Finance Manager

5 days per week (37 hours per week) - Part time applicants will be considered

Term Time Only + 4 weeks

We are seeking an outstanding experienced Finance Manager to join the Trust central finance team.

You will advise and assist the Senior Leadership Team (“SLT”) of your allocated academies to develop financial plans, budgets and forecasts. You will also assist with the monitoring of these budgets by preparing monthly management reports, forecasts and budgets and responding to requests for financial information. This role requires a finance professional who can use support and analysis to become a trusted partner to our academy leaders.   

As we enter an important new phase, we are looking for a motivated and ambitious Trust Finance Manager to join our dedicated central team at a pivotal point in our journey.

This is not just another finance post. As the Trust grows and evolves, you will play a key role in building, refining and embedding outstanding financial practice, ensuring every decision and process supports the flourishing of our schools and the children we serve. The post offers a unique opportunity to make your mark and grow alongside the Trust.

We want someone who thrives on responsibility, cares about getting things right, and enjoys working with people as much as they do with spreadsheets. You’ll help us turn finance into a real service for our schools—not just a process to be managed, but a partner to lean on.

About the Role

You will support the Senior Finance Manager to ensure the smooth and accurate processing of all transactional finance activities and be responsible for managing the Trust’s ledgers, up to and including, the preparation of the monthly management accounts, forecasting and budgeting.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a collaborative environment, has a passion for finance, and possesses strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills. You will play a vital role in ensuring our schools flourish and our children excel.

The central finance team is collectively responsible for managing the financial functions of our Trust, that allows other members of the Trust and its school’s leadership teams to focus on teaching, and learning. 

Please note there is some flexibility in working hours/days and location, in line with Trust needs.

The ideal candidate will:

• Bring experience as a Finance Officer, Finance Business Partner, School Business Manager or in a similar finance role, ideally within an academy trust or school.
• Be confident managing accounts, ledgers, budgets and reconciliations with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Have strong analytical, IT and organisational skills, with the ability to present financial information clearly to a range of audiences.
• Be an excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills and confident in working with a wide range of senior stakeholders, both within the Trust and wider agencies.
• Be proactive, positive and able to work independently, while also valuing collaboration and teamwork.
• Be committed to our values and understand that strong financial practice enables the best possible experience for children, staff and communities.

 We offer:

• A central role in a Trust that is ambitious, values-driven and entering an exciting period of development.
• Flexible working arrangements and a genuine commitment to wellbeing and work-life balance.
• Access to the outstanding Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Access to Blue Light Card Discounts.
• On site parking.
• A motivated and dedicated team and Board committed to excellence and community service.

Safeguarding commitment:

The recruitment process is robust in seeking to establish the commitment of candidates to support the Trust’s measures to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and to identify, deter or reject people who might pose a risk of harm to children or are otherwise unsuited to work with them. All applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and safeguarding checks.