Head of Finance

Job Description

This is a fabulous opportunity to work for an award-winning educational establishment, with an outstanding reputation. As the Head of Finance, your primary function is to manage, coordinate and oversee the school’s accounting systems and you will be aidedby the Finance Officer.The successful candidate will possess excellent numeracy and organisational skills, strengths in working in a small team, a methodical approach and a proactive nature. Specific experience in finance and accounting is essential (though full training in proprietaryaccounting systems is offered) and candidates will be expected to demonstrate a high level of IT competence, the ability to manage their own workload, and a commitment to ongoing professional development.The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of the aims and ethos of the school and an appreciation that simplicity, ease of record-keeping and a minimal workload for processing the necessary transactions, are essential toensure that the accounting function is as seamless and transparent as possible and invisible to those on the operational side of the school.Specific Responsibilities

• Maintenance of and postings to Nominal Ledger; Payroll; School fees and pupil records systems (PASS); Fixed Asset register; Accrual schedule and Prepayment schedule
• Administer Banking and Bank Reconciliation; Pension Fund Payments and Returns; Income Tax and National Insurance Payments and Returns; Statistical Returns; Insurance schemes
• Preparation of the annual accounts and the school’s audit in line with charity commission regulations
• Control and oversight of Purchase Ledger and Petty Cash
• Reporting financial results as required by the Head, Bursar and Governors Liaison and correspondence with parents over queries concerning fees and charges
• Liaison and correspondence with staff in connection with salaries, income tax, deductions and fee concessions
• Involvement in the preparation of papers for the school’s annual review of fees
• Year-end payroll
• Reviewing and improving current financial processes
• The production of management accounts
• Involvement in and initiation of change to meet the school’s need to move forward and to seek constant improvement in both delivery and cost effectiveness of educational provision

Person SpecificationThe successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:Essential

• An accounting qualification, minimum ACCA
• Previous accounting experience
• Accuracy, attention to detail and a commitment to delivering high quality results
• Clear and effective communication, which is professional, polite and discreet
• Highly organised, with the ability to plan and prioritise workload and delegate tasks
• An understanding of the responsibilities involved in handling sensitive and/or confidential information
• The ability to work to deadlines and predict potential delays
• Substantial proficiency in the use of IT applications, in particular accounting systems and MS Excel
• A willingness to learn new skills
• A commitment to safeguarding children

Desirable

• Direct experience of the education sector
• Experience of auditing charity accounts

To ApplyPlease send a covering letter together with a copy of your CV in MS Word