1

Director of Finance and ResourcesAppointment BriefDecember 2016

“A model for everyone working to conserve the natural life-support systems of our troubled planet.”

sir david attenborough

2

Thank you for your interest in joining our team. Blue Ventures is an award winning social enterprise, comprising a charity and not-for-profit eco-tourism business, working to promote marine conservation and rebuild coastal fisheries. We are committed to making conservation work for people, demonstrating powerful win wins for marine biodiversity and coastal livelihoods.

We have pioneered a number of innovative incentive-based models for marine protection, which are designed to inspire local leadership in marine management and act as catalysts for long-term conservation of coastal resources.

We use our broad technical expertise to test whether our models are suitable for adoption at larger scale, and provide support to partner organisations replicating successful models worldwide.

Blue Ventures is now uniquely positioned to drive innovation in the marine conservation sector. We have demonstrated that the right incentives can mobilise rather than alienate coastal communities, giving us new tools to scale and sustain marine conservation efforts.

Through our journey so far our work we have reached over a quarter of a million people. We are now implementing an ambitious strategy to accelerate our impact, and are committed to reaching three million coastal people by 2020.

We are seeking a Finance and Resources Director who can help us develop the organisation to achieve our ambitions, playing a pivotal role in supporting our ongoing growth. Our financial systems and processes are well established and robust, and we are looking for a candidate who can contribute positively to our dynamic and multidisciplinary team. We are seeking someone with a flexible, entrepreneurial and pragmatic approach, who will fit well into a fast moving, ambitious and demanding environment with a strong international dimension.

If you believe that you have what it takes to succeed in this role and share our values and ambitions, then we would love to hear from you. You will find more information about the role in the rest of this pack and on our website, along with further information about our work and our plans for the future.

We look forward to hearing from you.

AlasdairDr Alasdair HarrisExecutive Director

3

4

We rebuild tropical fisheries with coastal communitiesBlue Ventures works with coastal communities to develop transformative approaches for nurturing and sustaining locally led marine conservation.

We work in places where the ocean is vital to local cultures and economies, and are committed to protecting marine biodiversity in ways that benefit coastal people.

Pioneering new approaches to conservationTime and again marine conservation efforts break down because they fail to resonate with the needs of coastal communities. Such failure is avoidable, since coastal populations have the greatest long-term interest in conservation success.

Blue Ventures is committed to tackling this conundrum by developing conservation models that work for people, showing that effective marine conservation is in everyone’s interest.

We work from the grassroots, placing responsibility for fisheries management in the hands of local communities. This is particularly necessary in low-income countries, where there is often limited central capacity and infrastructure for marine management.

Our models play a critical role in rebuilding coastal fisheries, providing effective and replicable approaches for reversing marine biodiversity loss, improving food security and building socio-ecological resilience to climate change.

5

6

Our 2020 visionBy demonstrating that effective marine conservation is in everyone’s interest, we are striving for impact at scale. We aim to reach at least three million people across the world’s tropical coastal regions by 2020.

This will play a critical role in rebuilding coastal fisheries, helping to slow the loss of marine biodiversity and improve marine and coastal resilience to climate change.

Our strategy is to develop, scale and drive the adoption of high impact models for marine conservation.

We have a proven track record of innovating transformative approaches for catalysing and sustaining local leadership in marine management. Our organisational culture is naturally dynamic and entrepreneurial, listening and responding to the needs of our partner communities, and reaching across the silos that typically constrain conservation practice.

As our programmes evolve, they move through a development lifecycle focused on constant improvement and learning based on feedback from our partner communities. We liken this strategy to the expanding spiralled chambers of a Nautilus shell, with programmes growing in scale through successive phases just as the Nautilus expands towards the shell’s opening.

We currently manage a diverse portfolio of models at different stages of development across five core conservation programmes. These programmes are fisheries management, payment for mangrove ecosystem services, aquaculture enterprises, community-based reproductive health service delivery, and ecotourism businesses.

500 millionpeople worldwide depend on

small-scale fisheriesof global fish stocks are either

overfished or fully fished

90%>1billionpeople worldwide rely on fish as a source of protein

Our mission is urgent and critical

7

Achieving impactWe’re always learning. At every stage, from incubation to replication, we monitor and evaluate the impact and sustainability of our work in order to refine our models, and ensure cost effectiveness and scalability. We’ve created the largest locally managed marine protected areas in the Indian Ocean, proven new models for community-led fisheries management, built sustainable aquaculture businesses, and developed effective, replicable approaches for integrating community health services with marine conservation. Our award-winning ecotourism social enterprise provides year-round sustainability and match funding to enhance the impact and stability of our field programmes.

Over the past decade our models have guided national fisheries policy and been replicated by fishing communities, NGOs, businesses, donors and government agencies along thousands of miles of coastline. So far our work has impacted the lives of more than 250,000 coastal people.

87Annual Report and Accounts 2016

Communities FirstAbove all, we listen to community needs, responding in a sensitive and pragmatic way for lasting benefits.

Passion & BeliefOur mission is urgent and critical, we believe that our models work, and we’re determined to get the job done.

Valued People & Effective TeamsWe work in diverse and inclusive teams where all members have a voice and influence.

Innovation & CourageWe’re resourceful and creative. We’re prepared to take risks and challenge broken paradigms.

Openness & HumilityWe’re an open source social enterprise. We work in a transparent and collaborative way to share what we learn.

Grounded in EvidenceWe have high standards and aren’t afraid to be self-critical. If something doesn’t work, we change tack until we’re on the right course.

7

Our values

9

Supporting partnersOnce we’ve developed an effective model for conservation, we work with partners to apply and adapt this approach in new geographies. We offer toolkits, training, technical advice, mentoring, learning exchanges and direct field support to guide our partners through every step of the process.

Whether it’s how to organise a temporary fishery closure to build community support for marine conservation, or how to work holistically and integrate reproductive health services with such initiatives to enhance women’s engagement in local marine management efforts, we’re dedicated to supporting our partners to build on our experiences by taking our models to the regions where they work.

We work with like-minded organisations, governments and businesses worldwide to build networks of thought leaders in marine conservation. By facilitating learning exchanges between fishing communities, we nurture grassroots marine conservation movements at national and regional scales.

Our efforts to refine and drive adoption of these conservation catalyst models are growing exponentially. In 2016 we manage a diverse programme portfolio with over 140 staff positioned internationally supporting projects at different stages of development across six countries: Belize, Comoros, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mozambique and Timor-Leste.

10

FinancialsJune 30 Year EndBlue Ventures is in a strong financial position with income of £2.2m and expenditure of c.£1.6m in the year to 30 June 2016 and cash balances of £1.7m. Of this expenditure, 95% is spent on carrying out charitable activities, with a further 4% spent on generating voluntary income and 1% on governance. Almost 90% of the Charity’s staff is based overseas in programme countries.

Blue Ventures is poised for growth. Our revenue has doubled over the past two years and is forecasted to grow by at least a further 30% over the current financial year from funds already secured, with a strong outlook from committed funding partners for the next five years.

ReservesThe Trustees review regularly the level of reserves, which denotes unrestricted funds excluding those tied up in fixed assets or otherwise designated. BVC’s reserves policy is to maintain sufficient working capital to cover six months running costs. This equates to c.£86k and as at June 2016 our unrestricted reserves stood at £183k. We have designated funds for supporting our partners to replicate Blue Ventures models and our designated reserves stood at £549k as at June 2016.

Our Annual Report and Accounts to 2015 are available via this link at our website and the latest results to 30 June 2016 will be made available to shortlisted candidates.

other - 1%

charitable activities - 3%

donations &gifts - 3%

government - 12%

foundations &corporations - 81%

charitable activities - 95%

fundraising - 4%

governance - 1%

HOW WE’RE FUNDED

WHERE THE MONEY GOES

11

Role DescriptionPosition title: Director of Finance and ResourcesReporting to: Executive Director and the BoardDirect reports: London based Finance Team of three: Finance Manager, Finance Assistant, and Operations & Human Resources Support Officer

SummaryThe Director of Finance and Resources is a key member of the senior management team with responsibility for of all financial reporting and planning within the charity (Blue Ventures Conservation) and company (Blue Ventures Expeditions Limited). The Director also oversees a wide range of the organisation’s administration including HR systems, facilities, and acts as Company Secretary. Working in an innovative and fast-moving charity, the role requires an individual capable of thinking strategically while being hands-on on a day-to-day basis.

Finance Responsibilities• Take ownership of all aspects of financial management and ensure

financial procedures and systems are fit-for-purpose• Oversee timely delivery of accurate and insightful financial and

management information for the organisation• Lead on the annual strategic & financial planning, budgeting and

forecasting process• Lead on the annual staff appraisal and pay review process• Oversee the statutory accounts preparation and the annual financial

audit• Monitor donor budgets and work closely with the Conservation Director

on donor reporting• Manage periodic project audits• Attend and contribute to the quarterly charity Board Meetings and

manage the administration• Handle governance and regulatory matters including reporting to the

Charity Commission, Companies House and other external bodies• Manage relations with other external parties such as banks, auditors

(H.W Fisher & Co) and the Inland Revenue

12

Strategic and Organisational Responsibilities• Play an active role in the planning and implementation of the

organisation’s growth plans• Empower and enable teams at the field sites to be effective and efficient

by continuously improving the Finance and Operations processes• Lead on staff performance management, training and professional

development• Support the fundraising team to strengthen the business cases on

funding bids• Review and improve the organisation’s financial policies to ensure they

are adequate and followed by staff

Person SpecificationCandidates will ideally be able to demonstrate the following:

Experience• Experience of leading and managing a team (including finance) or

function, ideally with geographically dispersed employees; the role would suit a finance professional from a Finance & Strategy Consulting background looking for a career change or an experienced Financial Controller looking to make their next step

• Experience of operating at a senior management level and contributing to an organisation’s strategic direction

• Experience of planning and implementation of process improvement or change programmes

• An entrepreneurial mind-set naturally focused on raising the team’s performance to reach the organisation’s strategic targets

• Ability and willingness to undertake “hands-on” tasks e.g. project reporting, monthly management accounts

• An understanding of charity accounting, including donor reporting• Experience of managing finance systems and accounting software

transition • A relevant professional accounting qualification or equivalent experience.

Skills/Competencies• Passionate commitment, a genuine interest in the work of the charity• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to

engage at all levels within the organisation• Ability to contribute to a positive internal atmosphere and external

perception of the organisation• Positive relationships – fostering and maintaining constructive and

professional relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders• Ability to work flexibly, under pressure and to meet demanding deadlines,

with the ability to prioritise and manage conflicting demands

13

Terms and ConditionsSalary: competitive salary based on experienceHoliday allowance: 25 days plus statutory daysPension: A workplace pension will be available from 1st January 2017Work Location: London with occasional travel to our field sites in Madagascar, Mozambique, Belize, Comoros, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and other countries as required.

ApplicationTo discuss this role informally please contact Alasdair Harris (al@blueventures.org) or find further details, including an online application form at https://blueventures.org/job/director-finance-resources/

14

"This is a unique opportunity for a strategically-minded finance professional to join this rapidly growing charity at an exciting stage in our development.

Blue Ventures is experiencing a period of significant expansion, and we are looking for a passionate, talented leader to join our team to help accelerate our impact even further.

I would strongly encourage qualified finance professionals with an interest in conservation and a passion for making a difference to apply."

JONATHAN KATZCHAIR OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES

15

Blue Ventures, Level 2 Annex, Omnibus Business Centre, 39-41 North Road, London N7 9DP, UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 7697 8598 Fax: +44 (0)800 066 4032

Email: enquiries@blueventures.org www.blueventures.org