School Finance Manager

Tradewind Recruitment; Northampton; On-site; GBP 29,539 - 33,142; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Professional development

Full-time role

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

Tradewind Recruitment is supporting a specialist education provider in Northampton to appoint a School Finance Manager. You will lead day-to-day financial operations, ensure compliance, and provide financial guidance to school leaders.

The role requires an AAT qualification (or equivalent), strong Excel and experience with school finance software. It is a full-time, permanent position offering development opportunities and a supportive team.

Qualifications

• AAT qualification or equivalent finance qualification.
• Experience in school or education finance preferred.
• Strong budgeting, reconciliation and financial reporting.
• Excellent Excel and MS Office skills.
• Experience with computerised finance systems.
• Outstanding organisational skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent communication and collaboration with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage the school's financial systems (invoices, payroll journals, reconciliations).
• Support annual budget preparation, monitoring and management.
• Produce monthly financial reports and analyse variances.
• Oversee procurement processes and value for money.
• Oversee bank reconciliations, VAT returns, payment runs and records.
• Monitor funding streams and maintain financial trackers.
• Support audits and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Provide financial guidance to budget holders and leaders.
• Assist with year-end financial processes and reporting.

Skills

AAT qualification

Budgeting

Reconciliations

Financial reporting

Excel

Office software

Communication

Team coordination

Education

AAT qualification

Tools

Finance software

Job description

School Finance Manager

Location: Northampton

Salary: £29,539 - £33,142 FTE

Contract: Full Time (37 hours per week)

Are you an experienced finance professional looking to make a meaningful impact within education? Tradewind Recruitment is working on behalf of a specialist education provider to recruit a dedicated and organised School Finance Manager. This is an excellent opportunity to join a supportive team where you'll play a key role in ensuring the effective financial management of a busy educational setting.

The Role

As School Finance Manager, you will work closely with senior leaders to oversee the day-to-day financial operations of the school, ensuring financial procedures are compliant, accurate and efficient.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing the school's financial systems, including purchase and sales invoices, payroll journals and reconciliations.
• Supporting the preparation, monitoring and management of the annual budget.
• Producing monthly financial reports and analysing budgets to identify variances.
• Managing procurement processes and ensuring value for money across all purchasing.
• Overseeing bank reconciliations, VAT returns, payment runs and financial records.
• Monitoring funding streams and maintaining accurate financial trackers.
• Supporting audits and ensuring compliance with financial regulations and internal controls.
• Providing financial guidance to school leaders and budget holders.
• Assisting with year‑end financial processes and reporting.

The Ideal Candidate

• Previous experience working within a finance role, ideally in a school or education setting.
• An AAT qualification (or equivalent finance qualification) or significant relevant experience.
• Strong budgeting, reconciliation and financial reporting experience.
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience using computerised finance systems.
• Outstanding organisational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and work to deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills and the confidence to work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders.
• A proactive approach with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

What You’ll Receive

• Competitive salary of £29,539 - £33,142 FTE.
• Full‑time, permanent opportunity.
• Ongoing professional development and training.
• A supportive leadership team and collaborative working environment.
• The opportunity to make a genuine difference within education.
• Pension scheme and additional employee wellbeing benefits.

All applicants must have the Right to Work in the UK and will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check and satisfactory safeguarding checks.

If you’re an experienced finance professional looking for your next challenge within education, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today through Tradewind Recruitment with your up-to-date CV to find out more.