Treasurer

The voluntary Treasurer has Board-level oversight of the financial, audit and risk management arrangements within the BHRRC Group. These functions are carried out by the Operations Team, led by the Chief Operating Officer. The key role of the Treasurer is to maintain an overview of the BHRRC Group’s financial affairs, ensuring its financial viability and ensuring that proper financial records and procedures are maintained. The Treasurer plays a leadership role in relation to financial, audit and risk management arrangements and is there to give fellow Trustees advice, guidance and reassurance on these matters. The Treasurer works with senior employees, in particular the Executive Director (ED) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) with the Treasurer retaining an oversight role.   

Time Necessary: 

• Two Board meetings per year of 5 hours each, plus preparation

• Four Finance and Audit Committees per year of 60-90 mins, plus preparation

• Ad hoc discussion time with the COO, as issues arise (possibly 6 hours per year)

Application Deadline: on a rolling basis until filled

TO APPLY: please submit your CV, and/or contact Graham MacKay at mackay@business-humanrights.org. If you need support with your application, please contact Bea Ocampo at Ocampo@business-humanrights.org.

Specifics of the Treasurer profile:  

The Treasurer has the responsibilities of an individual Trustee, plus the following additional responsibilities:  

Finance and Admin Committee (the Committee is fully serviced by the COO and team) 

• Chair meetings of the Finance, Audit, and Risk Committee, and organising agendas and minutes with the COO;
• Ensure the Committee operates within the provisions of BHRRC’s Governance Policies and the FAC Terms of Reference;
• Present reports on the Committee’s activities to the Board, with the support of the COO

Oversight of Financial Position: 

• Liaise with the COO to keep informed about the Charity’s financial position and outlook, and ensuring that appropriate accounting procedures and controls are in place

• Lead the Board in its duty to ensure that proper accounting records are kept, financial resources are properly controlled, in line with legal and regulatory requirements; reporting significant concerns regarding risk to the FAC and Board;

• Leading, on behalf of the Board, with the selection and retention of auditors;

• Carrying out any other roles, responsibilities or duties specified for the Honorary Treasurer in the Articles, the Governance Policies or as otherwise agreed by the Board.

Characteristics of the role:  

We expect all our trustees to be able to demonstrate leadership skills, including the ability to be objective, to probe and question, and to work as a team. Our Treasurer will be creative, skilled and invested in BHRRC's mission and prepared to invest energy in our success by learning and understanding our work and our stakeholders. We are looking for a good communicator. Someone who can speak articulately about the decisions the Board has made, financial matters relating the Charity and the strategy the Board has in place. They will act impartially and will have used their analytical skills in previous board roles to grasp complex issues, and then apply independent judgment. In filling this role we are looking for:  

• Professionally recognised financial qualification and good knowledge of UK charity accounting regulation;
• Skills to analyse proposals and examine their financial consequences;
• Preparedness to constructively challenge and put forward suggestions to the Board that may not always be popular;
• Expertise in risk appetite and the management and control of risk;
• Willingness to be available to executive colleagues for advice and sounding board requirements on an ad hoc basis;
• Significant business, charity, and organisational ability;

Additionally, the following are desirable:  

• Knowledge and experience of the charity sector and its regulatory environment, including the Charities SORP;
• Knowledge and experience of financial statutory responsibilities in multiple legal jurisdictions;
• Board level experience, including reporting financial matters to a Board;
• Awareness of cybersecurity issues;
• Knowledge of IT service management, IT infrastructure, transformation and investment;
• Experience of chairing meetings;
• Experience of senior level audit liaison