Finance and Administrative Assistant

The Social Research Association (SRA) is an educational charity and membership organisation for social researchers, dedicated to advancing excellence in social research across the UK. We support the research community by: · Growing and connecting an inclusive, diverse community of social researchers. · Expanding career pathways and professional development. · Advancing knowledge, best practices, and innovation in social research. · Representing and advocating for the profession. We are entering a very exciting period of increased member engagement by expanding our member benefits, researcher community offerings which include mentoring, and the launch of a new digital community platform. Alongside these new activities, it is important that our core activities such as training and events continue to run smoothly and this role is key to supporting those activities. We are a small team of eight people and are working in a very inter-connected manner. About the Role The Finance and Administrative Assistant will provide essential support across three main areas: finances, events and training. This role is about being detail-oriented in the finance administration, well organised, supporting smooth communication, and helping our members and partners to engage with our services. The role will report to the training and conference manager. The successful candidate will have a strong background in finance administration, substantial experience of using Customer Relations Management Systems (CRM) and Xero (or similar systems), and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment. Above all, you should be eager to learn and ask questions. Key Responsibilities: * Manage and maintain accurate financial records for the organisation, including accounts payable and receivable * Manage weekly accounts reconciliation process * Preparing financial reports, issuing invoices and chasing debtors for training and events * Assist operations manager with budgeting and forecasting Training and events * Provide administrative support to the operations and training managers by managing the training and events inbox, bookings and attendance. * Assist in monitoring of training and events by running feedback reports * Provide more general administrative support for regular training events and the annual conference * Coordinate meetings and events, liaising with trustees, volunteers and colleagues General * Develop, review and implement administrative processes and procedures to improve efficiency * Provide exceptional customer service to internal and external stakeholders * Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion Who We’re Looking For We know that great candidates don’t always meet 100% of the criteria. If you’re excited about this role, and keen to go on this exciting phase of our development, we encourage you to apply. Essential Experience & Skills * You have worked in a finance administrative role where you’ve managed multiple tasks and met deadlines. * You have experience using digital tools like Customer Relationship Management systems (CRM) and accounting software. You don’t need to be highly technical, but you should be comfortable navigating systems, updating records, and assisting others with basic queries. * Responding to customers/clients via emails * You have experience supporting projects or coordinating tasks * Intermediate level of excel skills, e.g. produce monitoring reports on training bookings Desirable Experience (Nice to Have, but not required) * Knowledge of financial regulation for charities, e.g. the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) * Experience working in a membership organisation, charity, or similar setting. * Familiarity with basic data management (e.g. updating records, handling databases). * Experience coordinating online or in-person events * Experience of changing website content or interest in learning What We Offer 28 days of annual leave (pro rata) + bank holidays Fully remote working (with occasional travel for meetings, not anticipated to exceed 10 per year) Even though we're fully remote, we offer a few days of face-to-face induction to help you connect with the team and organisation right from the start. Personal and professional development including payment for one subscription to a relevant membership/professional body Our culture It is important part of our mission to represent the profession in all its diversity. To do that, we are committed to developing a talented workforce that represents that diversity.  We are an inclusive and welcoming organisation and committed to ensuring our culture and ways of working enable all of our people to thrive at work, and not negatively impact on their private lives. Interview Process & Accessibility We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process that gives all candidates the best possible opportunity to show their value. We will provide interview questions 2-3 days in advance to help candidates prepar