Operations Director (UK) - Cairdeas International Palliative Care Trust

Location: working from home 

About the Organisation

Cairdeas International Palliative Care Trust is a Scottish-based, needs-led charity that responds to requests from colleagues in the developing world to promote and facilitate the provision of high quality palliative care in communities where such care is limited.  Working mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa, West Africa and India, the activity can also extend across the globe.
We partnership with local organisations and individuals, providing expertise, education, training and mentoring to build local capacity and create and empower local, sustainable palliative care services for local communities.  We also seek to influence policy makers by raising awareness amongst governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) donor agencies and academic institutions of the palliative care needs in the developing world.
We respect the integrity of each person: their faith, background and lifestyle.  We are motivated by compassion inspired by the love of Christ.

Reporting and accountability

The role reports to the Chair and is accountable to the charity's Board of Trustees.

Role and Responsibilities 

The main responsibilities of the role are to be the Charity's UK-based
• administrator – supporting the Trustees and those working overseas, and managing the day-to-day running of the charity in the UK
• advocate – networking with funders, other partner organisations and supporters, and
• ambassador – promoting the charity at UK-based events and conferences and on social media.

1. Charity Administrator
To exercise in partnership with the Medical Director delegated responsibilities for the running of the charity and the meeting of its objectives.
To maintain an open line of communication with the Medical Director and the teams 'in the field', keeping up to date with news and events and providing help and support, as required.

To be proactive in assisting the Medical Director, staff and volunteers 'in the field' with
• their travel arrangements (often international) to external meetings, conferences, training seminars, etc.,
• their liaison with national and international funders and local organisations, and the timely provision of information and reports, and money transfers (often at short notice) using local arrangements, banking facilities and record-keeping systems that differ significantly from those in the UK.

To be responsible for the day-to-day administration and running of the charity primarily in the UK; and to ensure all reports to the relevant regulatory bodies – the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Companies House, HMRC, etc., –  are made on time and in accordance with their requirements.

To ensure the charity meets its obligations to other external bodies, including membership organisations and funders.

To support the Trustees in their leadership of the charity by ensuring it has appropriate governance procedures and providing the secretariat support to Board of the Trustees including
• organising their meetings,
• writing or otherwise commissioning reports and other papers, and ensuring their timely distribution
• taking minutes of the meetings and recording decisions, and
• keeping up to date with the legal and statutory responsibilities of running a charity.

To be responsible, in close liaison with the Medical Director and teams in the field, for the financial administration of the charity, including  
• keeping comprehensive and accurate financial records separated, as required, between restricted and unrestricted income and expenditure,
• preparing budgets, year-end forecasts, cash flow projections, etc.,
• preparing and presenting  to the Trustees financial reports, drawing to their attention matters requiring their decisions, approval or action, and
 • producing the initial draft set of accounts for the independent examiner's consideration.

2. Charity Advocate 
Working with the Trustees and Medical Director, to identify potential donor bodies and to produce proposals, applications and supporting documentation for funding bids; and continuing to seek further funding opportunities.
To represent the charity to current and potential donors, including attending meetings, providing information and supporting documentation as may be required, presenting bids and ensuring the charity meets their reporting requirements for the funding it receives.

To expand the footprint of the charity in the UK by
• seeking ways to increase and develop the charity's donor base,
• looking to recruit volunteers to participate in fields trips and encouraging them to share their experiences on their return
• maintaining a communication hub to update supporters and
• responding to enquiries about the charity, including those received through the website.

3. Charity Ambassador 
To develop and once approved by the Trustees implement a communications strategy for promoting the charity on its website and across a selection of popular social media and to exercise lead responsibility for ensuring the on-line outlets have a steady stream of traffic coming through them.
To extend the charity's footprint in the UK by attending UK-based events and conferences that provide suitable platforms for promoting the charity's work through networking, poster presentations, giving talks, etc.
Working with the Medical Director to collect stories, news and events from those in the field about their work, their struggles and successes, their request for help and support, etc., and to promote these in the UK through a variety of formats.
To produce promotional and marketing information, resources and literature for the charity, including its annual report.
To liaise and, as appropriate, forge links with other organisations (UK-based or abroad) working in the same field and with common or complementary aims, objectives and values to the charity.

4. Personal 
To participate in the charity's annual appraisal and job planning processes; and to work towards achieving an agreed set of objectives and outcomes.
To be enthusiastic about your own personal and professional development with a willingness to acquire new skills to enhance effectiveness in the role and increase knowledge and experience of work within the charity's field.

Person Specification 

Essential criteria 
• Sympathetic with, and enthusiastic about, the purpose and goals of the charity.
• Hold Christian values.
• Committed to working in partnership with others and in developing and cultivating such partnerships as fully as possible.
• Proven skills in planning, project management, controlling budgets and reporting.
• Good oral, written communication and presentation skills.
• Confident in exercising a representative/ambassadorial role within clinical, political, academic environments.
• Comfortable with social media and very familiar with its various platforms.
• Ability to improvise and operate on modest budgets
• Disciplined self-starter, tenacious and able to do what is required to get the job done.
• Willingness to keep abreast of all pertinent developments in relevant areas.
• Flexibility and willingness to take on new functions and to learn new skills as required with coaching from Trustees and appropriate external training.
• Exposure to the activity of the charity or previous experience in overseas charity work.

Desirable criteria 
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills and an ability to facilitate effective and productive meetings.
• Ability to manage a website and IT skills, which encompass word processing, spreadsheets, and publishing software.
• Experience of working within volunteer organisations, managing both paid and unpaid staff.
 

Remuneration 

The post is initially part-time and currently paid at a rate of £100 per day (employee's tax, NI contributions deductible) plus employer’s NI contributions.
The workload is initially estimated to be 1.5 days per week, but this is subject to regular review with the potential for this to increase as the charity's funding increases.  When the need arises, additional days can be agreed in advance with the chair.
 

How to Apply 

Please submit a CV and covering letter to applications@cairdeas.org.uk 
Further information can be found on the Cairdeas website:   https://cairdeas.org.uk/latest-news/are-you-our-next-operations-director-uk   
 

Closing Date: 18th May 2018