Interim - Finance Consultant - Xero Systems

Finance Systems & Xero Consultant

Part-Time Contract 2-4 Days per Week Hybrid working 3-6 Months £400 per Day (Outside IR35)

Help Strengthen Finance Systems, Reporting and Budgeting

A well-established not-for-profit organisation is seeking an experienced Finance Systems & Xero Consultant to support a programme of finance process improvement and budgeting activity.

Working alongside the finance team and senior leadership, you will help optimise the organisation's use of Xero, enhance reporting and budgeting processes, improve restricted fund accounting, and strengthen financial controls and management information.

This is an ideal opportunity for a hands-on qualified accountant with strong Xero expertise who enjoys improving systems, solving problems and delivering practical change.

Key Responsibilities

Finance Systems & Xero

• Review and optimise the current Xero set-up.
• Configure and improve bank feeds and reconciliation processes.
• Ensure accurate transaction coding and financial reporting.
• Develop clear procedures and documentation for finance staff.

Chart of Accounts & Restricted Fund Reporting

• Redesign and improve the chart of accounts structure.
• Strengthen reporting for restricted and unrestricted funds.
• Develop effective tracking and monitoring of fund balances and expenditure.
• Ensure coding structures support both operational and management reporting.

Budgeting & Financial Planning

• Support the preparation of the annual organisational budget.
• Create and maintain budget templates for managers and budget holders.
• Consolidate and analyse departmental budgets and forecasts.
• Identify risks, inconsistencies and opportunities for improvement.

Management Reporting

• Develop meaningful management accounts and variance reports.
• Improve budget-holder reporting and financial visibility.
• Support managers in understanding and using financial information effectively.

General Finance Support

• Assist with reconciliations, month-end processes and financial analysis.
• Improve reporting tools and reduce manual processes through effective use of Excel.
• Document all improvements and provide a comprehensive handover at the end of the assignment.

Candidate Profile

Essential

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent).
• Strong practical experience using and configuring Xero.
• Experience of bank feeds, reconciliations, chart of accounts design and management reporting.
• Knowledge of restricted fund accounting and financial reporting.
• Experience preparing budgets, forecasts and management accounts.
• Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups and financial analysis.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively with both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• A proactive, hands-on approach with excellent attention to detail.

Desirable

• Experience within charities, membership bodies, community organisations or the wider not-for-profit sector.
• Previous involvement in finance systems implementation, improvement or transformation projects.
• Knowledge of fund accounting and grant-funded environments.