Senior Finance Manager

ARK SCHOOLS

Senior Finance Manager

Reports to: Regional Finance Director

Location: South London Region

Contract: Permanent

Pattern: Full Time (37.5 hours per week)

Closing date: 08/01/2024

Interviews: Interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised

Salary: £50,000 to £60,000 (depending on experience)

About The Role:

As Senior Finance Manager (SFM), you will be an integral part of the team responsible for ensuring high standards of financial probity within the cluster academies. This role supports a cluster of 3 schools across Lambeth and Southwark, with a detailed focus on at least 1 school.

You will manage the monthly financial processes, ensuring compliance with the Academies Financial Handbook. You will also support the Regional Finance Director as directed with consolidation of the region’s school reports, regional analysis and regional projects.

You will lead by example and provide professional leadership across the cluster, in partnership with stakeholders. You will be flexible and open minded in your approach and be prepared to take on future changes within the region as required. It is essential that you have excellent communication and leadership skills and promote the ethos of Ark Schools.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work closely with school Principals and Operations Leads across the cluster to ensure financial information is up to date and available for review
• Take responsibility for the academies’ financial accounting procedures, ensuring financial handbooks are kept up to date and all policies and procedures are adhered to across the cluster, ensuring a clear direction of responsibility for finance managers
• Ensure timely production and issue of financial reports and returns, as required for schools within your cluster
• Prepare (or review) the management accounts and related analysis, posting of month end journals, ensuring bank and control account reconciliations are carried out monthly in line with the Ark month-end/year-end balance sheet pack(s)
• Prepare monthly cash flow forecasts for each school highlighting any areas of concern to the RFD and the central finance team
• Work with the HR leads in school to ensure payroll is processed and managed efficiently and correctly across the cluster
• Prepare (or review) annual budgets and termly reforecasting for review with the RFD and Principal, before central submission
• Take responsibility for and line management of Finance Manager(s) and Finance Assistants/Officers/Apprentice, including arranging appropriate training and development across the cluster, conducting induction, probation and performance management reviews and identifying succession plans where the opportunity arises
• Drive forward change and initiatives which promote regularity, propriety, value for money and best standards
• Own, analyse and report financial data in ways that underpin best practice and develop cost reduction strategies as appropriate

Key Requirements:

• Right to work in the UK
• Qualified/part-qualified accountant (ACCA or CIMA) or Qualified by experience
• Experience of running effective administrative and financial systems, ideally within a school environment
• Experience of working across a number of financial institutions or multiple projects, managing conflicting priorities
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office
• Experience using financial databases, confidence and interest in learning new technologies
• Demonstrable finance management skills, including managing through others to deliver – effectively motivating and engaging team members
• Ability to analyse and interpret complex information and prepare and deliver briefings and or presentations
• Experience of providing ad hoc financial analysis to support decision making
• Experience in managing and negotiating contracts, tenders and agreements
• Understanding of relevant legislation, policies and procedures and the ability to apply this understanding to real situations
• Strong organisational and time-management skills and the ability to delegate appropriately
• Ability to skilfully manage and maintain effective working relationships with school principals and budget holders, governors and other stakeholders
• High standards and a keen eye for detail
• Keen to learn and further develop own skills
• A team player who can work collaboratively as well as using own initiative

Benefits:

• Our hybrid working model aims to offer the best of both worlds, striking the right balance between in-person collaboration and remote working. You will work a minimum of two days per week in our state-of-the-art office in West London allowing you to connect with colleagues, with the flexibility to work remotely, or in the office over the remaining days
• In addition to our current hybrid working arrangements, employees can request to work fully remotely for up to 10 working days a year, whether this be in the UK or abroad
• Our flexitime policy allows you to work your hours around our core hours of 10.00 – 16.00, helping you prioritise your work-life balance and personal commitments
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years’ service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• Regular social events, monthly free breakfast, and daily fruit
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to. Depending on your role you may also be entitled to LGPS which is a defined benefit scheme where you contribute a percentage based on how much you earn (as do we) in exchange for a guaranteed amount in your pension pot every year
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests

About Us

We’re an international charity, transforming lives through education. We exist to give every young person, regardless of their background, a great education and real choices in life. In the UK, we’re a network of 39 schools, educating around 30,000 pupils in areas where we can make the biggest difference and we’re recognised as one of the highest achieving academy groups in the country. We want to change the lives of children everywhere, not just in our own schools. So, we create and incubate Ventures designed not only to help pupils in Ark schools, but also to improve education systems.

You’ll be joining a group of like-minded, ambitious individuals who work collaboratively and are all committed to our core mission, that every child has the potential to succeed. Having just celebrated our 20th anniversary, we are shaping our goals for the next 20 and there has never been a more exciting time to join us.

Diversity and inclusion:

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective. To know more about Ark’s diversity and inclusion commitments, please click on this link .

Safeguarding statement:

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.

Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment – this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark’s safer recruitment process, please click this link .

Please note we will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this role may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response. We strongly encourage to submit your application at your earliest convenience.