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Finance and Development Director
gaia house trust

Job Description

A rare and unique opportunity to join a friendly team and contribute your leadership skills to one of the most-highly respected and long-established Insight Meditation retreat centres internationally. Founded in 1983, Gaia House is a Devon-based charity committed to enhancing health and well-being through meditation. The new role of Finance and Development Director is a varied and challenging post covering: Finance and fundraising, Staffing, Communications/marketing, IT and Buildings maintenance/development. 28 hours per week.

About Gaia House

Gaia House is a silent meditation retreat centre offering a year-round programme of retreats with meditation instruction and teachings drawn from a variety of Buddhist traditions. Set amongst the gentle hills and quiet woodlands of South Devon, the house is a sanctuary of contemplative calm, providing an opportunity to develop serenity, wisdom and compassion through meditation and mindfulness practice in a supportive environment. We are open to all people regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, age, sexual identity, gender, gender identity, class or religion.

The role

As our Finance and Development Director you will work closely with the Operations Director to:

  • Provide leadership to Gaia House
  • Be responsible for the management and administration of the charity within the accountability frameworks established by the Trust
  • Ensure that the work of Gaia House achieves the strategic priorities agreed by the Trust
  • Lead the review and development of a medium to long-term strategy for Gaia House that is consistent with the our ethos, vision and mission

Key responsibilities of the role include ensuring the overall financial health of the organisation, legal/regulatory compliance and high-quality governance. In addition, the post-holder will be expected to take the lead on implementing the Trust’s plans for developing the building over the next three to five years.

You will have direct line-management responsibility for the Finance Manager, the HR & Admin Manager, the Communications Manager and the Maintenance Manager, leading on all aspects of the resourcing of Gaia House’s programme of activities:

  • Finance and fundraising
  • Staffing
  • Communications/marketing
  • IT
  • Buildings maintenance and development

Key skills and experience required

As our Finance and Development Director you’ll bring a broad set of skills and experience, including:

  • Strong analytical skills, with a track record of accurate processing and reporting
  • An understanding of voluntary sector governance processes
  • Experience of monitoring and evaluating performance against objectives, and initiation of new developments
  • Highly-developed communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to facilitate communication between different stakeholder groups
  • Strong leadership skills with experience of recruiting, managing and motivating staff
  • An understanding of financial management systems
  • Strong project management experience

It is also essential that you have an understanding and appreciation of what Gaia House offers, experience of participation in Buddhist meditation retreats, and that you are committed to a continuing meditation practice.

Due to the centre’s rural location (approximately four miles from the town of Newton Abbot), you will need to have your own personal transport.

What’s next?

If this sounds like it could be the role for you please click "Application Details" to find out how to access more information and how to apply.

The application closing date is 12 noon on Wednesday 8 June 2016.

The annual salary for this post will be within the range of £36-38,000. The exact figure will be confirmed by the Gaia House Trust at their quarterly meeting in June.

The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.