Opportunities

Treasurer North Lands Creative

Job Description

North Lands Creative is looking for a Treasurer to join its active Board. We are looking for people who are excited by the opportunity to work with a small and innovative charity and who share our values and enthusiasm to respond to a new era in Caithness creative and community life and deliver a broad range of high quality creative experiences for local, national and international artists, audiences and participants.

Overview

North Lands Creative is unique. It is THE Scottish centre of excellence in glass making offering high quality studio facilities in a landscape rich with rare and dramatic natural beauty, quality of light and history. It is an inspirational environment for artists which has an enduring influence on their glass and art practice.

In order to realise our ambitions and to advance our progress. North Lands Creative is proposing changes in our organisation. We are learning from our successes and our challenges. We want to improve our performance and become more flexible and agile in our planning to meet and exceed the demands of our diverse audiences and partnership needs. The creation of new programmes and experimental learning projects demonstrates our commitment to innovation and creative thinking with excellence at all levels as a leading organisation in our field.

North Lands Creative is situated in Lybster, a small fishing village set amid the dramatic land and seascapes of the far North East Highlands in Scotland.

The inspiration for North Lands Creative came from Robert Maclennan, at that time Member of Parliament for Caithness and Sutherland. He developed the idea of an international centre for glass in Caithness with Dan Klein, one of the world’s experts in studio glass, Iain Gunn and Professor Keith Cummings of the University of Wolverhampton.

Since its inception in 1995, North Lands Creative has become a cultural landmark to the international glass community. It has been a meeting place for glass artists, ceramicists, painters, sculptors, architects and designers and those who wish to explore the technical and artistic potential of glass either on its own or in combination with other materials.

Every year we engage with class leaders and professional artists and students from all parts of the world through our gallery, studio, artistic and educational programs; through specialised workshops, masterclasses, artist talks and more. These programs help our audiences to discover and explore the world of creativity, and also support the development of artist’s careers.

Whether it’s participating in our Master-led workshops or listening to an artist talk about their work at our International conference, we’re here to introduce audiences to new ideas.

Our expectations of you

We are looking for candidates who are excited by the opportunity to work with a small and innovative arts organisation and who share our passion for the work. Board members take ultimate responsibility for the work that the organisation does, and the way in which it spends money, to achieve its aims. It is a large responsibility, focussing on the strategic direction of the organisation, agreeing plans and budgets, and holding the Director to account for the delivery of the plans. The position is voluntary but travel and subsistence costs will be covered for board duties.

Time commitment

We estimate the equivalent of two days per month time commitment working closely with the General Manager and Director. The full Board meets once each quarter for an average of 2 hours.

Outside of these meetings the Director will liaise with Board members to ensure they are kept up to date with developments and to consult on particular areas of expertise. As Treasurer, the Director may organise more structured meetings via the Board sub committee for Finance & HR to discuss specific financial matters directly.

Board members may also be asked to represent North Lands Creative at meetings with potential funders or influencers, or to attend or work alongside staff at events and receptions. There may be sub-committees with authority delegated to them by the Board and meeting at other intervals.

Terms of office

Board members stand for terms of three years, with the chance to be re-elected for a further term of three years (maximum term is six years). Board members are able to resign before the end of their set term. The Board member will need to put their resignation in writing, and give a month’s notice.

General Responsibilities and tasks

• An understanding of and commitment to the values of North Lands Creative, and its vision and mission statements
• Ensure the operational plan and budget reflect the agreed strategic direction and are appropriate
• To hold the Director accountable for the achievement of agreed targets and provide them with regular, constructive feedback on both management and overall achievement
• Support the Director and General Manager when requested, sharing expertise, as a member of a working group or in other appropriate ways
• Agree the charity’s policies and ensure they will assist in the achievement of the strategic and operational plans
• Ensure the charity has satisfactory financial control systems and procedures in place, and to review the level of risk annually
• Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of Board-ship and to reflect annually on the Board’s performance and your own performance as a Board member
• Attend quarterly Board meetings, read relevant papers and be prepared to make a contribution, working with fellow Board members as a team
• Safeguard North Lands Creative reputation, and other intangible assets. Be prepared to act as a spokesperson for North Lands Creative, attending events as an ambassador, to network and promote the work of the organisation
• Assist with fundraising by speaking, networking and otherwise seeking business development opportunities in conjunction with the Director

Specific Treasurer responsibilities

• Bring significant professional experience as a qualified accountant and be sympathetic to the operations and working conditions of a small charity
• Oversee and present budgets, accounts and financial statements at Board meetings
• Work with the Board to ensure appropriate financial systems and controls are in place
• Work with auditors to ensure that record keeping and accounts meet the conditions of regulators and funders, comply with relevant legislation and that annual accounts are submitted to the Charity Commission and Companies House
• Oversee Annual Return, claims for VAT and Gift Aid
• Play a role in signing off project budgets and spending
• Advise on fundraising needs and strategy

Desirable

• Record of supporting a charity/non-profit organisation, demonstrable understanding of the challenges faced by small charities upscaling their work in current climate
• Bringing an established network of contacts who may support our fundraising work
• Have an understanding of the Charity Commission’s laws and regulations.

How to apply

Please send your CV and a covering letter, explaining why you are interested in this position.

Lorna MacMillan, General Manager

North Lands Creative, Quatre Bras, Lybster, Caithness, KW3 6BN

Email [email protected]

North Lands Creative operates an equal opportunities policy and will appoint solely on the basis of the applicants’ ability to do the job in question. North Lands Creative does not discriminate with reference to age, gender, sexual orientation, race, colour, religion, marital status or disability, nor will such factors play any part in decisions on appointment or selection.