Responsible to: Headteachers, Trust CFO

Liaising with: Trust Finance Team (Head of Finance, Assistant Management Accountant), Headteachers, Executive Director of Primary, Hub Operations Lead

Hours of work: Full time 37 hours per week all year round. In addition, you will be expected to flex to attend certain governors meetings out of school hours during the year.

Annual Leave: 28 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays. Annual leave should be taken mostly during school holiday periods. Up to 2 weeks annual leave can be taken in term time, taken in up to 1-week periods.

Location: Working base at St Thomas More Catholic Primary School (Letchworth) 2 days per week. The remaining 3 days per week will be based at other Trust primary schools (Hitchin, Baldock, Royston, Watford) or from home (with agreement). The post holder is expected to work flexibly across Trust schools as required. Travel expenses from working bases to external sites will be reimbursed.

 Purpose

As a School Finance Business Partner, you will  oversee the financial and business performance of up to five Trust schools to include:

• Financial Accounting:  Producing monthly management accounts and ensuring accurate posting of month-end adjustments. 
• Budget Management: Managing the annual budget-setting process and 3-year forecasting to align with strategic objectives.
• Financial Reporting: Presenting monthly accounts to the Local Governing Board Headteacher and Central Trust and providing financial updates. You are expected to be a visiting member of the School’s Senior Leadership Team. 
• Collaboration: Working closely with Headteachers and other key stakeholders to ensure financial plans align with strategic objectives and budgets.
• Payroll: responsible for accurate and timely administration of monthly payroll for allocated schools. 

Your role will encompass working closely with the Hub Operations Lead who will oversee facilities management (caretaking, cleaning, catering).

You will play a pivotal role in supporting Headteachers and contribute significantly to the wider team linking in with the Executive team.

This role demands a strong commercial focus emphasising the delivery of best value for schools, identifying new income opportunities and ensuring cost effectiveness in a challenging funding environment. 

Your time allocation across the schools will be agreed and reviewed regularly to ensure maximum effectiveness, alongside your contribution to the Trust in Trust-wide leadership roles.  You will collaborate closely with the DoWAT central team and other Trust staff as necessary.  As the Trust is growing, the role will evolve but it is expected that you will work across up to five primary schools within the Trust.

You will be expected to take a leadership role in specific areas of expertise, to deliver trust wide improvement and business excellence and to build strong team working.

Key Responsibilities: 

Senior Leadership

• To support the Executive Team and Headteacher in ensuring the schools’ budgets balance and deliver best value for money. To ensure financial management follows Trust protocols and in accordance with the Academies Financial Handbook.
• Ensure that your allocated schools make the best possible use of resources through effective planning, considering all financial and resource management implications. Report on the performance of monthly and day-to-day financial control. 
• Responsible for the strategic financial planning, forecasting and expenditure of allocated schools; advising Governors and the Executive on investment in developments and financial and reputational risk management.
• Contribute to and manage against supporting Budgets and Plans, working with the Executive Team, Headteachers and governors as appropriate. 
• Monitor and evaluate progress against agreed objectives and targets, taking any additional action as maybe agreed to be necessary. 
• Ensure that the impact of business development, a focussed financial strategy and strong overall management directly affects educational outcomes for pupils. 
• Represent the Trust and schools at relevant local and national networks.
• Promote and market Trust and schools’ specific services, seek sponsorship and generate additional income.
• Maintain and ensure regular review of data protection and GDPR, personnel, and ensure that all required procedures are in place and observed. Maintain control of a contracts register that is capable of consolidation.

Operational, Financial and Risk Management

• Produce accurate month end accounts; responsible for cashbook posting and  month end adjustments.  Post all chargecard transactions.  Complete month end journals, balance sheet reconciliations and management accounts.
• Check and (jointly) authorise monthly payroll runs across schools.  Post the payroll journal.
• Provide a professional, innovative and entrepreneurial lead in relation to the schools’ financial health. 
• Monitor and challenge performance to Budget.  
• Manage and authorise expenditure on behalf of allocated schools in line with role mandates and academy trust handbook. 
• Ensure compliance within schools in line with Trust Policy and relevant regulations e.g. support Headteachers with compliance in relation to Financial Handbook, risk register, assurance documents.
• Ensure the schools deliver Good Value for money.  
• Manage schools contract schedules and SLAs.  
• Provide support, guidance, challenge and information to budget holders
• Support each school in maintaining an operational risk log, and escalate significant current or potential future risks to the Trust central team for consideration.  
• Liaise with other Trust business management staff to seek better procurement deals and commercial advantage.  
• Contribute to the development and implementation of a local ICT and Cyber development strategy.  

Facilities Management:

• The duties and responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present. The post holder is expected to accept any reasonable alterations that may from time to time be necessary.
• Support Headteachers in decision making regarding the school premises in line with budget provision and operational requirements and evaluating tenders ensuring best value. 
• Develop and deliver building improvement projects liaising with key partners.  
• Responsible for validating the accuracy, content, and quality of submission of relevant information to the senior management team, the governing body and outside agencies meeting all financial and statutory regulations and guidelines. 
• Alongside Headteachers, ensure compliance with procurement legislation and frameworks and be responsible for securing relevant sponsoring and partnership arrangements adding value and financial benefits to the school/ Trust.  
• Responsible for devising effective marketing and promotion strategies for the school understanding the role of public relations with the wider stakeholder groups. Oversight of all major events including student open days and teacher recruitment.  
• Embeds a culture of health and safety across the school or Trust ensuring plans are in place within the school to deliver all statutory requirements.
• Take a lead in the expansion and development plan of the site/s facilities, including use of Asset Management Plans to bid for major building funds to DfE to meet the strategic vision of the trust for its pupils.

• Negotiates, advises, leads on behalf of school in external matters such as contracts, procurement, funding bids; regularly deals with a range of complex whole school finance issues.
• Develops and implements school policies and procedures; developed analytical, judgmental or creative skills required to interpret very varied and complex information or situations over the long term, including whole school budget preparation and planning, support service monitoring.

Physical Effort:

• Requires normal physical effort, with a mixture of sitting, walking, and carrying minor loads.
• Travel between sites (reimbursed for any travel beyond base office).

Working Environment:

• Work normally carried out in an office environment and across the schools.

We welcome and encourage potential candidates to reach out for an informal conversation prior to applications to discuss the role further. To arrange an informal teams or phone conversation with the Trust CFO, Emma Gritten, please email: adminandprojects@dowat.co.uk.