Financial Controller

Tameside College; Manchester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days annual leave

Pension scheme with employer contrib.

Free on-site gym

Cycle to Work scheme

Costa Coffee on site

Job summary

Tameside College is seeking a Financial Controller to lead the day-to-day delivery of finance and procurement, reporting to the Chief Finance & Infrastructure Officer. The role drives operational delivery with a team of around 10, ensuring robust controls, accurate reporting and commercially aware advice to senior leaders.

You will combine technical accounting with leadership to deliver timely financial information, risk analysis and strategic financial guidance.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent).
• Experience in financial control or senior finance management.
• Led teams, delivered year-end accounts and external audit improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead the finance team and set/maintain clear standards.
• Oversee monthly management accounts, forecasting and budget monitoring.
• Maintain strong financial controls, balance sheet integrity and audit evidence.
• Lead annual financial statements prep and external audit liaison.
• Strengthen cashflow forecasting, treasury, tax and insurance oversight.
• Oversee procurement to ensure value for money.
• Modernise finance systems and reporting with automation and Power BI.
• Provide clear finance advice to senior leaders and governors.

Skills

Financial reporting

Leadership

Forecasting

Financial controls

Commercial acumen

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA/CIPFA or equivalent

Tools

Power BI

Job description

We are looking for a Financial Controller to lead the day-to-day delivery of our finance and procurement functions at Tameside College and help us on our journey to a modern, responsive and high-performing service.

This is an important and influential role within our Management Team, reporting directly to the Chief Finance & Infrastructure Officer in a College that has experience significant growth and has outstanding financial health. You will translate strategic direction into strong operational delivery, ensuring that leaders and governors can rely on accurate financial information, robust controls and clear professional advice. This will be achieved through the leadership and development of ateam of 10 colleagues.

What you’ll be responsible for:

• Leading and developing the finance team, setting clear standards and ensuring critical deadlines are consistently achieved.
• Overseeing monthly management accounts, forecasting, budget monitoring and clear analysis of risks, pressures and opportunities.
• Maintaining strong financial controls, balance sheet integrity, reconciliations and reliable audit evidence.
• Leading the operational preparation of annual financial statements and acting as the principal day-to-day contact for external audit.
• Strengthening cashflow forecasting, treasury, tax, insurance and wider financial risk management.
• Leading practical, compliant and commercially effective procurement arrangements that secure value for money.
• Modernising finance systems and processes through automation, improved data quality, Power BI and better self-service reporting.
• Providing clear advice and constructive challenge to senior leaders, budget holders, governors and colleagues across the College.

What you’ll need:

You will be a fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or an equivalent recognised professional qualification) with substantial experience in financial control or senior finance management. You will have led people and delivered results through others, coordinated year-end accounts and external audit, and improved controls, systems, processes or reporting.

You will combine strong technical accounting knowledge with commercial awareness and confident leadership. Just as importantly, you will be able to explain complex issues clearly, challenge constructively and turn agreed priorities into organised, timely and sustainable delivery. Experience in further education is welcome but is not essential; we also value experience from complex, regulated, multi-site or service-based organisations.

Benefits:

• 33 days annual leave for a full-time post, in addition to bank holidays, with up to three efficiency days at Christmas.
• Membership of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund / Local Government Pension Scheme, with a generous employer contribution.
• Free on-site gym at Beaufort Road.
• Cycle to Work scheme, retail discounts, Simplyhealth cash healthcare plan and Manchester Credit Union savings club.
• On-site Costa Coffee, bakery products and dining experiences at Tameside One.
• A supportive working environment within the Vision Tameside £100 million-plus accommodation strategy.

About us:

You will join a diverse and vibrant further education college with ambitious plans for its learners, people, systems and estate (with the finance team based in a brand new space in Ashton town centre). The role offers genuine scope to shape how finance operates, strengthen management information and support sustainable investment across the College.

We believe in excellence and back that up with high expectations, a superb working environment (as part of the Vision Tameside £100 million+ accommodation strategy) and outstanding teaching. We also believe that attending college is about more than achieving a qualification, important though that is. This is why we aim to give learners every opportunity to develop their full potential in a supportive and friendly environment.

Tameside College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all learners and expects all staff to share this commitment. Employment at Tameside College is subject to an Enhanced DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) Check via the Disclosure and Barring Service and any post in regulated activity will also be subject to an additional barred list check. Tameside College will meet the costs associated with this.

Please note Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 guidance requires us to carry out an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted candidates. This is to enables us to identify any incidents or issues which we might want to explore at interview with you. Once shortlisting has taken place, this search will be carried out for all candidates who are invited to attend an interview.

Please note that due to the volume of applications we receive we are unfortunately not able to respond to each applicant. If you have not been called for interview within 3 weeks of the closing date, you should assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.

Interviews are due to take place on 10th December 2026.

Subject to the volume of applications we may decide to close the vacancy earlier than advertised.

Come join us on our journey to outstanding!

Recruitment Agencies

We are not utilising the service of recruitment agencies for this vacancy and will accept direct applications only. Unsolicited CV’s will be treated as a gift. We will not be subject to or liable under your terms and conditions for agency fees.