Finance
With an exceptional track record of success in both charity and finance recruitment, our team are genuine specialists in this field and ideally placed to find the very best finance professionals from both within and outside the charity sector.
We work with organisations of all sizes and cover permanent and temporary positions at every level from finance assistants to directors and senior management, financial controllers, finance managers, purchase ledger, treasury, management accountants and more.
Why choose Harris Hill Finance?
What really sets us apart from the bigger city-based finance recruiters is that we only work for organisations in the charity and not for profit sector, so you're always our number one priority. That means we're genuinely invested and committed to delivering outstanding appointments for you, because we only succeed if we're helping you to do the same.
Based in the same building as fantastic organisations we're proud to work with like Marie Curie, Macmillan Cancer Support and Care International, and heavily involved in some of the sector's biggest inter-charity events, we're immersed in the third sector which gives us unrivalled candidate knowledge and a real understanding of the skills needed in charity finance teams.
Whether you're looking for a manager or director who truly understands charity finance, the ideal analyst or assistant for your team, advice on the market or a great career move for yourself, there's simply no-one better placed than Harris Hill to help.
Our charity and not-for-profit finance specialists
Latest Opportunities in Finance
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Finance Officer
Harris Hill is urgently seeking an interim Finance Officer, ASAP for up to 6 months, on a full time hybrid basis. We are looking for a highly motivated, detail oriented and flexible team player, for this varied and exciting role. In this role, you will provide bookkeeping and financial management support to organisation, processing and maintaining all financial records, payroll and support with management reporting tasks, thereby contributing to maintaining the financial operations of the organisation.. The role pays £29-35kpa on an hour basis, paid weekly. Duties: Maintain day-to-day financial operations including Process accounts payable, accounts receivable/grants claim. Process staff expenses, credit card returns and journals Prepare monthly bank reconciliation and reconciliation of other payment platforms (e.g. Western Union, Paypal, INT-L, etc.) l Timely and accurate update of financial systems using Sage 50 Accounts and other software, as required. General accounting functions (including petty cash,). Process weekly payment runs to Grantees and other stakeholders. Process monthly payroll using Sage 50 Payroll, including pension assessment, issuance of P45 to leavers and annual P60 to staff; and post all related journals Generate monthly sage ledger report and reconcile all balance sheet accounts. Support the Finance and Operations manager with monthly management reporting and budgeting. Support IT System migration ensuring clean, accurate and complete data is migrated Ensure all year-end entries, including accruals, prepayments, deferred income, and depreciation charges are processed; prepare year-end schedules and liaise with and provide required information to auditors during annual statutory audits. Carry out any other duties commensurate with the post. Person Specification Essential At least AAT (The Association of Accounting Technicians) or ICB (The Institute of Certified Bookkeeper) qualified. At least four years' experience working in a similar role within the charity sector Proven experience of at least two years responsibility for bookkeeping and management accounting activities of a charity Proven experience with all aspects of Sage 50 accounts, Sage Payroll RTI Submissions. Proven financial accounting (including foreign currency transactions) experience with the ability to demonstrate excellent numerical and financial awareness. Competent IT user, conversant in Excel and other Office systems. Highly organised with proven experience of working across teams and effectively managing conflicting priorities. Proven ability to work independently, accurately and pay attention to detail, including in record keeping and data management. Effective written and verbal communication skills, fluency in English, excellent interpersonal skills, and a pleasant, diplomatic manner in interacting with Media Defence's stakeholders and with colleagues at all levels. Excellent analytical skills, including ability to interpret data. Able to work effectively in a team and on own initiative. Proven ability to work in a multi-cultural environment Right to work in the UK
London
£14.87 - 17.95 per hour
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Interim Deputy Director of Financial Planning & Analysis
Harris Hill is recruiting for an Interim Deputy Director of Financial Planning & Analysis for this international charity based in London (Hybrid) - Reports to: Director of Finance & Resources - Salary: to £70,000pa - Hybrid: A minimum of 1 day a week in their offices in London - Days a week: 5 days ideally, but the client would consider 4 days - Length: 6 - 12 months fixed term contract - Interviews: Please apply immediately. The client would like to set up interviews ASAP Position - To lead and coordinate the multiyear financial planning and forecasting processes, ensuring a financially sustainable institution that delivers the research, learning, teaching and operational outcomes reflective of the ambition set down in the strategic plan. - To develop and prepare timely management information and finance papers for business units, Executive Board, Trustees and other formal committees. - Driving enhancements in business intelligence and strategic decision-making tools for stakeholders across the organization to further partnership working and optimise financial performance. - Lead the charity's annual budgetary process and the 10-year financial planning process in accordance with timelines to achieve approval by the Executive Board and Board of Trustees. - Lead on developing and improving the finance business partnering model for the charity, to enhance the quality of service and investment decision-making.
London
£70k per year
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Head of Finance and Business Support
A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a Head of Finance and Business Support at an animal welfare charity, on a part-time basis (28 hours per week). You will be responsible for effective strategic financial management of the charity. Please note, this role is part-time (28 hours per week), and the salary on show is the FTE. As Head of Finance and Business Support, you will: - Ensure robust management of the charity’s financial performance against plan, including regular use of forecasts and the efficient use of funds - Work with the Senior Management Team to ensure the charity’s requirements of the annual budget setting cycle are delivered accurately and in a timely way - Formulate and deliver the annual budget and long-term business models - Ensure that effective procurement policies, procedures, contracts and utilities are procured responsibly in line with the charity’s values and EDI commitments The successful applicant will: - Have significant demonstrable experience in finance within the charity sector, in a similar role - Be ACA, ACCA or other CCAB qualified - Have proven knowledge and experience of charity finance management and accounting - Have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal If this sounds like you and you're keen to hear more, please do get in touch ASAP! Please note, only successful applicants will be contacted with further information. Harris Hill Charity Recruitment Specialists operates an equal opportunity policy and commits to treating all of our candidates and jobseekers fairly. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partners.
London
£55k per year
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Director of Finance & Resources
Harris Hill is recruiting for a Director of Finance & Resources for this International Development Charity based in London - Hybrid working - A minimum of 2 to 4 days a MONTH is required at their offices in London - Contract: Full time, 5 days a week - Reports to: CEO - Management: 2 direct finance reports in the UK and 5 overseas - Salary: £57,000pa - £60,000pa About the role - The Director of Finance & Resources will be a member of the senior management team and play a crucial strategic part in leading all Finance, IT and HR related strategy and planning. - Within a growing and ambitious organisation, the Director of Finance & Resources will play an important role in shaping the strategic direction, decision making and operations. - The successful candidate will be hands-on and participative and will lead and develop an international team to support the following key areas: finance, business planning and budgeting, human resources, administration and IT. Role Purpose This role has a strong strategic dimension while also being a hands-on and participative manager to support the strategic financial needs of the organisation, improving business performance, planning and budgeting, ensuring there is effective financial reporting and compliance with all statutory requirements, effective human resource management, administration and IT. - Business performance, planning and budgeting (30%) - Strategic (25%) - Financial Reporting (15%) - Statutory Compliance (15%) - HR, Administration, and IT (15%) Specific tasks - Expert Advice and Strategy Development - Financial Reporting - Budget and Forecasting - Statutory Compliance - Tax Compliance - Human Resources - Donor compliance and reporting - Treasury management and foreign exchange - Finance Systems and Processes and IT - Company Secretarial Personal Specification - Qualified Accountant (ACCA, ACA, CIMA CIPFA) - Excellent analytical and interpretive ability - Experience in the preparation, monitoring and reporting of budget and financial management information - Experience in group cash flow management and forecasting - Excellent knowledge of accounting principles and best practice, and the preparation and audit of charity and company financial statements - Awareness of company secretarial, legal and tax issues relating to companies and ideally charities - Excellent communication skills with the ability to present to a broad range of people internally and externally, including non-financial specialists
London
£57k - 60k per year
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Part Time Head of Finance
Harris Hill is recruiting for a Part Time Head of Finance for this disabilities charity based near Milton Keynes (Hybrid) - Hybrid Working: 1 day a week would be required at their offices based near Milton Keynes - Days Per Week: 4 days a week position - Hours: Flexible Working - Salary: £47,000pa - £52,000pa FTE. - Management: 1 Finance Administrator and Externally Outsourced Company You will work directly to the Chief Executive as a key member of the senior management team. The postholder will take responsibility for strategic financial planning and for ensuring that the charity has robust financial management and oversight at all levels of the operation. As a member of the senior management team, you will be an integral part of helping the charity to deliver its strategy. You will head the finance team and lead our annual financial budgeting process, ensuring that adequate processes are in place to deliver resources effectively and monitor financial matters at all levels of the organisation. You will be a point of contact for auditors, banks, HMRC, companies house, charity commission, payroll and pension providers. Operationally, you will have responsibility for line managing the finance administrator (p/t) as well as managing our book-keeping, payroll (using an external payroll provider), managing regular reconciliations, producing regular management accounts as well as financial accounts to meet our statutory responsibilities, maintaining oversight of contracts and partnership agreements, developing a treasury policy and managing cash and investments - and providing support to all teams where your expertise is needed. Key responsibilities - Oversight of financial systems and processes including but not limited to the production of relevant financial reports and maintaining up to date policies and procedures. - Lead the annual budgeting process in consultation with the CEO preparing quarterly and half yearly updates as required. - Preparation of monthly or quarterly management accounts and cash flow forecasts for the CEO and Board. - Preparation of the annual year-end financial statements and liaison with auditors. - Effective day to day control of accounting function including payroll, cash-flow management, invoicing and debt management. - Devise and implement a treasury management and investment policy to ensure the optimal utilisation of financial resources. - Assist budget holders in understanding their management accounts and provide training where necessary. - Review the benefits of integration of the finance systems with the CRM system (Salesforce). - Management of Gift Aid claims. - Manage and supervise the duties of the Finance Administrator. - Liaise with external auditors, insurance brokers, HMRC, bankers etc
Milton Keynes
£47.5k - 52k per year + Pro Rata
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Bookkeeper 2dpw
Harris Hill is seeking an interim Bookkeeper for 2 dpw, covering the permanent recruitment for an international medical charity. The role will be working 7.5 hours a day, mainly helping with Purchase Ledger, Sales Ledger and Amex reconciliations. We are seeking an individual with experience in bookkeeping, ideally within an international remit. Able to demonstrate your experience with maintaining purchase ledger as well as ability to prepare financial information for reports. If you would like to explore this further, please apply without delay.
London
£12.46 - 12.46 per hour
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Management Accountant
Harris Hill is recruiting for a Management Accountant for this international charity based in London. (Hybrid) - Reports to: Head of Finance - Salary: £40,000pa - £43,000pa - Staff Management: No staff management is required - Hybrid Working: Flexible working/Hybrid - Interviews: Please apply immediately. The client would like to set up interviews ASAP Job Details - Produce the group management accounts pack, including variance analysis and commentary, for senior management and board of Trustees within set deadlines - Produce the monthly management accounts and transaction listings for budget holders within the International Resources and Governance & Legal Services teams. - Provide support to the above budget holders during the annual budget and the quarterly reforecasting processes - Lead on the collation of information to inform the quarterly Organisational Performance Review process, covering both group and affiliate entities. Duties and Responsibilities - Produce the monthly management accounts and transaction listings for each budget holder - Work with the Financial Accounting function to ensure that the management accounts are accurate to minimise the need for any adjustments and reallocations - Perform and document monthly variance analysis and undertake other analysis or tasks as required - Provide support to budget holders during the annual budget and the quarterly reforecasting processes - Coordinate the production of the group management accounts pack within set deadlines - Produce the group commentary after taking into consideration month end commentary from all country offices, for review by the HOF - Assist with the monthly variance analysis for the group management accounts and undertake other relevant financial analysis or tasks as requested by the HOF - Provide support to Country Offices as and when required - Carry out other ad hoc tasks as required by the HOF and Global Director of Finance and Resources, and Global Leadership Team members Essential - Strong experience in preparing monthly management accounts - Strong experience in producing budgets and forecasts - Strong time management and organisational skills - Strong written and oral communication skills - Strong attention to detail - Pro-active, will identify improvements to producing reports (whilst taking business needs into account) and increase efficiency within the department - Advanced knowledge of Excel Qualifications - Part qualified or newly qualified accountant with a UK-recognised CCAB body, or QBE
London
£40k - 43k per year
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Finance Manager
We at Harris Hill proud & excited to be working alongside a truly inspiring charity. We are looking for an experienced Finance professional from the non-profit sector to provide temporary cover for the Finance Manager position. As Finance Manager you will lead on all day-to-day aspects of financial and payroll operations for the charity and owning the multi-year budgeting and reforecasting model. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Accounting and Reporting: Administrator role for MS Dynamics accounting system, overseeing access rights, integrity of accounts coding structure, liaising with support service Quality control of transactions in system, regular reconciliations of balance sheet accounts Overseeing month end journals and closedowns Strong oversight of income deferral and release from multi-year commercial contracts Strong oversight of expenditure ensuring funded activities and funded staff costs are coded separately from other costs. Production of consolidated management accounts and supporting narrative Banking: Lead role in managing all online banking facilities, ensuring all appropriate staff have the correct access and former staff are removed for system Generating online payments, ensuring all controls and authorisation procedures are followed and ensuring payment file from Dynamics is in the correct format for uploading to the bank website Managing transfers between the organisations accounts to ensure funds are accessible when needed for payments Ensuring all bank transactions are reconciled to the accounting records and that discrepancies are investigated promptly and thoroughly Ensuring significant foreign currency payments are made through our foreign currency broker's online portal Oversee credit cards issued through HSBC, ensuring strong controls and accounting for individuals' use of the cards Payroll: Leading on all payroll matters, including liaising with the external payroll processing agency to ensure prompt accurate payment of salaries, PAYE, pensions and other payroll deductions VAT: Ensuring all transactions are processed with the correct VAT category (eg full recovery, partial recovery, non-business) Budgeting and reforecasting: Supporting regular reforecasts and ensuring the approved versions of budgets and reforecasts are integrated into management reporting If you have the above skills and experience and are immediately available, please apply online today!
London
£24.72 - 27.47 per hour
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Compliance and Payroll Officer
I am excited to be recruiting for a Compliance and Payroll Officer for our busy Finance team! Harris Hill is a dynamic and innovative charity recruitment agency, and we are looking for a Compliance and Payroll Officer for a 12-month FTC maternity cover. This varied role will see you carrying out compliance checks for the busy Temporary Staff & Independent Schools team and Finance & Payroll duties for the wider team. We are a successful, busy and growing organisation, whilst we would describe ourselves as corporate, we also have a unique family feel! Main duties: Finance and payroll responsibilities: - Chase and process weekly timesheets. - Run the weekly payroll within timescales and produce relevant reports for external payroll company. - Pay Limited/Umbrella temps separately and upload to online banking and invoices to Sage50 - Reconcile timesheet reports from payroll company. - Deal with payroll queries. - Request P45s/P60s and holiday pay from payroll company for all starters and leavers from payroll company. - Produce weekly reporting on payroll, compliance, profit, and any other requirements. - Issue all client invoices, ensuring PO numbers are chased and attached where relevant. - Input journals and posting on Sage50. - Chase payments from customers over the phone and by email (credit control) - Keep timesheet portal data up to date by adding and removing temps and placements weekly. - Any other finance and payroll duties as required by the company. Compliance responsibilities: - Check Right to Work documents prior to candidates starting in a temporary booking. - Maintain accurate worker, client and assignment data on the portal and ensure full compliance. - Collect all references for candidates. - Check in with clients when sending invoices for permanent candidates starting in new roles. - Send quality questionnaires to candidates and clients, save and pass on the feedback to consultants. - Deal with general compliance queries. - Carry out DBS, NCTL and Barring checks when required. - Process AWR. - Any other ad hoc projects as required by the company. Essential skills: Sage50 knowledge and experience. Desirable: Experience or an understanding of temporary staff payroll. If you have the above skill and experience and would like to hear more, please apply online today!
London
£35k per year
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Management Accountant
Are you a Management Accountant looking for your next opportunity? I am excited to be working with an amazing health charity in search of an Interim Management Accountant for 3 - 4 months (part-time/fulltime). You will be working with the Head of Finance, Directors and budget holders to deliver accurate, reliable and accessible financial reports and analysis, needed to effectively fulfil financial management accountabilities. Main duties: Prepare accurate and timely monthly management accounts, with commentary, to ensure the business is aware of its financial position against budget and accountable for its activities. Prepare and maintain all Balance Sheet reconciliations (excluding Bank accounts), ensuring monthly postings are made to the relevant general ledger accounts in the Trust's finance system (Microsoft Navision). Prepare and post all journals required to be made to the general ledger in the Trust's finance system. Ensure all material budget variances and differences are investigated and explained to the satisfaction of budget holders and the Head of Finance. Provide budget holders with monthly transaction reports in a timely manner, ensuring that responses are received and posting any required changes to the Trust's finance system. Create and update budget / forecast templates for use by budget holders, ensuring that the financial information is in line with the Trust's finance system and that instructions are provided in a jargon-free and understandable way. Review the templates for improvements and ensure that adequate space is provided for explanation of any changes. Work closely with budget holders to deliver accurate and reliable quarterly forecasts so that the year-end position is always under review. Support the Head of Finance with the preparation of information for the project to upgrade the current Trust finance system. This will include extraction of data, agreement on format for transfer of relevant data and involvement in meetings and discussions with the chosen provider for the upgrade. Essential: Qualified accountant (CCAB or equivalent) with strong technical skills or actively studying towards a professional qualification. If you have the above skills and experience and are immediately available please apply online today, I would love to speak to you!
London
£184.62 - 198.27 per day
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Finance Executive
I am delighted to be working with an amazing homelessness/membership organisation in search of a Finance Executive for 3 months. We are looking for an enthusiastic, hardworking individual who is at the start of their accountancy career with sufficient knowledge and ability to pick up information and tasks quickly. You will be excited by working in a dynamic organisation and keen to play your role by contributing to our finance team. Attention to detail, good communication skills, a willingness to learn and a commitment to cross team working are essential. Areas of responsibility: Accounts Payable: Monitoring the team email inbox and incoming mail to pick up any new purchase invoices, forwarding on any other mail to the relevant person; Add new purchase invoices to Xero in a timely fashion and saving an electronic version so that they can be forwarded to Budget Holders for authorisation and coding; Resolve any queries on authorisation and coding as required; Reconcile company credit cards with expenses approved via ApprovalMax Assist the Trainee Management Accountant with the bi-weekly payment runs. Accounts Receivable: Raise sales invoices relating to private room hire and hospitality; Help provide aged debtor information to budget holders to ensure effective and timely debt recovery takes place; Resolving queries on sales invoices as required. Banking: Banking of Cash and Cheques; Handling Petty Cash and monthly petty cash reconciliations; Quarterly banking of petty cash donations collected in the building; Month end preparation and reports If you have the above skills and experience and are immediately available please apply online today, I would love to have a conversation with you!
London
£15.38 - 15.38 per hour
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Finance & Operations Manager
Harris Hill is recruiting for a Finance and Operations Manager for the Children's Education Charity based in London Salary: £36,652 - £40,059 dependent on experience Hybrid Working: 2 days a week will be required at their offices in London Working with the Head of Finance and Operations and the Finance and Operations Assistant to ensure the finance systems and processes are up to date and accurate, in terms of both the financial data within the accounts and the administration of the finance set up within the system. Please apply immediately. The client would like to interview ASAP. The Finance and Operations Manager has line management responsibility for the Finance and Operations Assistant and responsibility for overseeing the day to day operations of the finance and operations team. The role of the Finance and Operations Manager is key in the delivery of accurate and timely management accounts and will have to work closely with the Head of Finance and Operations to ensure this is delivered. The Finance and Operations Manager will manage finance and operations to ensure compliance with accounting practices and tax requirements; promote the continued improvement of financial systems and operations and ensure timely and accurate payment of suppliers. Strategic and Financial Management ● Using Xero accounting software, manage all day-to-day accounting and book-keeping operations including income and invoice processing. ● Raising and issuing all sales invoices. ● Processing and coding all purchase invoices received and staff expenses. ● Reconciliation of all bank transactions as required to ensure that Xero is always up to date and accurate. ● Reconciliation of all credit or debit card payments (online or in person) to the appropriate income streams. ● Preparing the necessary VAT reports. ● Lining up purchase invoices for payment in line with level of delegation. ● Manage the regular banking of income (cheques and cash) ● Timely and accurate monthly reconciliation of bank accounts ● Manage/prepare prepayments and accruals workings monthly/quarterly for management accounts ● Complete/review balance sheet reconciliations for all accounts monthly/quarterly. ● Ensure maintenance of the fixed asset register and depreciation recorded appropriately
London
£36,000 - 40,059 per year
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Finance Officer
Calling all Finance Officers! Are you a Finance Officer with NAV/Business Centre experience, looking for your next opportunity? If so, please read on… I am excited to be working with an amazing donation distribution organisation in search of an immediately available Finance Officer. The charity is facing an extremely busy period and requires an extra hand for the next 3 months. Flexible re part-time or full-time, hybrid or fully remote! Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities: Purchase ledger Process supplier invoices and credit notes Set up weekly supplier payment and allocate payments made to suppliers Reconcile supplier accounts with statements Manage direct debit payments to suppliers Sales ledger Allocate cash receipts to the customer account Ensure all queries from the Partnership team are resolved in a timely manner Daily bank reconciliation Process staff expenses (personal expenses) Process staff expense charged to company credit cards Essential skills & experience: NAV/Business Centre If you have the above skills and experience and are immediately available, please apply online today, I would love to have a conversation with you!
London
£18 per hour
Advice, news, events and specialist insight from the Harris Hill Blog
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Small charities, (more) big opportunities
Big journeys begin with small steps, say people who’ve never hiked to the furthest departure gates for a budget flight from Gatwick. But thinking small can often be a smart move when it comes to your choice of employer, so in celebration of Small Charity Week, we're sharing six good reasons to join a small charity and ten fantastic opportunities to do so. There’s a lot to be said for working for a small charity, much of which we said in our article 'Should you be working for a large or small charity?' back in early 2020. But by way of a brief(ish) summary, because life is short and you've got more than enough to do, we give you... Six reasons to work for a small charity Broader experience Small charities don’t have the luxury of hiring different people for every different job, so your job title may just be the start of what you do. With fewer people on board, it’s all hands on deck, so a fundraiser, for example, will probably work across multiple revenue streams, and may get involved in marketing, managing events and many more areas of the charity’s work. Will you be busy? Yes. Will you curse yourself for volunteering to do far too many things at once? Also yes. Will you ever be bored? Impossible. When would you find the time? Greater autonomy and responsibility If you’re a digital team of one, guess who’s making the decisions on digital strategy? If you’re used to your brilliant ideas having to pass through five layers of people for approval, each finding new and creative ways to ruin it with 'helpful suggestions', you’ll find the speed and simplicity of decision-making both liberating and exhilarating… Greater exposure …which can sometimes be a little scary, as there’s nowhere to hide if it all goes horribly wrong. But the upside - unlike larger organisations where your achievements can often blur into those of the wider team – is that whatever you do will be recognised, giving you full credit where it’s due. Flexibility and speed In the nautical world, as we learned last year when everyone’s internet shopping got stuck in the Suez Canal, larger vessels find it harder to change course, and the same is true of most organisations. With fewer people in a smaller area, small charities can often be more agile and respond more quickly when things change – in the same way a squirrel can scamper up a tree at the first sign of trouble, but when you try it as an elephant, it tends not to end quite so well. Being close to the action Working at the head office of a major charity can sometimes feel half a world away from the people you’re trying to help, which is often because it is. In a small charity however, you’re more likely to have direct contact with beneficiaries and supporters, getting to see the difference you’re making first-hand. The atmosphere ‘We’re like one big happy family!’ say all kinds of alarming organisations. But if they're anything like actual families, it can only be so big before you start getting factions and tribes, meeting up with smiles all round at Christmas while secretly plotting each other’s demise. Or at least, a sustained programme of ‘not being very helpful to’. But whether it’s just the numbers, proximity, or the camaraderie of pitching in together to get things done, small charities do seem particularly good at fostering a genuinely friendly environment. Ten of the best If a small charity sounds like the right kind of place for you, read on: here are ten great opportunities we currently have with fantastic small charities around the UK. Just click any of the titles or links for full details of each role and how to apply. Director of Development & Strategic Partnerships Newcastle • £40,000 - £45,000 • Full time Read more ► Fundraising & PR Lead Kent • £37,000 • 22.5hrs per week over 3, 4 or 5 days (flexible) Read more ► Fundraising Manager Crowborough, East Sussex • £30,000 - £32,000 • Full time Read more ► Chief Executive Officer Cardiomyopathy UK, Amersham • c£65,000 • Full time hybrid role, 3 days per week in the office Read more ► Chief Executive Officer Dartmoor Preservation Association, Devon • c£45,000 pro rata • Part time hybrid role, 4 days/28 hrs per week Read more ► Director of Finance & Resources London • £57,000 - £60,000 • Full time hybrid role, min 2-4 days per month in the office Read more ► Part Time Head of Finance Milton Keynes • £47,500 - £52,000 pro rata, • Hybrid role, 4 days per week, 1 of which to be in the office Read more ► Finance Executive Woodford Green, London • £38,000 - £40,000 (full time) or pro rata part time (3-4 days per week considered) • Hybrid role Read more ► Programme Manager Denmark Hill, London • £38,000 - £46,000 depending on experience • Full time, hybrid working Read more ► Senior Impact & Learning Manager Denmark Hill, London • £48,000 - £52,000 depending on experience • Full time, hybrid working Read more ► None of these quite what you're looking for? View more of our latest jobs ► Back to the Harris Hill Blog homepage ► More from the Harris Hill Blog Should you be working for a large or small charity? Does size matter? It’s a question we’re certainly not the first to tackle - if that’s the word - but what size of charity is best for your career? The Fundraiser asked us and here's what our deputy CEO Faye Marshall had to say. Read more ► What’s the going rate for your charity sector role? Whether you’re a head of fundraising for a small charity, digital manager for a household name, or in any of almost 200 other positions in the sector, you’ll find answers in the brand new 2022 Harris Hill Salary Survey. Read more ►
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Market trends: why the shortage of candidates?
If you've tried to recruit recently, you'll know that candidates are getting harder to find than sea turtles, anything your size in the sale, or the point of ITVBe. So what's going on, and what can you do about it? Here's our take on it, adapted from our 2022 Salary Survey. Given the pandemic saw many charities scaling back their operations, with 43% reporting job cuts by September 2020, and at least 7,400 known redundancies by the end of that year, you might expect to find a plethora of available candidates battling it out for precious few vacancies in the sector right now. But far from it: jobs on our site have been nudging pre-pandemic numbers for months, yet applications have yet to bounce back to anything like the same extent (NB: great news if you’re job-seeking - apply now while there’s limited competition). So where is everybody? One factor is that many of those made redundant or furloughed in 2020 have left the sector altogether. Having had to find new employment, many have embraced their new careers and seem unlikely to return any time soon. The labour shortage isn't unique to the charity sector, of course. Teachers, truckers, cabin crew, carers: it’s hard to name a group who aren’t currently short on numbers (besides government ministers, who we’ve had more than enough of for years, some would say). In some of these cases, dare we say it, Brexit appears to be a contributing factor, but for charities? Not so much, according to NCVO’s UK Civil Society Almanac, which shows that after falling slightly in the immediate wake of the 2016 referendum, the proportion of EU nationals in the UK charity workforce has since remained stable, hovering around 4%. However in London the figure is nearer 14%, potentially making any fluctuations more noticeable. Safety first A bigger factor is that in the stormy, uncertain conditions created by the pandemic, many who might otherwise have opted to move have been reluctant to rock the boat. After all, the launch of the furlough scheme had vividly illustrated the danger: only those on the previous month’s payroll were originally eligible for support, throwing a lifeline to established employees, but leaving those who’d just changed jobs to drown (not literally – you’re thinking of immigration policy). While this was remedied some weeks later, many will have concluded in that time (if not already) that staying put was by far the safest option. Charities have also been seeking stability, judging by the frequency and size of increases offered to retain existing staff. For many organisations, it’s been a better option than having to find replacements, with onboarding having proved a particular challenge while working remotely. Further factors We’ve also seen a significant cohort choosing to move out of London, where about 50% of the sector and many of our clients are based. However most of these individuals have been choosing to stay within the sector, so it’s more a redistribution of the candidate pool than a reduction. This is perhaps the only group who may have seen slight reductions in salary, if they previously received London weighting. In summary then, the ongoing candidate shortage is partly about numbers, with fewer people in the sector, and partly availability, with a smaller proportion than usual in the market for a move. Both are likely to continue the upward pressure on salaries. Tackling the problem When every role requires charity sector experience that no new entrant can gain for that very reason, the only possible result is ever-increasing competition for an ever-diminishing pool of candidates. Meanwhile outside the sector, the pandemic led many people to re-evaluate their priorities, one result of which is an even bigger-than-usual pool of talented people in the commercial sector who are eager to work for charities. It's by no means the whole solution, but we're starting to see an increasing number of charities turning this to their advantage, particularly in areas like corporate fundraising, where those on the business side of a partnership are well-placed to vault over the fence to the charity side. In our experience, where charities are embracing this, not only are they bringing valuable new skills into the sector, but it’s also proving to be a highly effective way of increasing diversity, making it well worth considering as a way forward. For more on current market trends, together with the latest rates for more than 200 charity roles, check out the full Harris Hill 2022 Salary Survey, give us a call on 020 7820 7300, or get in touch with one of our specialist consultants. More from the Harris Hill Blog How to handle competency-based interviews They’re a great opportunity to show you’ve got the skills, but how can you be sure to shine? Director Jenny Hills of our executive practice offers detailed insight and expert advice in the first of a two-part guide. Read more ► What to expect as a charity sector temp It's a great way to gain skills and experience fast, and with high demand throughout the sector, might temping be right for you? Our senior temps specialists Sekai Lindsay and Ryan Elmer have the lowdown on what you need to know. Read more ► Back to the Harris Hill Blog homepage ►
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How to handle competency-based interviews - part 1
They’re a great opportunity to show you’ve got the necessary skills, but what exactly are they and how can you be sure to shine? Director Jenny Hills of our executive practice offers detailed insight and expert advice in the first of a two-part guide. What is a competency-based interview, and why do recruitment panels use them? A competency-based interview is one that focuses on establishing that you, as a candidate, have the skills, knowledge, experience, etc, to succeed in a role, as evidenced by your achievements so far. These competencies should be made clear on the job description and person specification of a role. If you read these documents carefully ahead of time, there should be no surprise questions in a competency-based interview. Competency-based interviews are used by organisations because: • They are fair and objective. In a well-run recruitment process using competency-based interviews, candidates can be well-prepared as they will have the JD and person specification well ahead of the interview. All candidates are asked the same questions in the same amount of time, and are assessed against the same criteria (the competencies). • They can highlight your potential and transferable skills. If you're going for a promotion (say from Head of Finance to a director role) or looking to move into a different type of role, a good person specification should break down the role into separate points such as 'ability to manage a remote team', 'knowledge of charity accounting rules', 'ability to communicate complex information to non-finance specialists', etc. Each of these are competencies. A step-up candidate can show they have these competencies with specific examples (and can therefore be successful in the new role), without having held that exact title before. • They help level the playing field for candidates who are not natural interviewees. There are people out there who are just good at interviewing. They're able to relax, come up with answers quickly, and can tell a great story about why they would be perfect for this role. Lucky them, but that’s not most of us. Most of us get a little nervous, need to take a breath before answering a question, and despite researching the organisation thoroughly before an interview, don’t turn up thinking we can solve their every issue before lunchtime on our first day. Competency-based interviews actually help you here, because you can prepare, anticipate the questions you’ll be asked, and therefore (fingers crossed), be less nervous. Also, you're not being assessed on your insider knowledge of the organisation - you're being assessed on how your own experience to date has prepared you for this role. These interviews are also effective at weeding out candidates who are good at interviewing (who can talk the talk) but in reality are less qualified for the actual role. Someone who can talk a great game about how they would, say, double the charity’s income in six months, won’t get very far in a competency-based interview if they can’t provide solid evidence of a track record of doing something like that before. How to tell if you’re in a competency-based interview Hopefully, you will have been briefed ahead of time on the format of the interview, but if not, you can spot a competency-based question by its focus on your past career. Some tell-tale phrases are: • Give me an example of… • Tell me about a time when… • Where have you demonstrated… • What experience do you have of… • How have you gone about… If you hear any of these or similar, it’s a competency-based question. Sometimes, the focus on the past might be less obvious, but a competency-based answer is still usually the best way to answer questions like these: • Tell us about your knowledge of… • Describe your ability to… • What’s your awareness of… Even if it's not the main focus, most interviews will include some competency-based questions. So, how do you go about answering them? Answering competency-based questions with the STAR technique The STAR technique is Competency-Based Interview Answers 101. Basically, the STAR technique is about answering a competency-based question with an example in four parts: Situation, Task, Action, Result. What does that mean in practice? Let’s look at an example. The question to be answered is, “Please could you tell us about your experience of leading and motivating a team?” What this means Answer Situation Setting the scene: what your role was, and the challenge or opportunity When I joined my current role as Head of Trust Fundraising, I had a team of five relatively inexperienced staff who were demoralised, felt isolated and were directionless after an extended period without a team leader. The trust bid pipeline was in danger, and was projected to deliver only 60% of the team’s target, which ultimately risked service provision. Task What your responsibility was/what you needed to do I was tasked with stabilising and growing the trust funding pipeline, which required me to develop and motivate the team to perform at a level they never had before. Action Quite simply, what you did I held workshops with the team to review what had been won, what had been submitted, what was in process and what was expected for the rest of the financial year, and an assessment of how likely we were to win each bid. We used this information to write a new annual strategy for trust fundraising. For each member of the team, I gave them a “blank slate” and focused on their performance now and in the future, setting individualised KPIs against the strategy, and regular check ins with me. I set a firm “no-blame culture” across the team between individuals and in group settings. I also set up a “buddy system” with the services team, so my team could see the impact of their work and the services team got a better understanding of what my team needed to write effective bids. Result What was your impact? By the end of the financial year, we had secured the existing pipeline of funding, as well as an additional 15% on top of our target. We were able to review our annual strategy and convert it into a 5-year strategy, which we are now halfway through the third year of delivery, with year on year increases in funding won. The same people are still in the team, with one member promoted by me last year into a manager position in accordance with her development plan, with a new hire reporting into her. Our latest staff survey revealed that the team feels strongly connected to the work of the charity, with a clear sense of their own individual contribution. Why use the STAR technique? The point of the STAR technique is to provide a clear structure to your answer that is easy to remember and follow for both you and the interviewer. Most of us are good at remembering chronological, cause-and-effect narratives – a story - which is basically what an answer structured around Situation, Task, Action, Result creates. It’s easier for you (and equally importantly, the panel) to remember a nicely structured story than a list of facts and figures, no matter how impressive those facts and figures may be. Similarly, don’t feel the need to throw in every single detail you can think of for the example you do give, and risk the panel losing the thread of your story. Stick to what is most important and relevant to the role you are interviewing for. Which is why… Less is (usually) more So, you're asked to demonstrate your communication skills. You’re a great communicator and have loads of examples, but don’t be tempted to reel them all off. Stick to one example that you judge to be most relevant to the role, and tell it well using the STAR technique. Put yourself in a panel member’s shoes as they are listening to your answer. What’s easier to follow: a list of ten projects from across your career (which are probably on your CV already) or one example, put in a context that makes it relevant to the vacancy, and that follows through to an impressive result that they would like to see replicated at their organisation? If you’ve given a strong example and now want to go further and show you’ve done this more than once, you can demonstrate this breadth by finishing with something like, “that was the most complex communications challenge I have faced, but I applied the same principles in the merger at this charity, the rebrand at that charity, and most recently the new service launch in my current role”. In part two, we'll look at how to bring your personality and values into play, deal with competencies you don't have, and inspire the panel with your vision for the future, not just your past. Read part two ► More from the Harris Hill Blog The Harris Hill Salary Survey 2022 What’s the going rate for your charity sector role? Whether you’re a head of fundraising for a small charity, digital manager for a household name, or in any of almost 200 other positions in the sector, you’ll find answers in the brand new 2022 Harris Hill Salary Survey. Read more ► Back to the blog homepage ►
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How to handle competency-based interviews - part 2
In part two of our guide, Jenny Hills looks at what to say when you don't have the competency in question, and how to bring out your personality, values and vision for the future, even if the questions focus firmly on your past (read part one here). Bringing yourself to the interview One of the risks of a competency-based interview is that they can seem a little formulaic for both panel members and candidates. On the other hand, one of the best things about working in the charity sector is that we really care about the work our organisations do, the impact and the people. Recruitment panels want to get to know what makes you tick as a person. Sometimes, you will be asked directly about your values or personal qualities: “How have you demonstrated our charity’s values of x, y and z”? However, don’t wait for a direct question like this to come up to show you who you are. You can avoid the risk of your answers appearing to be 'by the book' by showing your enthusiasm, your values and your personality and self-awareness, and thread these throughout your answers. Here are some examples of how to weave these in: • “It’s important to me that everyone feels included and valued in my team, and so I…” • “This was causing tension in the team, and while my preferred management style is to build consensus (which has previously manifested as conflict avoidance), I made sure to tackle this head on by…” • “What drives me most is delivering justice for our communities, and I built this into our service design process by…” We’ve seen candidates ace questions by being really honest about the limits of their experience, giving example of where things didn’t quite work perfectly and being very clear about what they learnt from it. How to answer a tricky question There will probably be things on the job description or person specification that do not play to your strengths. That is totally fine – there is no perfect candidate for any job, and if you weren’t a strong candidate for the role, you wouldn’t be invited to the interview. So, you’re asked about that one thing you haven’t done before or aren’t quite sure of. Don’t panic! The trick to answering a tricky competency-based question is to give your best (most relevant) example, and then demonstrate an awareness of the development points for you and how you are going to tackle them. Let’s say you are a fundraiser going for a new role. The person specification says you need knowledge of the Raiser’s Edge CRM but you have only ever used the Salesforce system. However, you were the internal lead in implementing a major update and supporting your colleagues in adopting the new system. When asked about your experience in fundraising CRM systems, in your answer you can highlight how quickly you got up to speed with this new system, how you made sure the functionality worked for your team and supported them to use it. You can then tell the panel, “I know you use Raiser’s Edge here, and while I have not used that CRM before, I’m confident that I will be able to grasp the system quickly, as I have already watched a number of introductory and tutorial videos on YouTube and it doesn’t seem too dissimilar. I’d be happy to do further training ahead of my start date to ensure a smooth transition into the role”. Taking your answers further If you’ve researched the organisation and have a clear idea of what you want to achieve in the role, competency-based interviews can be frustrating, as the focus is on your past, not what you will do in future. There isn't always a natural place in the interview to share your vision and plans for the role, but you can bring them in by linking to your past experience. Let’s say in your current role, you have had great successes in bringing in younger donors, and you know a key part of this new role is to reach new audiences of potential funders. Give your STAR answer when asked about your experience of diversifying the donor base of a charity, and talk them through how you brought on younger donors. Then you can tell the panel (concisely) that you feel a similar plan could work at this charity, and while this aspect of what you did might not be relevant, these steps and that type of messaging are likely to be similarly effective in this role too. This shows that beyond a competency match with the role, you have really done your research into them as an organisation, and thought through what your experience can add in this new role. That kind of preparation shows you are genuinely interested in them and their work, which always leaves a favourable impression on a recruitment panel. Don’t feel the need to do this for every question, but if delivering on this one thing is a major point of interest for you in the role, and/or it tackles an issue you know the organisation is facing, it's always helpful to add this to your answer for the relevant questions. So to summarise, there's nothing to fear from a competency-based interview, and plenty to welcome. It’ll be fair and objective, assessing your experience against requirements, and since you can anticipate the questions, you can prepare and structure your answers in the most effective way. And while the questions may ask for little more than a list of what you’ve done, you can use them – with these methods and some wisely-chosen examples - to give the panel a far more rounded picture of who you are, showing them what you'll bring to the organisation when you're ultimately working in the role. Jenny Hills, Chief Executive & Director Recruitment Practice, Harris Hill ► If you haven't already, you can read part one here, while for more advice on forthcoming interviews or executive-level requirements, you can reach Jenny Hills on 020 7820 7321 or via email to this address. Back to the Harris Hill Blog homepage ►
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What to expect as a charity sector temp
Temping is a great way to gain skills and experience fast, and with high demand throughout the sector, it’s a great time to give it a try. Harris Hill’s senior temps specialists Sekai Lindsay and Ryan Elmer have the lowdown on what you need to know... For most of this century, temps have made up around 5% of the UK workforce, but considerably more of the voluntary sector (around 9%, say NCVO), making temporary work a familiar experience for many. If you’re considering it for the first time however, here’s a summary of the basics. What’s the difference between permanent, temporary and contract roles? Obviously the duration of the job, but there are some other key differences: Permanent roles You're employed directly by the organisation, on their payroll and, once you pass any probation period, entitled to all their staff benefits. Temporary roles You're employed by the agency through which you found the role, on the agency’s payroll and entitled to the agency’s benefits. However you're under the care and command of the organisation the agency has placed you in, normally for an agreed length of time, but this may be extended (with your consent) if the requirement is ongoing. Fixed term contracts You're employed directly by the organisation and on their payroll, just like a permanent role, but for a specific, limited amount of time, such as 6 or 12 months. Why temp? According to ONS figures, for around 30% of temporary workers it’s purely the lack of a permanent job, but the larger proportion have a variety of reasons, including: • The chance to work for multiple charities in a short space of time, rapidly expanding your insight and experience of the sector. • The opportunity to sample different roles in different places, helping to identify what you want (and what you don’t) from your career if you’re unsure. • Gaining more skills, confidence and adaptability, improving your prospects of landing (and succeeding in) the perfect permanent position when you find it. • To continue earning, including holiday pay and pension contributions, even if future plans mean you can’t commit to the role permanently. Don’t expect it every time, but there’s also the chance it may develop into something longer-term or even permanent. Getting into an organisation is often the hard part, but if you’re there as a temp and known to be personable, reliable, hard-working and a quick learner, they may be keen to keep you on board, even if you don’t have the specific experience that would normally be required. What are the drawbacks? It’s not all kittens and rainbows of course, even (we assume) at the Rainbow Centre for Kittens, so be aware that: • You’ll be paid weekly, for exactly the hours you work, as marked on a timesheet signed by your manager. So when you’re not working (if you’re off sick or for any other reason) you’re not earning. However you’re still entitled to Statutory Sick Pay. • Requirements for temps tend to arise at short notice and can end just as quickly too, so you won’t always know how long your role will continue, or what you’ll be doing (and therefore earning) next week/month. Planning ahead for anything can be a challenge. • Under Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) you’re entitled to the same salary and benefits as permanent staff after 12 weeks in the same role, but until then you may sometimes be on less favourable terms. How to temp through an agency Most temp vacancies go through agencies because the employer needs someone immediately. Yesterday, preferably. For these last-minute requests, there's no time to advertise and wait for applications; employers count on agencies to know good people already, so you need to be registered with one to be in the running. • Choose a reputable agency with plenty of jobs in the sector you’re keen to work in. Let’s say Harris Hill, for example. (Other agencies are available). Then just get in touch to register as a candidate. • We’ll need your CV, and will take you through the necessary checks and references first, to save you any unexpected roadblocks later. • We’ll then discuss your experience, the type of roles you’re looking for and aim to match your skills with suitable roles. • If there’s nothing immediately, don’t worry. Just keep an eye on the site, check back often, and apply for roles that match your skills and experience. Apply for the right roles, not just any roles This is really important as a temp. Meet 80% of the criteria for a permanent role and you can probably be trained on the rest, but this doesn’t work for temps as there’s no time for training. Clients need someone with all the right skills from day one, and with roles often attracting 100+ applications, they’ll probably find them. So there’s no benefit in applying for anything and everything; better to focus your very best efforts on a small number of roles where you closely match the requirements. Nonetheless, there are ways of improving your prospects… How to stand out • Remember that temp placements happen at speed, so make sure your CV is sufficiently clear and well-structured to see the key points at a glance. • A short opening profile summarising key skills will help this, as will bullet points to pick out skills and experience. • Include any transferable skills, explaining how they’re relevant for the role. • Tailor your CV to the role in question. Don’t make the reader piece together clues as to why you’re right for it – spell it out clearly from the start. • List any relevant systems, CRMs or packages you’ve worked with, and be specific, even if they’re a little obscure. You never know when one of them might be the deciding factor. Finally, one of the most effective things you can do is also one of the easiest, yet it’s often overlooked: let us know when you’re available. Why it pays to keep us posted When a last-minute temp vacancy comes in, we need to know two things fast: who do we know with the right skills, and who’s free to do it? Our database can answer the first question, but because we don’t track your every move (trust us: we can barely plant a plant, never mind a microchip), not necessarily the second. Unless you're already working for us elsewhere, we can only be certain of your availability if you've recently told us. This needn’t mean calling in every week – a one-line email will do, or even just a text. But simply by confirming you’re available, you’ll have dramatically improved your prospects of a great placement coming up soon. We hope that’s answered a few questions, but if you’d like to know more, please get in touch via the details below, or you can register as a candidate here. Sekai Lindsay Business Support roles 020 7820 7307 Email Sekai Ryan Elmer Marcomms, Events and Fundraising 020 7820 7313 • Email Ryan More from the Harris Hill Blog Good news: your CV's in demand! Jobs in the charity sector are bouncing back in a very big way, so recruiters and charities alike are jostling for a glimpse of your CV. Read more ► A brand new office in Paris! (Garden) We've recently relocated our central London office to a continentally-named corner of SE1 with a rather colourful history. Read more ► Back to the blog homepage ►
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Find the latest charity rates in the 2022 Harris Hill Salary Survey
What’s the going rate for your charity sector role? Whether you’re a head of fundraising for a small charity, digital manager for a household name, or in any of almost 200 other positions in the sector, you’ll find answers in the brand new 2022 Harris Hill Salary Survey. The new report arrives with our thanks first of all to the several hundred superb organisations who’ve entrusted us in the past year and more with the diverse range of roles that form the basis of the survey. From there, we add the insight and expertise of our experienced specialists in each field, working role by role to identify misleading or unrepresentative cases that might distort the picture – for example, roles that are far more senior/junior than the title suggests – and applying their up-to-the-minute knowledge from handling similar roles every day to ensure we reflect what’s actually being paid (not just what’s advertised) for each role throughout the sector. Our thanks too, for the many (many!) requests and enquiries we've had from people patiently awaiting the next edition: we’re delighted to say that it’s now here and available to download from the link below, and we hope you find it a valuable reference for the year ahead. With salaries for everything from entry-level roles to director positions, the survey covers each of our specialist areas: Chief Executives & Directors • Data Management • Finance • Fundraising • Human Resources Marketing, PR & Digital • Operations, Admin & Support • Policy, Advocacy & Campaigns • Temporary & Interim Market trends We’ve also examined some of the key issues currently affecting the market, not least the widespread and seemingly ever-more-acute shortage of candidates: why have numbers fallen and where to find new talent now? And after two years of turbulence and quite radical change in the working landscape, what impact has the pandemic and the rise of flexible working had on salaries? A (very) recent history of the survey It's our 15th annual guide to salaries in the UK charity sector, but in this case, the first since the outbreak of a global pandemic, whose many crimes (though admittedly among the more benign) include putting paid to the last two editions. Work was just underway in 2020 when much of the world shut down, closing off key fundraising avenues for charities (while demand for their services often increased), and triggering widespread fear of redundancies, job losses and for some, even the prospect of having to cease operations entirely. In which context, reporting on the previous year's salaries seemed rather like reviewing the Titanic’s restaurants for passengers clinging to the lifeboats: information that may have been welcome yesterday, now eclipsed by some rather more pressing concerns. Uncertainty still prevailed by the spring of 2021, but we're delighted that the last year has been characterised by a strong and consistent recovery, each month surpassing the last, creating the clear picture needed to bring you this brand new report. For more information... Throughout the report you'll find details of the relevant specialists together with the salaries in their respective fields, and they're by far the best people to call with queries relating to those areas. Meanwhile for more general enquiries, feedback or requests relating to the survey, please call us on 020 7820 7300 or get in touch by email. View or download the 2022 Harris Hill Salary Survey ► Check out our latest jobs ► More from the Harris Hill Blog What to expect as a charity sector temp Temping is a great way to gain skills and experience fast, and with high demand throughout the sector, it’s a great time to give it a try. Harris Hill’s senior temps specialists Sekai Lindsay and Ryan Elmer have the lowdown on what you need to know...Read more ► Previous salary guides Good news: your CV's in demand! Jobs in the charity sector are bouncing back in a very big way, so recruiters and charities alike are jostling for a glimpse of your CV. Read more ► A brand new office in Paris! (Garden) We've recently relocated our central London office to a continentally-named corner of SE1 with a rather colourful history. Read more ► Back to the blog homepage ►
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Good news – your CV’s in demand!
Let’s face it, there's been rather a shortage of non-alarming news lately, so it’s a real joy to bring you something that won’t make you want to hide under the duvet and cry. Specifically, that jobs in the charity sector are bouncing back in a very big way, so recruiters and charities alike are jostling for a glimpse of your CV. In fact, after climbing consistently all year, the number of fantastic charity opportunities here at Harris Hill is now within touching distance – if that’s allowed - of where it was before the pandemic. Which is a pretty big number. (Exhibit A: check out our jobs pages). However, the number of people seeking those opportunities is yet to rebound to anything like the same extent, which means that if you’ve got charity experience, you’re very much in demand! But aren't the big candidate shortages elsewhere? Shortages in other sectors might be making the headlines, but as charities seek to recover the millions lost to the pandemic, recruitment is high on the agenda, while application numbers are unusually low. Not just at Harris Hill, but our charity clients are coming to us with the very same issue across the board. So while you might imagine there's little point looking right now, we’re here to say you could well be a highly sought-after candidate, even if you don’t have an HGV licence or dream of being underpaid for your strawberry-picking skills. Although we can’t imagine either would hurt. But to cut to the point, it's this: if you’re a charity professional in just about any area at the moment, you’re already in considerable demand. OK, so what's available? We’ve got permanent and contract opportunities across all specialist areas, and demand for temporary staff is even higher, with an abundance of assignments in all kinds of roles right now. If you're looking for new opportunities of any kind, please do get in touch to discuss how we can help you move forward, and if you’ve temped for us in the past, please drop us a line with your latest CV and availability for work. ►► A side note here: why do we ask you to update us, if you're already on our system and nothing's changed? Let's discuss this in a blue box. Why update us if you've already registered? That's a great question. If you’ve registered with us, or any other recruiter, you might (understandably) see no need to keep us posted unless there's any significant change. But here’s why it’s well worth doing, especially for temps. In an ideal world, we’d have weeks to advertise temp positions and scour the kingdom and/or database for every suitable candidate in advance. In this world however, it's more likely we're looking to fill a role we’ve known about for five minutes, starting yesterday. *pause while you break out tiny violin* Contacting every potential candidate would take days, but we need to know who’s free as soon as possible, so it's logical to start with those we already know about. Naturally they tend to be the people we’ve spoken with or heard from most recently: the more time has passed, the more likely things have changed. That's why it’s always worth a quick call or email to keep us up to speed, particularly for temps, but also for permanent roles if you’re open to a move and we haven’t spoken for a while. So, whether it's for a temporary, permanent or contract role, if you’re currently looking, in two minds or just waiting for the right moment, we’d love to hear from you: it’s a much better time than you might think. Not only are there plenty of great jobs available, but with fewer people competing for them, your prospects may be better than expected too. And with recruiters and charities clamouring for CVs like over-excitable fans at an autograph signing, it’s the perfect time to send us yours or register here on the site. Which – in a line we didn’t expect to write today, much less finish a blog with – we recommend doing very soon, before the knicker-throwing starts. Thanks! Team HH Back to the Harris Hill Blog homepage ►
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Charity Careers 6: meet Susana Lopez, Head of Leadership Giving at Cancer Research UK
Welcome back to Charity Careers, in which freelance writer Nicola Greenbrook invites key influencers in the charity sector to share their career story and how they navigate the professional world. We discover what they've learned along the way, what motivates them to get up in the morning and what their dream breakfast might look like when they do... In these extraordinary times, Nicola was delighted to chat (virtually, of course) to Susana Lopez, Head of Leadership Giving for Cancer Research UK about her impressive career to date and balancing parenthood with the personal reasons that drive her work for CRUK. She also learned how the charity is responding to COVID-19 and why breakfast in Spain, the complete works of Austen and Tiger King are a few of Susana's favourite things… Hi Susana - we know the name of course, but how would you sum up CRUK's mission and cause? In the 1970s, just 1 in 4 people in the UK survived cancer. Today, thanks to research, that figure has doubled. At Cancer Research UK (CRUK), our ambition is to continue to accelerate this progress so that 3 in 4 people survive cancer by 2034. As the largest independent funder of cancer research in the world, we define global research priorities. Untethered to government funding, we can react rapidly and have the agility to support courageous, risk-taking science. Since our beginnings in 1902, our work has helped uncover the causes of cancer, leading to some of the earliest studies into risk factors, including the link between smoking and cancer. We also laid the foundations for the UK’s national cancer screening programmes and today’s radiotherapy and surgery techniques, and we have contributed to developing eight of the world’s top 10 cancer drugs. Today, we support more than 4,000 nurses, researchers and doctors across a network of exceptional cancer research centres and partner with more than 80 organisations all over the world. We cover every aspect of cancer research and every step of the cancer journey, from our patient information programmes to prevention, diagnosis and treatment. What are you responsible for in your role? My role is really varied! I head up Leadership Giving which sits within the wider Philanthropy and Campaigns team. We work with amazing supporters who want to make a difference by investing in truly cutting-edge research and support. This includes the Catalyst Club, dedicated philanthropists working with us over the long term to have an impact on key areas of CRUK's work; early diagnosis, developing the next generation of science leaders, and the new City of London centre. What drew you to CRUK and when did you join? I’ve had two stints here; from 2006 to 2015 I was a trust fundraising manager and then a senior manager in CRUK's first capital campaign team, Create the Change, raising £100m for the development of the Francis Crick Institute in Kings Cross. I came back to the organisation in November 2019 as Head of Leadership Giving. The simple answer as to why is that cancer has had a profound impact on my life and my family; we lost my mum to ovarian cancer eight years ago; the treatments that kept her well for nearly four years post diagnosis were in part developed by CRUK. All four of my grandparents died of cancer, and too many other family members. I'm an Arts graduate, so was never going to go into science and find new and better treatments myself, but I can put my shoulder to the wheel in the fundraising efforts and secure the investment needed for cancer research. We're hearing much more about medical research in these unprecedented times of course, albeit for a different reason. How has the current pandemic impacted CRUK and your role in particular? Michelle Mitchell, our CEO, has been very open on the impact of COVID-19 on CRUK; unprecedented times indeed. We’ve had to close our shops, and postpone huge events like Race for Life and the gala events which really drive our fundraising programme, and are predicting a 25% drop in income this year, potentially more. The organisation has renegotiated leases on shops, made full use of the government's Job Retention Scheme by furloughing a large number of staff, and made every saving possible in order to protect the investment we make in the front-line science. Even so, we've had to make some tough decisions about the science we can fund, and have had to plan for cuts to that spend. Within my role, we work closely with senior volunteers, ambassadors who are willing to open up their networks and introduce potential supporters to our work, often through a range of events. Obviously we can’t plan those events currently, so we have had to almost throw out the old plans and start afresh. This could be terrifying, but has actually felt very liberating - we have permission to think outside of the box, and to really get insight from our supporters as to what they feel will work, and trial some new ways of working. How did you start your career and what have been the key roles? My first role was as a trust fundraising executive at YMCA England. I'd returned to my home town (after a post-uni year in Spain) to find everyone had scattered, mostly to London! So when a friend contacted me to say there was an entry level role at YMCA England where she was working, I applied. Although I knew nothing about fundraising (amazing to think now that there once was a time when these roles were available to someone with no fundraising experience), I quickly realised that it was a perfect role; lots of talking to colleagues in service delivery about what they were planning and what the impact would be, creative and impactful writing, talking to potential supporters and asking for advice and selling in the work and the difference it would make to homeless and disadvantaged young people. I've since worked in a range of organisations at a range of levels and I don’t know if there are roles I would pick out as being particularly key. Maybe my senior manager role at CRUK the first time around (!) as it really exposed me to working with amazing senior leadership and senior volunteers and to work with really significant supporters to secure multi million pound gifts towards a capital appeal, and to see how a campaign really works. What I would say is that there have been people who have been key to my career; from my first manager at YMCA England, Christine Douglas, who taught me how to structure a trust proposal and how to write for impact, through to Jennifer Cormack at CRUK who showed me how to lead a team collaboratively. Debbie Gilbert at St Giles Trust showed me how to show up as a leader (and never to take no for an answer!), Catherine Miles at Anthony Nolan showed me how to manage upwards and protect your team, and Russell Delew at CRUK gave me the opportunity to work on what was at the time CRUK's biggest capital campaign and secure some of the biggest gifts of my career… Was a charity career always your goal? It really wasn’t; I didn’t know what fundraising was when I applied for my first job in the sector. From childhood I wanted to be a journalist, but fell out of love with the idea on graduation (although three of my family are journalists on TV and in print now, so I feel I'm living the dream vicariously through them!) and I was at a loss what to do with the skills an English Literature degree and a naturally nosey nature had fitted me for. Luckily it turns out being inquisitive, talkative, with a good memory and a way with words is a perfect basis for a career in trust and major gift fundraising. How do you keep your skills fresh and ensure continuous learning along the way? I'm a huge fan of continuous learning - we can all learn something new. I've been working as a fundraiser for 25 years (ARGH) and still enthusiastically sign up for the Institute of Fundraising Convention each year alongside interesting looking briefing events, and especially the Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration’s (SOFII) annual I Wish I'd Thought of That event. I also think it's imperative to learn from your peers and keep your ear to the ground with what's happening across the sector to ensure you don’t end up in your own little organisational bubble/echo chamber. To that end, I set up a networking group and invited people I met across the sector to come along; we meet four or five times a year and share news, ask questions, ask for support and advice and make connections. It's fascinating to see how other organisations deal with the challenges we all face - we're meeting in May, and I can't wait to hear how everyone is dealing with COVID-19! What would you advise graduates seeking to join the sector, or more experienced people considering a leap into leadership? When I'm interviewing, I always look for behaviours over a skill set, so my only advice to graduates would be show flexibility, how you've taken on new responsibilities or roles, and your willingness to learn. Skills can be taught. For people moving into leadership - choose the organisation carefully! I’m being half-facetious, but the serious point is to look at how the organisation supports its managers and leaders, what's expected of them, and what training there is internally - for example on managing a team, conducting 121s and annual reviews. These skills are key to managing and too many organisations think they’re innate. They aren't, as anyone who has suffered with a badly trained manager will tell you. Aside from that, be open, honest and transparent - turn up as yourself, and as authentic as you can be. When times get hard, it's tough to maintain a facade! And finally, approach someone you admire and ask them if they'd be willing to act as a mentor. I've listed some of the people who have been key to my career, but I've learned so much from so many people across the sector which has been invaluable. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Christina Grant (who contributed to your article on how to be assertive at work) had a profound impact on me when she worked at CRUK as a trainer. I use some element of her Raising The Bar training and coaching every single day in my work life; the key one is 'Human beings like threes'. Every single meeting opener, presentation, 121, PDR, whatever, I frame around three key points, because it works! What’s the most challenging part of the job? I’ve had lots of challenging jobs, and roles that I’ve left because I couldn’t see how I could make a useful contribution. I can honestly say that I don’t feel that way in my current role; the only challenge, as cheesy as it sounds, is sometimes reining a really ambitious team in! And the best bit? Where to start? The pride in knowing the work we do has a direct impact on cancer, and today, on COVID-19 as CRUK pivots to working on vaccines and treatments for the pandemic, and releases clinicians and nurses back into the NHS to work on the front lines of coronavirus. Working and being in awe of world leading medical researchers who are answering the toughest questions of cancer. Working with world leading fundraisers from whom I can learn so much. And knowing that my mum would be so happy that I've come back to CRUK, an organisation that she supported. What have been your career's biggest ups and downs to date? Up: working with a family who were keen to support an area of work, and who, after a couple of false starts, agreed to an initial gift of £1.1m, and then a further gift of £5m towards a campaign. I secured that gift just before going on maternity leave, so there was a nice completeness to it! Down: working up a huge proposal, full agreement from the finance team and CEO, all ready to go just before Christmas, for a January board meeting date. My ‘spidey sense’ was tingling, though, so I thought I'd make one last check with the project lead. After a couple of days they came back with 'Oh, we've decided not to do that anymore'. It was, I'm afraid to say, the final nail in the coffin for my time at that organisation! Who do you look up to in the sector or more widely? One of my oldest and dearest friends is a sister in A&E in our home town; I’m always in awe of her, but especially at the moment. My sister is a primary school teacher. and after four weeks of trying to teach a six year old, I'm in awe of her, and in fact all teachers. Across the sector, I look up to those people who walk the walk not just spout the theory - I'm loathe to name names as I know I'll leave someone out, but the people who have closed the big gifts, grown income streams, got senior leadership buy-in for major gift fundraising and in doing so created transformational growth. Let's finish with some quick lifestyle questions: are you up with the lark or a night owl? Left to my own devices, I would go to bed at 8.30pm and sleep til 9.00am. I love sleep. Juggling a small child and a full-on job, the lie-ins are less frequent although I am blessed with an early bird husband, so I definitely get more than my fair share! What gets you out of bed in the morning, rain or shine? Usually the six year old asking questions about dinosaurs, trains or planes ... more seriously: deadlines and wanting to get on and make a difference. Urgh, that sounds awful. But true! And what's your dream (and actual) breakfast once you're up? Dream breakfast - lockdown over and travelling again - would be some mixture of fresh eggs, bread and fruit overlooking the sea somewhere hot and beautiful. If it could be the motherland of Spain, so much the better. Actual breakfast more likely to be overnight oats with yoghurt whilst logging on … Does a typical day exist? Not really, but it would usually involve checking in with the team, checking in with senior managers, or looking over proposals and reports for donors to feed in my thoughts: after 25 years of doing the job, it's really key to me to share what I was taught and what I've learned the hard way! Also planning, taking part in some thinking about upcoming projects or launches, and best of all, meetings and calls with supporters and senior volunteers to talk about the work of CRUK, and to solicit their support in a variety of ways. What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment? I'm an English Literature graduate who, in another life, would have been at my most content lost in an English department somewhere writing an interminable thesis on Austen. I have weird reading tastes - early 19th century fiction and contemporary US fiction. My favourite authors are Jane Austen, Curtis Sittenfeld, Tom Woolfe and Jonathan Frantzen. I could happily just read them for the rest of my life. Oh, and Mhairi McFarlane for cracking modern UK writing. I have absolutely gutter tastes in TV though; Tiger King was a recent highlight and aside from that, rubbish reality TV, especially the Real Housewives franchise, or what my husband calls 'your programmes about ladies shouting at each other’. I’m relatively new to podcasts, and just didn't get them at all until I came across Gossipmongers and I’m now a convert. Best. Podcast. Ever. And finally, how do you wind down in your spare time? If I have any, I like to switch my brain off with things that are detailed but mindless like knitting. I make many, many scarves, as that's about the limit of my skills. I dream of being able to make something more complicated. A huge thank you to Susana, we very much appreciate you taking the time to share your story, career insights and invaluable advice with our readers - we wish you and CRUK all the very best in the challenging weeks ahead, and of course for the future! Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist and Freelance Writer Contact Nicola, check out her website or follow her on Twitter, or for more on Cancer Research UK and why they need you more than ever, please visit their website. 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