Reports To: Chief Executive
Location: Flexible, but a requirement to be in London c3 days per week
Salary: From £151,177 (London); up to 10% less for a candidate based outside of London
Responsible For: The Corporate Services Directorate
English Heritage cares for over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. Through these, we bring the stories of England to life for over 10 million visitors each year.
No matter what you do or where you do it, by joining us you’ll be playing a vital role in looking after some of the greatest places in England so that they can be enjoyed today and for generations to come. You’ll find it’s a workplace like no other – taking you behind the scenes of these extraordinary sites and supporting you to share your ideas, inspire others and make a difference.
The Opportunity
This is a major role on the Senior Management Team, playing a crucial role in helping us achieve financial sustainability, ensure compliance, manage our risks and ensure our resourcing functions are at their optimum. The new postholder will take up the role at an exciting time for English Heritage under its interim Chief Executive Geoff Parkin.
The Context
English Heritage became financially independent of Government in 2023, and now has a self-generated turnover of some £150m, principally through its 1.2m memberships, its 5.5m visitors, its commercial and fundraising activities. It has c2,500 employees (c1,450 full-time equivalent, as much of the workforce is seasonal), and around 5000 volunteers. Financial sustainability is at the heart of our operations.
What You’ll Achieve With Us
- Ensure that the Charity’s strategy continues to be appropriate to drive the agreed goals set out in the 10-year strategic plan, and delivering the 10-year financial trajectory that supports the strategic plan, and builds financial resilience following the end of annual Government funding.
- As a key member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) help develop the 10-year vision into a detailed rolling programme of 3 year strategic plans.
- Lead on specific strategic imperatives, particularly to support the Chief Executive to ensure the organisation’s structure is fit for purpose, and implement recommendations, to ensure it will deliver the objectives set out in the strategic and operational plans; develop the central business planning function to provide a holistic approach to resource allocation as part of the annual budget process; ensure that governance of major projects is aligned with best practice; and ensure that the shared service agreement meets the needs of the Charity.
- Provide leadership to all Corporate Services functions (Finance, Financial and Business Planning, Technology Services, Procurement, Legal, and Shared Services) and ensure the delivery of high quality, consistent, and integrated support services reflecting the evolving needs of the organisation.
- Provide overall corporate responsibility for all these functions, developing appropriate strategies for each to ensure English Heritage is a well-run, responsive, and sustainable organisation which optimises efficiency and effectiveness, and such that each strategy supports delivery of the overarching 10-year vision.
- Provide operational support to the Chief Executive and SMT, including management information and reporting, project governance, driving the agreed strategic agenda, and providing core capabilities for specific operational needs.
- Help ensure that the SMT fulfills its unique purpose; take ownership of all collective SMT decisions; project confidence and trust in our strategic plan to staff and Trustees; and demonstrate the behaviours agreed in the SMT charter.
What You’ll Be Doing As Part Of The Team
Leading Strategic and Financial/Business Planning
- Deliver strategic, tactical and transparent financial leadership and drive the operational and financial effectiveness of the organisation.
- Monitor performance against strategy and ensure measures are taken to ensure we remain on track.
- Ensure that the sustainable conservation proposals are financially robust and fundable.
- Ensure we deliver a credible financial plan that complies with the covenants set out in the £23.4 million 20-year Culture Recovery Fund loan provided by Arts Council England and ensures repayment of the capital sums as set out in the loan agreement.
- Ensure the investment appraisal, balanced scorecard, and project prioritisation methodology remain aligned with strategic goals to ensure they help inform effective decision-making for all major investment proposals.
- Work with the Head of Technology Services to develop and deliver the IT strategy to meet the strategic goals of the Charity, ensure effective cyber security, and address the technology deficit.
Leading Corporate Services Directorate Activities
- Ensure all Corporate Services functions deliver consistent, quality, customer-focused services aligned with the overall strategic direction of English Heritage.
- Ensure functional expertise is available to inform strategic decision-making and support the strategic objectives of English Heritage.
- Manage the overall Shared Service relationship with Historic England effectively, which includes the provision of certain Finance, IT, HR, Legal, and Facilities services.
- Deliver improved solutions across the organisation to support our strategic aims, including strategy documents where relevant, notably for IT and Procurement.
- Work closely with Risk & Assurance and Governance to ensure effective corporate risk management, including identifying risks, assessing potential impacts, and mitigations.
- Oversee the annual corporate budget plan and preparation of the longer-term financial trajectory, ensuring that delivering the organisation’s longer-term financial goals remain on track.
- Ensure that accurate monthly management information is provided on a timely basis in order to support informed decision-making.
- Be responsible for all financial and statutory reporting.
- Oversee the performance of the Charity’s investment managers.
- Provide advice on tax matters, particularly regarding VAT.
- Oversee the performance of the internal auditors. Manage the relationship, notably with regard to setting the audit strategy and the annual audit plan and reviewing recommendations from individual audit assignments. Advise the Audit and Risk Committee on tendering the services at the appropriate time.
- Demonstrate the core behaviours of collaboration, innovation and empowerment and embed these behaviours in the Corporate Services directorate.
Supporting Governance
- Manage key relationships with Trustees, notably with the Chair of the Board of Trustees and the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, as well as with Historic England, internal and external auditors, fund managers, pensions advisers, and insurers, with regard to the responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer, including the performance of the external advisers.
- Manage the relationship with Arts Council England with regard to the Culture Recovery Fund loan.
- Advise the Accounting Officer (Chief Executive) on all matters of financial probity, fraud, statutory and charitable financial compliance and breaches of financial control.
- Attend meetings of the Board of Trustees, Audit and Risk Committee, Remuneration Committee, as well as Historic England’s Commission and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee as required.
In Addition
- You’ll also ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, a safe and secure work environment that does not place people, property, assets, reputation or finances at risk.
- You’ll demonstrate compliance by completing appropriate risk assessments and ensuring the maintenance of your, and where appropriate your team’s, training records.
- Occasionally we may need to review a job description to incorporate any changes or other duties needed for the role as identified by the line manager.
- We’re also committed to providing equality of opportunity so if you have a disability, we would be happy to discuss reasonable adjustments to the job with you.