Finance Manager - Operations & Transformation (FM12642)

University of Bath; Bath; Hybrid; GBP 46,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Finance Manager for Operations & Transformation. This pivotal role involves leading the cloud migration of financial systems, managing payroll and pensions, and driving innovation in higher education finance. You will collaborate with diverse teams, ensuring efficient financial processes while building strong relationships with stakeholders. The position offers a hybrid working pattern, allowing flexibility while maintaining a focus on operational excellence. Join a vibrant community that values diversity and supports professional growth in a rewarding environment.

Benefits

Free counselling services

Cycle to work scheme

Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme

Staff discount at Team Bath gym

Staff discounts on postgraduate tuition fees

Generous employer contributory pension schemes

Generous annual leave allowance

Personal and professional development opportunities

Free entry to the Holburne Museum

Relocation allowance

Qualifications

• Experience in financial accounting and payroll/pension management.
• Proven ability to manage diverse teams and priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the cloud migration of Agresso and enhance financial systems.
• Guide Payroll and Pensions team ensuring compliance and accuracy.

Skills

Qualified accountant credentials

Financial accounting

Payroll management

Pension management

Relationship-building

Change initiatives

Tools

Agresso

Cloud migration

Job description

About The Role

Join the University of Bath as a Finance Manager for Operations & Transformation. In this pivotal role, you'll combine being part of the CLEAR Project which aims to modernise our financial operations with management of the University’s payroll and pensions team. You'll work with colleagues across the university to implement positive change and ensure efficient financial processes.

Why You'll Thrive in This Role

You will be part of the team driving the implementation of Agresso into the cloud. This will allow you to help shape the future of financial operations whilst guiding a collaborative payroll team. Additionally, you will build and maintain important relationships with pension providers and regulatory bodies. Engaging with diverse colleagues will enable you to influence decision-making and share standard processes. Finally, you will contribute to innovation in higher education finance.

This role involves a hybrid working pattern with an expectation of 2 days on campus per week, although flexibility on this will be required.

Key Responsibilities

1. CLEAR Programme
   
   You will partner with the Director of Financial Operations to be part of the successful delivery of the cloud migration of Agresso. Collaborating across departments, you will be part of the team enhancing systems, processes, and controls. Ensuring that operational reporting needs are integrated into programme delivery will be a crucial part of your role. Additionally, you will collaborate with Finance colleagues and partners to ensure training resources and procedures for cloud-based solutions are updated and implemented.


2. Operational Finance Management
   
   You will guide the Payroll and Pensions team with a focus on compliance and accuracy. Coordinating relationships with pension providers and regulatory bodies will be a key responsibility. Additionally, you will lead statutory reporting and year-end processes. Supporting finance operations during transformation to maintain service excellence will be essential to your role.


3. Engagement & Collaboration
   
   You will represent Finance in cross-functional initiatives and committees. By creating alignment between the CLEAR Programme, finance leadership, and operational staff, you will ensure cohesive and effective operations. Additionally, you will develop networks with higher education peers to exchange innovations. Communicating complex financial changes clearly to diverse audiences will be a key part of your role.

About You

We're looking for someone who brings:

• Qualified accountant credentials
• Experience with financial accounting, payroll/pension management and financial systems
• Knowledge of cloud migrations (valuable but not required)
• A track record of supporting collaborative teams and managing diverse collaborators
• The ability to balance competing priorities in a complex organisation
• A proactive approach with strong relationship-building capabilities
• Experience with change initiatives (desirable but not essential)

What We Can Offer You

We consider ourselves to be a university where difference is celebrated, respected and encouraged. We have an excellent international reputation with staff from over 60 different nations and have made a positive commitment towards gender equality and intersectionality receiving a Silver Athena SWAN award. We truly believe that diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds will lead to a better environment for our employees and students, so we encourage applications from all genders, backgrounds, and communities, particularly from under-represented groups, and value the positive impact that will have on the university. We are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for our students, staff, and community by reinforcing our Safer Recruitment commitment.

We are very proud to be an autism friendly university and are an accredited Disability Confident Leader; committed to building disability confidence and supporting disabled staff.

• Free counselling services through Health Assured
• Cycle to work scheme
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
• Staff discount at Team Bath gym
• Staff discounts on postgraduate tuition fees
• Staff discount on language courses
• Generous employer contributory pension schemes
• Generous annual leave allowance with an additional 5 discretionary days so that you can enjoy a positive work life balance
• A wide range of personal and professional development opportunities including Apprenticeships, LinkedIn Learning and more
• Free entry to the Holburne Museum in Bath
• Local discounts and more
• A family-friendly workplace
• An excellent reward package that recognises the talents of our diverse workforce
• Relocation allowance
• Visa reimbursement and Interest-Free Loan to help with the cost of some immigration expenses

We are committed to continually expanding our benefits to better support you and enhance your experience with us. Find out more about our benefits.

Closing Date: 11 May 2025
Department: Management, Specialist and Administration
Salary: £46,735 to £55,755