Location: Blended between office and home (England and Wales). Time in office negotiable
Citizens Advice offers confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free. Through our national network of charities, we give people the knowledge and the confidence they need to find their way forward whoever they are, and whatever their problem.
Do you want to work for an organisation that makes a difference, every single day, to people from all walks of life? The people that turn to Citizens Advice need help overcoming an obstacle in their lives from debt to evictions to trouble at work and you can be key to them getting the support they need in the quickest, easiest, and most effective way.
About the role
We are seeking a diligent and proactive Assistant Accountant (Network Finance) to support our financial operations within the Network Finance team. This role focuses primarily on bookkeeping and financial report production, working closely with Network Finance Consultants (NFCs) who support specific Local Citizens Advice (LCAs).
You will act as a key point of contact for LCA Finance Officers, or CEOs in smaller LCAs, responding to reactive finance queriespredominantly relating to More Serviceswhile also providing support for Core Services where appropriate. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working collaboratively, managing detail, and contributing to the financial sustainability of a national advice network.
About the team
This role sits within the Network Finance department, part of the wider Network Development & Assurance (ND&A) capability.
ND&A exists to cultivate a purpose-driven, impactful, resilient and sustainable network of member organisations. We work proactively with local Citizens Advice to increase collective impact and effectiveness, with a central focus on improving outcomes for clients and communities.
ND&A is made up of four departments:
* Service Development
* Oversight and Compliance
* Business Development
* Network Finance
Our approach
Network Development & Assurance builds and assures the network’s collective capacity through dynamic partnerships and embedded development cycles. We focus on:
* Anticipating member needs and building resilience through prevention-focused approaches
* Using network health indicators to identify risks and opportunities early
* Identifying future funding streams and partnerships to support competitiveness
* Using network insights to inform strategic priorities and resource allocation
* Maintaining consistent risk management processes across teams
* Assuring members against defined, externally recognised standards
* Taking a collaborative, enabling and relational approach to build trust and confidence across the network
Team culture
As a relatively new capability, ND&A operates with an enabling, mission-driven culture. We actively break down silos through knowledge sharing, strong relationships, seamless collaboration and collective intelligence. Everything we do is guided by a shared purpose: improving outcomes for clients and communities.
Impact
Through this role, you will help ensure that local Citizens Advice services can operate effectively and sustainably. The work of the Network Finance team underpins robust assurance processes, supports the scaling of local impact, and enables the successful delivery of service-wide strategy at a local levelultimately improving lives across communities.
Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining how you meet the essential criteria below:
* Part Qualified, actively studying towards professional Finance Exams (CIMA, ACCA)
* Experience of working in an accounting or finance support role, preferably within a multi-entity or network environment.
* Proven experience in bookkeeping and producing financial reports.
* Strong understanding of basic accounting principles and practices
Central to pursuing our EDI mission is building diverse and inclusive teams in which everyone has a sense of belonging. We believe inclusion is a social justice issue - a principle that underpins our all EDI work. To that end, we particularly welcome applications from people we would like to see better represented in our organisation and sector - people of colour, LGBTQ+ people and disabled people. We follow the social model of disability. We will offer an interview to disabled candidates who indicate they wish their application to be considered under our Disability Confident Interview Commitment where they meet our selection criteria in their application. Some of our roles attract a high volume of applications and in some circumstances where it is not practicable or appropriate, we may limit the number of interviews offered to disabled and non-disabled candidates. We will provide reasonable adjustments as needed.
We’re a flexible employer, so this role may suit anyone who’d prefer a flexible arrangement to help their work/life balance, many of our colleagues spend most of their time working remotely. Whilst we prefer a blended approach between a local office, if one is near you, and home we’re open to being flexible on location, occasionally a role may require you to be based in a certain location if that's the case it will be detailed in the advert or job description. This can be discussed in more detail during your interview.
The National Citizens Advice operates from offices in England and Wales, with 4 regional offices based in Cardiff, London, Birmingham and Leeds, therefore all successful applicants must be based within England or Wales.
Please be aware that Citizens Advice is not a sponsoring organisation. Therefore the successful applicant must already possess the right to work in the UK or be able to secure the right to work in the UK independently.
We have been awarded the top charity in Third sectors' employer index, where it's recognised that Citizens Advice is an organization that not only prioritizes the people we serve but also values the wellbeing of its employees.
Citizens Advice seeks to redeploy internal staff who are at risk or under notice of redundancy and will prioritise them in the recruitment process where necessary. If you have been confirmed as at risk or under notice of redundancy please ensure you indicate this in the at-risk box in your application.
Please note, in the event of a high number of applications, we reserve the right to close the application early.
This vacancy closes at 23.59 on the closing date.
For more information about the organisation, our values and benefits please see the following link - Information, values and benefits
Need help with your application, see our useful how to guides on the following page - Guidance notes for applicants