Senior Finance Manager
Senior Finance Manager
Aldridge North West Education Trust
Circa £30-35k
Candidate Information Pack
Contents
1. About the Aldridge Foundation
2. About the Aldridge North West Education Trust
3. Job Description
4. Person Specification
5. How To Apply
1. About the Aldridge Foundation
The Aldridge Foundation is an educational charity founded by Sir Rod Aldridge OBE in 2006 that helps young people to reach their potential and improve their communities, principally through the sponsorship of entrepreneurial academy schools and colleges. The Foundation sponsors eight academy schools in England, with four in the North West and four others in London, the South East and South West. The Academies located in the North West are part of a multi-academy trust, the Aldridge North West Education Trust.
The Foundation is a lead partner in the University Technical Colleges UTC@MediaCityUK in Salford and UTC@harbourside in Newhaven, Sussex, which open in September 2015, and sponsor of the Aldridge Centre for Entrepreneurship in London (opening 2016).
To be an Aldridge sponsored school is to be an entrepreneurial organisation. The six entrepreneurial attributes (creativity, passion, risk-taking, team-work, problem-solving, determination) should be recognisable in everything that Aldridge schools do – from how the finances are run and facilities are used, to how learning takes place and extra-curricular or enrichment activity is delivered.
Entrepreneurship is one of the key unifying factors for all of the institutions the Foundation sponsors. By joining their family, a school makes a commitment to the Foundation's belief that their entrepreneurial approach adds value to the educational experience of young people, preparing them to become successful, well-balanced adults. The Aldridge Foundation’s long-term goal is as follows:
‘By the age of 25 all Aldridge graduates will have experienced an outstanding and enjoyable education and be able to sustain the life of their choice. They will be independent, thriving economically and making a real, positive contribution to their communities.’
More information can be found on the website www.aldridgefoundation.com.
2. About the Aldridge North West Education Trust
The Aldridge North West Education Trust was established in January 2013. Its aim is to change the narrative of education in the North West through an entrepreneurial approach.
The Trust currently comprises four schools, which are all located in Darwen, Lancashire:
· Darwen Aldridge Community Academy (DACA) is an11-18 school.
· Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio (DAES) provides for 14-19 year olds.
· Darwen Vale High School (DVHS) is an 11-16 school.
· Sudell Primary School is a one form of entry school.
We want all students to benefit from the ethos and environment that best suits them, so we encourage diversity in our schools and celebrate their uniqueness. We empower our young people, by providing a safe environment for them to grow and develop practical skills that enable them to seize opportunities and develop resilience to life’s challenges. We encourage a passion for learning, offering our students access to a wide range of qualifications and setting high expectations for all.
3. Job Description
The Senior Finance Manager will support Darwen Vale High School and Sudell Primary School (although the schools in Darwen that the post-holder supports could change in the future). The post-holder will work closely with the school Principals to ensure that administration of the budget supports the schools’ strategic development. The post-holer will also contribute to the Trust’s development, working with the Trust Finance Director and finance colleagues in other schools within the Trust.
This is a full-time post of 37 hours/week, 52 weeks per year. The post is located in Darwen and the post-holder must be within easy daily travel Darwen. The post-holder will be accountable to the Trust Finance Director and Principals of the schools and have supervisory responsibility for school-based Finance Managers/Finance Administrators.
Job Purpose
1. To provide timely and accurate financial management information to Principals and school leadership teams to enable them to effectively manage the strategic development of their schools. This includes providing support and training to budget holders.
2. To provide support for routine financial management and new initiatives, ensuring that Trust financial policies are operated and financial standards are met in line with the Education Funding Agency Academies Financial Handbook.
3. To work with the Trust Finance Director to implement Trust-wide policies and to achieve economies of scale and efficiencies through support for Trust-wide initiatives.
4. To provide timely information to the Trust Finance Director for the purposes of producing consolidated accounts and statutory returns.
Key Tasks
1. To be responsible for the preparation and the delivery of financial information for the Academies including, but not limited to:
a. annual budget information on income and expenditure for each academy
b. monthly management reports for school leadership teams and budget holders investigating and reporting any key variances
c. concise quarterly management reports for Governing Bodies, advising the Principal, Governors and Trust Finance Director on the financial status of each school
d. key financial performance information, including benchmarking, for the use of the Principal, Governing Bodies, Trust Finance Director and Aldridge Foundation as required
e. relevant information for the Trust Finance Director to enable the production of the annual statutory accounts
f. 3 year rolling forecasts of income and expenditure
g. Information for project leaders and budget holders to assist budget preparation and costs for specific activities
h. Maintaining a register of assets, working with relevant support staff, and a rolling 5 year plan for capital investment that covers capital replacements and improvements. Maintain each school’s fixed asset register.
i. Providing appropriate advice to the Principal, Governing Body and SLT and participating in the drafting and development of the business plan for the on-going and future development of each school.
2. Liaising with the Trust Finance Director, negotiate, manage and monitor contracts, tenders and agreements for the provision of support services, supporting Trust-wide procurements as required.
3. Project manage large-scale development projects on behalf of a school and be the main point of contact with external partner/bodies.
4. Provide training and support to budget holders and others to ensure that financial procedures are followed and budget reports are understood.
5. Support school staff to maximise income generation from all potential sources, within the strategic objectives/ethos of the school and act as the main point of contact. Provide support for bid writing.
6. Ensure all funds generated by the each school are spent in accordance with any specific requirements of the funder and accounted for appropriately.
7. Maintain each school’s risk register, ensuring it is updated on a regular basis through liaison with the Principal and school staff. With the support of the Trust Finance Director, advise upon and support the implementation of risk management strategies to minimise the risk of loss, damage or injury in the schools.
8. Line-manage the persons responsible for finance administration at each school, ensuring all cash receipts are banked, bank accounts reconciled and financial information is processed in a timely manner. Regularly review the ledger for accuracy and correct as necessary.
9. As required devise and implement new procedures and systems in schools to ensure the complete and efficient processing of financial data.
10. Liaise with the HR administrator and Principal in each school as necessary to ensure all payroll information is communicated for processing. Support the Principal with respect to the annual pay awards and the financial implications of staff utilisation.
11. Liaise with the Trust’s internal and external auditors as required.
12. Attend the main weekly Senior Leadership team meeting in each school each week.
13. Attend each school Governing Body Business Committee each quarter with the Trust Finance Director.
14. At all times comply with Trust-wide and school policies, particularly in respect of health and safety, equal opportunities, customer care, emergency evacuation, security and work standards. Act at all times as an advocate for the Trust and each School’s strategic objectives.
15. Undertake professional development activities, including relevant training and CPD seminars and workshops.
Note: This Job Description forms part of the contract of employment for this post. It reflects the position at the present time only, and may be changed in the future. As a general term of employment, the Trust may effect any necessary change in job content, or may require the post-holder to undertake other duties, at any location in the Trust provided that such changes are appropriate to the employee’s remuneration and status. The post-holder will be required to attend occasional evening meetings for which no further remuneration will be paid.
4. Person Specification
Formal Qualifications
Essential
· An accountancy qualification (eg part qualified CCAB) or
· Business management and/or financial qualification.
Desirable
· Degree in Accountancy or Business Management
· Certificate in School Business Management (CSBM) or working towards
Knowledge and Experience
· Experience of successfully leading budgetary management and control processes within an educational organization (such as an Academy)
· Knowledge of other aspects of administration to include management of information systems, experience of developing and managing financial management systems
· Experience of the successful management of cash, budgets, audits, financial reporting (internal and external), procurement and fixed assets
· Knowledge of ways to secure grant-funding and generate income.
Skills and abilities
Essential
· Accounting and financial acumen
· At least 3-5 years experience of producing management information
· Experience of working in the schools sector
· Excellent organizational skills, ability to manage own workload and supervise others
· Ability to take decisions and to use one’s own initiative
· Ability to prioritise while working under pressure
· Excellent inter-personal skills and ability to establish good relationships with a wide range of people
· Effective written and oral communication skills
· Confident IT user – advanced Excel user.
Desirable
· Wider knowledge of the education sector
· Experience in securing additional income through grants or other forms of income generation, including through bid writing
· Experience of Correro Accounts system or similar.
Key Behaviours
· Tenacious self-starter
· Highly organised with agility in thought and actions
· Flexible and receptive to new ideas
· Uses established processes and procedures to ensure consistency of quality
· Open, honest and approachable.
5. How To Apply
Further information: if you would like to arrange to discuss this opportunity, please contact: Chris Inckle on 01254 819500.
Application timetable:
Application close date: Monday 13th July at noon.
Interviews: Friday 17th July/Wednesday 22t July.
How to apply: Please complete the application form. Please make sure you explain why you are applying for this post and provide evidence of your proven experience and skills, abilities and knowledge.
Your application should include full contact details (address, daytime, home and mobile telephone numbers where applicable and email addresses) and details of 2 referees. For each referee please provide name, position, organisation, telephone numbers and email addresses where known. One of these referees must be your current/recent employer. If you do not wish us to contact referees at this stage, please make this clear.
Email:
Alternatively, please return a hard copy to:
Cathy Kenyon
Aldridge North West Education Trust
c/o Darwen Vale High School
Blackburn Road,
Darwen
Lancashire BB3 0AL
All appointments are subject to satisfactory references and eligibility to work in the UK.
The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. An enhanced DBS will be required.
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