Broster Buchanan
Finance Manager
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Solace | Local government leadership and recruitment body
Location: Wakefield / Hybrid working Salary: £45,000
About Solace
Solace champions local government leadership and careers, with every paid pound reinvested in supporting members and the wider sector to deliver improved community outcomes. As the only body representing all professional leaders in local government, it actively advocates for the sector’s workforce.
This finance role provides opportunity to blend financial precision with broader sectoral impact—where numerical excellence fuels systemic improvement.
About the Role
We are seeking a Finance Manager to support the Director of Corporate Resources (DCR) in managing Solace’s financial operations and leading a team of three finance assistants. This is a multifaceted role, blending:
- Operational leadership (team management and development)
- Technical finance delivery (nominal ledger, reporting, forecasting)
- Strategic advisory for non-finance colleagues
Your Key Responsibilities
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Team Leadership
- Manage development of three Finance Assistants
- Create a collaborative, capable finance team
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Core Financial Operations
- Maintain nominal ledger, journals, reconciliations
- Support monthly management accounts, budgeting, forecasts, and variance analysis
- Handle payments, invoicing, credit control, cash flow, and fixed asset management
- Manage VAT returns quarterly (including partial exemption/TOMS preparation)
- Oversee monthly payroll, HMRC reporting, and pension portal administration
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Year-end Processes
- Assist with audit close-downs, working papers, and auditor liaison
- Work alongside the DCR during external audits
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- Strategic Finance Engagement
- Support *business cases, grant claims, and financial projections for Solace’s growth
- Challenge projections constructively; identify process efficiencies and system improvements
- Assist with corporate services (e.g., IT, facilities, insurance, HR if needed)
About You
Required Essentials
- Strong experience in financial management, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and controls
- Confidence in month-end processes, payroll, VAT returns* (including partial exemption/TOMS)
- Line management experience in finance, ideally in a hybrid work model
- Comfort managing diverse income streams, corporate cash flows, and regulatory compliance (e.g., HMRC)
- Clear communication skills to simplify financial insights for non-finance colleagues
- Practical knowledge of Sage 50 or Sage 200
- Organised approach with problem-solving drive and collaborative mindset
Note: Recognise that we don’t expect perfect alignment—we value your existing strengths abundantly. Professional qualifications (e.g., AAT, ACMA, ACCA, CGMA or ACA) are helpful but not essential. Industry experience—whether formal or gained through work—matters far more than a label.
Nice-to-Have (Not Essential)
- Charity finance experience, including specific regulatory legislation
- Audit liaison or financial business partnering background
- Salesforce or CRM system knowledge, especially linked with finance processes
- Track record of system/process improvement or finance automation
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Why Join Solace?
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Culture: A non-hierarchical, purpose-driven organisation where social value aligns with workplace behaviour.
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Inclusion: Commitment to diversity, actively encouraging applications from minority ethnic backgrounds.
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Flexibility:
- Hybrid work (primarily 2–3 in-office days, physical hub in Wakefield).
- Work year: 36.25-hour schedule (9am–5:30pm, Fridays end at 4:30pm).
- Family-friendly policies, including contracted flexibility.
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Wellbeing: +28 days *paid annual leave (increasing to 30 after 5 years).
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Reputation & Growth: Free space to develop your career, with open feedback and supportive leadership.
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Benefits:
- 4% auto-enrolled into. defined-contribution pension scheme (employer matches contributions up to 7%).
- Death-in-service benefits, income protection, extra paid leave options.
- *Social value days—dedicated time (two per year) to foster causes close to you or participatory charity work.
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Impactful Insight: Build a trusted finance function for a mission-led body, driving public-service excellence.
Closing Details
Closing Date: 17 July 2026.
Quick to Apply: Initial Teams interviews early July (20th/21st). Early applicants supported.
If this resonates as your right next step, apply now. We’d love for you to lead this dynamic, decision-making team.
[(Disclaimers: часа and «holiday» figures in days; social-value days aligned to societal impact, not theаныical paid leave policy.)]
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