Finance Business Partner - Place Partnership Trust

Kirklees Council; Wakefield; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Annual leave 31 days + holidays

Tech scheme via SmartTech

Discounts platform via Accord Rewards

Employee Assistance Programme

Healthcare cash plans

Cycle to Work Scheme

Free on‑site parking

Mental Health First Aiders

Job summary

Place Partnership is seeking a proactive Finance Business Partner to work with Academy Leaders and Senior Leadership Teams across the West Hub. You will deliver financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting support to enable informed decisions and sustainable growth.

You will build strong relationships with leaders, providing financial insights and challenge to ensure resources are used effectively and strategically.

Qualifications

• AAT Level 4 qualification or part-qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA or CIPFA).
• Significant experience in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Advanced Excel capabilities.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain financial information to non‑finance colleagues.
• Experience producing management accounts and financial reports.
• Ability to influence, challenge, and build productive working relationships.
• High levels of accuracy, organisation, and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Provide financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting support.
• Deliver management accounts and financial analysis to leaders across the Trust.
• Identify risks and opportunities and develop forecasts and financial models.
• Ensure compliance with funding and regulatory requirements.
• Build relationships with Academy Leaders and Senior Leadership Teams to provide financial insight.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Financial planning

Budgeting

Forecasting

Financial analysis

Stakeholder management

Management accounts

Attention to detail

Education

AAT Level 4 or part‑qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA or CIPFA)

Job description

Kirklees Council are advertising this role on behalf of Accord Multi Academy Trust

To Start As Soon As Possible

About the Role

Place Partnership is seeking a proactive and analytical Finance Business Partner to work closely with Academy Leaders and Senior Leadership Teams across our West Hub at the Trust. This is an exciting opportunity to become a trusted advisor, helping leaders make informed financial decisions that support sustainable growth, maximise resources, and improve outcomes for young people.

As Finance Business Partner, you will work closely with Academy Leaders and Senior Leadership Teams to provide financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting support. You will deliver management accounts and financial analysis, identify risks and opportunities, develop forecasts and financial models, ensure compliance with relevant regulations, and provide clear financial insight that supports effective decision-making and long‑term sustainability across the Trust.

You will build strong relationships with leaders, providing financial insights, challenge, and support to ensure resources are used effectively and strategically. Working collaboratively across the Trust, you will help shape long‑term financial plans, identify opportunities, manage risks, and ensure compliance with funding and regulatory requirements.

This role is based in the central office in the West Hub, located in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

About You

We are looking for someone who can combine strong technical finance skills with excellent stakeholder management abilities. The successful candidate will have:

• AAT Level 4 qualification or part‑qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA or CIPFA).
• Significant experience in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Advanced Excel capabilities.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain financial information to non‑finance colleagues.
• Experience producing management accounts and financial reports.
• Ability to influence, challenge, and build productive working relationships.
• High levels of accuracy, organisation, and attention to detail.

About Place Partnership

This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward‑thinking and ambitious organisation, driven by a genuine passion for the wellbeing, care and education of young people.

Place Partnership represents the voluntary merger of two strong and successful Trusts in South and West Yorkshire: Maltby Learning Trust, established in 2014, and Accord Multi Academy Trust, founded in 2016. At the heart of Place Partnership is a commitment to building a culture where people feel valued, take pride in their place, and hold high expectations because everyone matters. At Place Partnership we are dedicated to providing high‑quality education which ensures that every child is given the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

We invest in our people through extensive professional learning and development opportunities and we recognise that our people are our greatest strength. As such, we offer a comprehensive suite of benefits as part of our commitment to wellbeing and professional growth. Here are a few examples of employee benefits that focus on our employees Financial, Physical and Mental Wellbeing:

• Membership to either the Teachers’ Pension Scheme or the Local Government Pension Scheme
• 31 days annual leave per annum plus bank holidays
• Technology scheme via SmartTech*
• Access to an extensive discounts platform via Accord Rewards
• Access to an industry leading Employee Assistance Programme
• 24/7 access to an online GP or Advanced Nurse Practitioner through Corporate Paid Healthcare Cash Plans
• Access to health and wellbeing services, with the ability to claim money back for essential healthcare such as prescriptions, optical and dental care through Corporate Paid Healthcare Cash Plans.
• Cycle to Work Scheme*
• Free, on‑site parking at every site
• Trained Mental Health First Aiders in all our settings

*restrictions apply

For full details of our employee benefit package, please see our recruitment pack.

Further Information

Visits are warmly welcomed and can be arranged. For further details regarding this opportunity, for an informal discussion regarding the role or to arrange a visit, please do not hesitate to contact [e-mail].

Interviews are expected to take place: week commencing 21 September 2026

Place Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, further details of which can be found at www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check

Place Partnership is committed to providing a culture of inclusion, respect and equity of opportunity that attracts, supports, and retains high quality colleagues from all backgrounds and across all job roles.

Candidates will always be shortlisted based on the content of application against the job description and essential criteria without access to the personal details information.

Based on the quality and quantity of applications received, Place Partnership reserves the right to interview sooner than the specified dates above. Applicants will be notified of this where possible. Therefore, early applications are encouraged.