Finance Manager

Birmingham Children's Trust; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days annual leave + 3 bank holidays

Free on-site parking

Employee benefits scheme

Hybrid working policy

Local Government pension scheme

Job summary

Birmingham Children’s Trust is seeking a Finance Manager to join its Finance team in Birmingham, offering a pivotal role in strategic and operational financial management to align services with the Trust’s objectives and business plan.

You will provide expert financial advice to senior leaders, challenge and support budget holders, manage budgets, forecasts and final accounts, coordinate audits and ensure policy compliance while developing the team and supporting strategic change.

Qualifications

• Experience providing professional financial advice to senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Ability to manage budgets, forecasts and financial planning.
• Experience coordinating external audits.
• Strong communication and leadership across stakeholders.
• Commitment to safeguarding and children’s services.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist financial advice to senior leaders and budget holders.
• Manage budgets, forecasts, financial planning and final accounts.
• Coordinate external audits and ensure financial policy compliance.
• Support Head of Finance and deputise as required.
• Promote continuous improvement using financial insight and data.
• Lead and develop the Finance team.

Skills

Budgeting

Forecasting

Financial planning

Performance management

Management accounting

External audits

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Communication

Analytical thinking

Commercial awareness

Equality & inclusion

Job description

Birmingham Children’s Trust is looking to appoint a Finance Manager to join its Finance team. This is an excellent opportunity to play a key role in supporting the Trust’s strategic and operational financial management, helping to ensure services are aligned to deliver the Trust’s objectives and business plan.

The successful candidates will provide specialist financial advice, challenge and support to senior leaders, service heads and budget holders. They will help manage budgets, forecasts, financial planning, final accounts, audit coordination and compliance with financial policies and procedures.

You will also support and deputise for the Head of Finance as required, manage team workloads and performance, promote continuous improvement, and use financial insight, benchmarking and data to support effective decision-making across the Trust.

We are seeking a candidate with strong financial management experience, excellent communication skills, the ability to work with a range of stakeholders, and a commitment to delivering high-quality finance support in a children’s services environment.

We have been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, following a 2023 inspection. This is a fantastic achievement for Birmingham Children’s Trust, with many positive highlights focusing on areas including the quality of staff leadership, partnership working, safeguarding and corporate parenting.

This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham so you must have the correct right-to-work documents to work in the UK. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship.

About You

• Experience providing professional financial advice to senior leaders and stakeholders.
• A track record of successful partnership working across organisational boundaries.
• Experience managing financial and people resources effectively.
• Experience supporting strategic change and service improvement programmes.
• Proven experience managing finance teams within a complex organisation.

Essential Knowledge and Skills

• Expertise in budgeting, forecasting, financial planning and performance management.
• Strong knowledge of financial and management accounting.
• Experience preparing annual financial statements and coordinating external audits.
• Ability to communicate complex financial information clearly and effectively.
• Strong leadership skills with a commitment to developing and supporting others.
• Excellent relationship-building and influencing skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing priorities.
• Commercial awareness with the ability to identify efficiencies, funding opportunities and value-for-money outcomes.
• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Birmingham Children’s Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Observance of the Trust’s Equal Opportunities Policy will be required.

Onboarding Process

Please note as part of our onboarding process, the successful candidate will be required undergo a series of background checks with Experian including Experian Right to Work, and Digital ID verification. These are essential pre-employment requirements.

Our Benefits

• A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Free on-site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). We also provide onsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
• Full access to our amazing internal employee benefits scheme including, Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card), Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support and much more!
• Flexible and hybrid working policy - we are well adapted to a hybrid model of working which includes a combination of time spent in the office and at home and we offer a variety of working patterns.
• Pension Scheme - You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme in line with the local government pension scheme.

Help us to change children and young people’s lives!

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Why Join Us

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.