
Oversee the banking and treasury functions, managing cash-flow to maximise investment income and overseeing the insurance function to ensure the Group has the required levels of insurance in place across all lines to minimise any potential liability.
Lead financial due diligence on all significant new commercial opportunities and lead pricing re-negotiations on existing contracts where income has fallen behind costs to ensure these continue to be commercially viable and do not financially burden the wider Group.
Establish and maintain appropriate tax accounting arrangements to ensure tax liabilities are calculated accurately in all material respects. As Senior Accounting Officer (SAO) defined within 2009 HMRC (Her Majestys Revenue and Customs) legislation, personally liable for submitting a signed annual certificate to HMRC stating compliance or otherwise that appropriate provisions were in place throughout the whole of the tax year.
Oversee the IM care estate leases and assets leading on contract negotiations to achieve best value and modern facilities for service delivery.
Create a high-performing finance team, through recruitment, coaching, mentoring and up-skilling
Develop a digitally enabled Finance function to deliver key finance metrics so that IM Group can make informed business decisions about resources, structure, and service delivery.
Ensure the timely completion and filing of all statutory returns to Companies House.

General

Contribute to the wider development of the business as a member of the Executive management team to support the needs of the organisation.
Undertake any other duties which are deemed to be within the scope of the role including new areas of work and make necessary changes to current ways of working, handling any objections that may arise, to ensure the smooth running of the business, including Deputising for the Managing Director.
Collaborate and cooperate with Independence Matters colleagues and departments to ensure that decisions best support the requirements of the business.
Uphold Group policies and values while always leading by example.

Other

Exhibit a clear passion and strong commitment to the Independence Matters Groups mission and values and support and challenge colleagues to do the same.
Steer the group in the most profitable direction whilst upholding the Community Interest Company ethos.
Always protect and enhance the interests and reputation of the Group.

Key relationships - internal and external

Group Managing Director
Board Directors
Senior Leadership Team
Group Finance Business Partner and Finance Team
Business Support and Senior Operational colleagues
Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee
Remuneration Committee
Third parties such as HMRC, external auditors, tax advisors and bankers
Norfolk County Council ASSD (Adult Social Services Department) Transformation and Performance Boards
Norfolk County Council Treasury, Insurance, and Internal Audit teams
Norfolk County Council Shareholders

Person Specification

Extensive post-qualification experience across a range of different sectors at Finance Director / Board level.
Extensive record of accomplishment, driving financially successful commercial activities including the ability to provide oversight of complex budgets.
Extensive governance, risk management and senior level organisational leadership and management experience.
Extensive experience of leading and motivating teams, supporting collaborative working to deliver business objectives through periods of change.

Knowledge

Detailed knowledge and understanding of UK accounting standards, developments within finance and UK taxation legislation.
Understanding of the Not-For-Profit sector.
High level of understanding of a multi-layered business.

Skills

Highly Developed strategic thinker.
Highly developed thorough attention to detail.
Highly developed stakeholder management and interpersonal skills.
Highly developed creative and critical thinking.
Highly developed influencing and diplomacy skills, with the gravitas to positively represent the Group and engage constructively with all stakeholders, both internally and externally.
Highly developed presentation skills.
Developed ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously.
Developed skills in Microsoft Office and industry software.

Personal Attributes

Resilient and self-confident.
Confidence and ability to interact/influence senior executive stakeholders, i.e. Norfolk County Council.
Ambition and desire for the company to succeed.
Exhibit and encourage creative drive, striving always for solutions.
Adaptable and can respond to workplace and industry changes.
Curious and looking to learn and improve.
Able to foster a supportive and collaborative working environment.

Additional Requirements

Qualifications and specific training: A CCAB accounting qualification.
Full driving licence and business insurance.
Required to travel across the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk weekly.
Hold escalation responsibilities.
Basic DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check required.