Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer
Wildlife Charity

Responsible to: Chief Executive Officer
Responsible for: To lead on governance, finance and operations
Staff Management: Head of Finance and Head of People & Organisational Development
Located at: Head office (Central London) with occasional travel to other London Sites
Oversight Committees: Finance Committee ('FinCom'), Board of Trustees, Health & Safety
Committee, Board of Directors

Role Overview:
Our client is a Wildlife and Conservation Charity and has seen significant growth in both its size, and variety and complexity of its operations including within its revenue generating arm. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will be a member of the Senior Leadership Team has day-to-day overall leadership responsibility for finance, legal, risk management, governance, procurement, impact measurement and health and safety.

Responsibilities:
Strategy and Governance
* Lead on translating strategic objectives into achievable operational plans and monitoring progress against agreed target
* Implement business plan with the CEO and SLT and lead in updates of future plans
and reporting to board
* Work closely with the CEO, Board and committees to ensure that the charity has a long-term financial strategy which aligns with our ambitions
* Lead on risk management and business continuity including resilience planning and developing contingency procedures
* Lead the crisis management team (Head of Marketing, Head of Finance, Head of POD plus all SLT members), ensuring regular meetings are in place and that the team feel confident when called upon, and lead on any scenarios when necessary
* To lead, develop and manage the Central Services team including two direct reports: Head of Finance and Head of People & Organisational Development
* Act as the Health and Safety lead by taking a proactive approach to overseeing H&S work including regular monitoring of the H&S management system.

Finance
* Drive the transformation of financial systems and processes to ensure excellence in reporting, engagement from budget holders, committees and boards
* Oversee management of finances and financial systems with proper controls in liaison with the Chief Executive and Honorary Treasurer; prepare, attend and contribute to Finance Committees
* Lead the annual budget writing and approval process. Ensure recommendations made in the annual audit report are delivered
* Ensure timely production of monthly management accounts by Head of Finance Manager, analyse variations and report quarterly to Finance Committee.
* Support Director of Visitor Experience in providing quarterly reports and analyse variations in Performance.

Impact Measurement
* Work with senior leadership colleagues in the development and implementation of a robust impact measurement framework, ensuring activities are effectively monitored, evaluated, and reported.
* Work with key board members to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the
effectiveness of projects, ensuring alignment with the charity's strategy
* Collaborate with senior leadership and program teams to integrate impact insights into decision-making, guiding strategic planning and resource allocation to maximize outcomes.
* Support the Director of Development in the delivery of transparent and compelling reporting of impact outcomes to trustees, funders, partners, and stakeholders, driving continuous improvement and fostering trust in results.

People and Organisational Development
* Oversee the development of people strategies to ensure alignment with organisational goals, fostering a high-performance culture that emphasizes continuous improvement, accountability and engagement employees and volunteers
* Lead the People and Organisational Development team, ensuring the effective delivery of recruitment, onboarding, performance management and employee development programmes.
* Drive equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) by promoting a workplace culture that values diverse perspectives, ensures employee safety, and fosters an inclusive, secure environment across all levels of the organisation.
* Oversee the Head of People and Organisational Development in the development and delivery of workforce and succession planning and EDI reporting to ensure the organisation is well- positioned for sustainable growth while maintaining a safe, welcoming and compliant working environment for all staff and volunteers.

Procurement, Data and ICT
* Take overall responsibility for the premises and property portfolio such as lease agreements, insurance, security, and maintenance.
* Take a proactive approach to joined up working with a focus on streamlining operations and procurement.
* Lead on the development and implementation the digital transformation to increase the functionality and connectivity across all sites, identifying and delivering efficiencies for all stakeholders.
* Lead on ICT 3rd party support contract, ensuring best value and service.
* Act as Data Controller to review and implement data auditing processes, policies & procedures.

Other areas of responsibility:
a) Promotion: To work at all times to further the aims of the Organisation including promotion of membership. To encourage donations and to assist in and promote related events and campaigns where appropriate.
b) Health and Safety: All staff are legally responsible for ensuring Health and Safety considerations are taken into account in all working situations. Staff are encouraged to make reports or suggestions to the Health and Safety Officer on any matters of concern.
c) Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: Work at all times within the EDI policy, and to contribute to any role-related objectives that form part of our overall EDI strategy.
d) Adhere to the policies and plans and be a responsible representative of the team and the to external stakeholders, groups, individuals and funding bodies.

For more details please contact Michelle on (url removed) or (phone number removed)

About us: Allen & York have been matching purposeful people with purpose-led organisations for 30 years. We partner with our clients and candidates on roles that build an understanding of climate change, promote sustainability and create inclusive and responsible organisations, working towards a sustainable world for us all. Committed to inclusiveness in the workplace, we aim to increase diversity across all areas and therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, or whether or not they have a disability. Let's help build a better world, together.