Finance Manager - Dsg & Schools

Enfield Council; England; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Job summary

Enfield Council is seeking a Finance Manager – Schools and DSG to provide financial leadership across education services. You will oversee DSG budgeting, financial planning and reporting, working with senior officers, headteachers and Schools Forum to support sound financial decision-making.

The role requires CCAB qualification or finalist status, robust experience in financial management within local government, and strong analytical and communication skills to challenge senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Significant experience of financial management, budgeting and financial reporting within a complex organisation.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the key schools finance processes.
• Lead the financial management, monitoring and forecasting of the Council's Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), ensuring compliance with Department for Education funding requirements and regulations.
• Provide robust financial advice, support and challenge to senior stakeholders across Education and Schools services.
• Support the development of the Medium Term Financial Plan, annual budgets, budget monitoring processes and statutory accounts.
• Prepare and present complex financial information to a range of audiences, including Schools Forum, senior management teams, committees and governance boards.
• Lead the preparation of specialist education finance returns.
• Work collaboratively with education services and schools to support effective financial decision-making and deliver value for money.

Skills

Financial management

Budgeting

Financial reporting

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Business partnering

Education

CCAB accountancy qualification or finalist

Job description

About the Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen within Enfield Council's Finance Business Partnering team for a Finance Manager – Schools and DSG.

Reporting to the Head of Finance - Education and Schools, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality financial leadership and support across the Council's education and schools portfolio. Working closely with senior officers, schools and other stakeholders, you will help shape the financial sustainability of education services and support effective decision-making across a diverse range of activities.

The role has responsibility for leading the financial management of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), while also overseeing key schools finance processes and supporting wider education services, including financial planning, budget monitoring and statutory reporting.

This is a varied and influential role, offering the opportunity to work closely with senior officers, headteachers, school leaders and Schools Forum on complex and high-profile financial issues.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the key schools finance processes.
• Lead the financial management, monitoring and forecasting of the Council's Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), ensuring compliance with Department for Education funding requirements and regulations.
• Provide robust financial advice, support and challenge to senior stakeholders across Education and Schools services.
• Support the development of the Medium Term Financial Plan, annual budgets, budget monitoring processes and statutory accounts.
• Prepare and present complex financial information to a range of audiences, including Schools Forum, senior management teams, committees and governance boards.
• Lead the preparation of specialist education finance returns.
• Work collaboratively with education services and schools to support effective financial decision-making and deliver value for money.

About You

We are looking for a confident finance professional with excellent technical, analytical and business partnering skills. You will be comfortable working with senior stakeholders, providing constructive challenge and translating complex financial information into meaningful insight.

You will be able to demonstrate:

• A CCAB accountancy qualification or finalist, with an expectation to become fully qualified within six months of joining the Council.
• Significant experience of financial management, budgeting and financial reporting within a complex organisation, ideally within local government.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret and communicate complex financial information effectively.
• Experience of influencing, advising and challenging senior managers, elected members and other senior stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills.
• Demonstrable experience of Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) funding would be highly desirable.

Working Arrangements

Enfield offers a hybrid working environment and there is an expectation that the postholder will attend the office regularly to meet business needs, including attendance at key meetings such as Schools Forum.