Finance Director (Voluntary)

Unseen Tours CIC, an award-winning London-based social enterprise, is looking for a Finance Director to join our Board of Directors in 2025 and help us scale our work and impact in support of vulnerable individuals whose lives have been affected by homelessness.

Essential Information

• Work location: Remote, with occasional meetings and socials in London (or online)
• Minimum commitment: 2 years
• Salary: This is an unpaid volunteer role, unremunerated
• Closing date: 2nd March 2025
• Time commitment: Four board meetings per year (2 hours each), plus approximately 8-10 hours per month to support the running of the organisation through your skills and expertise
• Working with: CEO, other Directors and tour guides/experience providers

About Us

Unseen Tours is a London-based social enterprise on a mission to provide meaningful work opportunities in the tourism, events and cultural heritage sectors for individuals who have experienced homelessness, alongside other forms of discrimination and marginalisation. The majority of our ticket revenue is paid directly to our tour guides, with the rest reinvested back into the business.

Here's what's unique about our approach - the tours provide training and meaningful work opportunities for people affected by homelessness. Tour narratives include the guides' and experience providers' own experiences of homelessness and stories from their communities, making the process individual-led. Through our process, we build the guides' self-confidence, public speaking, storytelling and customer management skills. The conversations with customers on our tours reduce barriers by increasing understanding of homelessness that challenges negative stereotypes and prejudices through dialogue and storytelling.

Joining our Board of Directors

The key duties and responsibilities of a Director at Unseen Tours are:

• Ensure the social enterprise complies with its governing document, legal and regulatory requirements, and key objectives with integrity.
• Establish and uphold a clear vision, mission, strategic direction, and governance standards to achieve its goals.
• Safeguard the reputation, values, and financial stability of the enterprise, including proper fund management and fundraising efforts.
• Oversee the effective and efficient administration of the organisation and the performance of its leadership, including appointing and monitoring the CEO.
• Contribute proactively to the organisation's mission through ideas, opinions, and connections, while fostering diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities.
• Understand and embrace the responsibilities, duties, and teamwork required as a Director to uphold the organisation's standards and commitments.

The above list of duties is indicative. Directors are expected to use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they have to help the Board make informed decisions.

Benefits of being part of our Board include:

• Sense of fulfilment in knowing your work is having a significant impact on people affected by homelessness and leads to long-term, social impact.
• Personal and professional growth within a cool and youth-led organisation with a unique concept.
• Ability to shape the future of a socially responsible organisation that is ready for growth.
• Learn new skills or find areas of interests outside your day-to-day activities
• Gain awareness about homelessness and intersecting issues affecting today’s society.
• Build meaningful relations and connections with like-minded people who have a shared goal.
• Bonus perk: join our walking tours and experiences for free and be the first one to test new tours and concepts (in exchange for your honest feedback!)

About the Role

As the Finance Director, you will play a pivotal role in overseeing and advising on our financial operations and ensuring the financial sustainability and growth of our social enterprise. Your core role will be to inform the Board of Directors’ discussions of financial matters. Candidates should therefore be skilled and experienced in interpreting financial information and explaining it to a non-specialist audience.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading the development and maintenance of robust financial systems to ensure compliance with financial procedures, statutory regulations, and obligations while effectively managing related risks.
• Building and enhancing the organisation's financial capabilities, providing leadership and guidance to strengthen financial performance and regulatory compliance.
• Leading on the monthly finance meetings, and contribute to the quarterly director’s meetings.
• Reviewing monthly management accounts/financial information.
• Compiling annual budget and accounts with CEO and other directors.
• Keeping track of progress against budget targets in monthly finance meetings.

Please note that Management Accounts and our statutory Accounts are prepared by an external accountancy firm, so this will not be a key responsibility of the Finance Director.

What We're Looking For

Essential skills

• Excellent knowledge of financial regulations and compliance.
• Demonstrated ability to understand and engage in strategy development and execution, and understanding of business operating models.
• Ability to work well with external accountants and other outside agencies.
• Able to identify and mitigate financial risks through effective risk management strategies.
• Experience with financial planning and long-term investment decisions- including funding applications, reporting to funders, supporting the development of our business strategy.
• Ability to understand financial statements, reconcile budgets against financial metrics and critically assess accounts.
• Passion for Unseen Tours’ mission and values.

Desirable skills

• Experience as a Finance Director or in a similar senior financial leadership role, and building confidence and credibility at that level.
• Experience working in the tourism industry, social enterprise or charity sector, or with people with experience of homelessness.
• Recognised accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).

If what you read resonated with you and you’re looking for a new, exciting way to support your community, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your CV and a cover letter detailing your relevant experience and why you are interested in joining Unseen Tours by 2nd March 2025. As an alternative to your cover letter, you can send a 2-minute video to [email removed - click apply for more details] (as a YouTube or Google Drive link). If you know anyone who may be the right match, please do share these opportunities with them!