The Heritage Alliance is the largest collaboration of independent heritage organisations in the UK. With over 190 organisational members, including the National Trust, English Heritage and Historic Royal Palaces, the charity represents more than seven million people, from visitors to volunteers, Trustees to staff. The Heritage Alliance supports its members and the wider heritage sector by influencing decision-makers and funders, by promoting the importance of heritage to everybody’s lives, and by supporting the sector through training and networking, which has proved a lifeline to many in these continued challenging times.

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, The Heritage Alliance is a growing membership organisation and charity, passionate about the contribution heritage makes to prosperity, wellbeing, the environment, creativity and social resilience.It is committed to promoting new thinking and new conversations, and to ensuring that the sector better reflects the varied geographical, ethnic and cultural characteristics of the UK.

The Heritage Alliance gathers insight and evidence so that it can effectively influence policy-making locally and nationally, runs sector support programmes with major partners such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England, and it brings members together twice every year with the wider sector for its renowned Heritage Debate and Heritage Day.

In recent years, The Heritage Alliance has doubled its membership and quadrupled its revenue, thereby confirming its status as the national voice of heritage organisations across the UK. As part of its Strategy 2021-26, the charity will work to realise its shared vision and ensure the sector emerges from the Covid-19 crisis inspired and equipped to be better than ever before. It will do this by focussing efforts on four interrelated strategic objectives: advocacy; communicating and connecting; building sustainability and resilience; and developing insight.

Each member of the Board brings their own expertise, experience and skill set to the work of The Heritage Alliance. While it is preferable that you have some interest in, or commitment to the heritage sector, the charity is keen to have a wider range of varied professional and lived experience, new perspectives and sound judgment. You will play an exciting role in championing and promoting our vision and objectives.

The responsibilities of the Treasurer include:

• Overseeing the part-time Finance Manager and financial performance of projects in conjunction with Finance Manager, ensuring that robust financial controls are in place
• Acting as an authoriser for online bank payments and ensuring that the accounting system (currently QuickBooks) is fit for purpose
• Preparing quarterly Board reports including forecasts and performance analysis (supported by the Finance Manager) and presenting these at the Board
• Working closely with the Finance Manager and Management Team to draw up an annual budget for Board approval, as well as preparing annual accounts (supported by the Finance Manager) for presentation in the Finance Report at the AGM
• Advising the Board on the long term financial outlook and the adequacy and use of reserves
• Liaising with the charity's Independent Examiner
• Providing guidance to the Head of Development in the costing and pricing of project work which is commissioned by various funders
• Acting as a member of our Remuneration Committee, working with the Chair to set annual remuneration guidelines for the CEO to implement

As a sector support body committed to positive change and supporting its members to be fit for the future, The Heritage Alliance feels passionately that its Trustee Board should be truly representative of the people it serves. As such, it particularly seeks applications from a variety of backgrounds, especially those who are under-represented on its own Board and across the heritage sector. You do not need to have been a Trustee before as training will be provided, as well as the opportunity to shadow the incumbent Treasurer for a few months ahead of a formal handover at the end of the year.

Specifically for the Treasurer role, The Heritage Alliance is looking for a qualified accountant with experience in providing Board reports and the appetite to support innovation and growth with the broader analysis which aids senior decision-making, together with the confidence to be an influential voice on the Board. The new Treasurer will also have commercial acumen in order to support colleagues in the costing and pricing of bids which are made to a range of funders.

The Heritage Alliance is looking for someone who is able to advise from a strategic perspective while also being comfortable with getting involved in the more day-to-day aspects of financial management, acting as a mentor and sounding board for the part-time Finance Manager. You will bring a growth and innovative mindset to the role, being available to assist the charity as it looks to develop further.

Time commitment: Up to 5 hours per week, including Board/Committee meetings + regular, ad hoc engagement

The Board meets formally five to six times per year including at the Annual General Meeting in December. The Treasurer will also join the Remuneration Committee, and be able to offer support to the Finance Manager and development team during work hours as needed. The appointment is for a three-year term, renewable once at the discretion of the Board.

You can be based anywhere in the UK, and while the role is not remunerated, reasonable expenses will be paid to enable you to attend any in-person meetings and events, which will normally, but not always, take place in London.  

All Trustees will be fully supported in their role. Mentoring and bespoke support are available as required. As a minimum, each Trustee receives:

• An induction on the work of the Trust and the role of Trustees
• The opportunity to have a buddy Trustee if you’re new to the role
• The chance to participate in supporting the future of the heritage sector  
• A schedule of formal meetings at least six months in advance to plan around your other commitments
• Opportunities to network with other professionals and like-minded individuals from across the heritage sector
• Exposure to invaluable, transferable skills and a chance to gain experience in new settings
• Reimbursement of reasonable costs in line with our Expenses Policy
• Guidance and support on delivering on your legal duties as a Trustee

The Heritage Alliance welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, belief or disability. It is committed to supporting its membership to succeed and wants to reflect that diversity of focus and thinking on its own Board. As women and those from an ethnic minority background are currently under-represented on the Board, applications from those individuals would be particularly encouraged. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where candidates from underrepresented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.