Senior Finance Officer

Tradewind Recruitment LTD.; North East; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Tradewind Recruitment LTD. is seeking an experienced Senior Finance Officer to join a busy East London secondary school.

You will support budget planning, financial administration, and reporting, working closely with the School Business Manager to ensure smooth financial operations. The role requires preparation of budgets and forecasts, monitoring spend and payroll matters, supplier payments, procurement and audits.

Qualifications

• Experience in financial management, budgeting and financial administration.
• Qualification such as AAT, SBM Diploma, or equivalent.
• Experience supervising staff.
• Strong understanding of school financial procedures and regulations.
• Proficient with financial software (FMS, SIMS, ParentPay).
• Excellent numerical, organisational and analytical skills.
• Ability to produce accurate financial reports, returns and forecasts.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Prepare annual budgets, forecasts and forward budget planning.
• Monitor expenditure vs budgets and report variances.
• Produce regular financial reports for budget holders.
• Oversee day-to-day financial operations and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Manage bank reconciliations, VAT accounting and financial records.
• Line manage the Finance Officer.
• Oversee purchasing, supplier payments and procurement.
• Monitor payroll and overtime processing.
• Ensure grants and SEN funding are claimed on time.
• Prepare financial documentation for audits and Finance Committee.
• Oversee income, debt collection, lettings and trip finances.
• Identify opportunities to improve financial systems and value for money.

Skills

Financial management

Budgeting

Forecasting

Staff supervision

Financial reporting

Regulatory compliance

Communication skills

Problem solving

Education

AAT

SBM Diploma

Equivalent experience

Tools

FMS

SIMS

ParentPay

VAT accounting

Job description

Senior Finance Officer

Secondary School - East London

We are currently recruiting an experienced Senior Finance Officer to join a busy secondary school in East London. This is an excellent opportunity for a finance professional with strong budgeting and financial management experience to play a key role in supporting the strategic and day-to-day financial operations of a school.

Working closely with the School Business Manager, you will oversee the school's financial administration, support budget planning and monitoring, and ensure that financial systems and procedures are operating effectively.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the School Business Manager with the preparation of annual budgets, financial forecasts and forward budget planning.

• Monitor expenditure against budgets, identifying and reporting any significant variances.

• Produce regular financial reports and provide budget updates to department budget holders.

• Oversee the day-to-day financial operations of the school, ensuring compliance with financial regulations.

• Manage bank account and credit card reconciliations, VAT accounting and financial records.

• Line manage and supervise the Finance Officer.

• Oversee purchasing, supplier payments, invoices, BACS payments and procurement processes.

• Monitor payroll, check pre-payroll reports and process overtime and additional hours.

• Ensure grants and SEN top-up funding are claimed accurately and on time.

• Prepare financial documentation for audits and Finance Committee meetings.

• Oversee school income, debt collection, lettings and financial administration relating to school trips.

• Identify opportunities to improve financial systems, controls and value for money.

The Ideal Candidate:

• Holds a relevant finance qualification such as AAT, SBM Diploma or equivalent experience.

• Has previous experience in financial management, budgeting and financial administration.

• Ideally has experience working within a school or academy trust.

• Has experience supervising or managing staff.

• Has a good understanding of school financial procedures and regulations.

• Is confident using financial and administrative software, ideally FMS, SIMS and ParentPay.

• Has excellent numerical, organisational and analytical skills.

• Can produce accurate financial reports, returns and budget forecasts.

• Has strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• Can work independently, solve complex problems and remain calm under pressure.

Position Details:

• Job Title: Senior Finance Officer

• Location: East London

• Hours: 36 hours per week

• Weeks: 39 weeks per year (term time plus INSET days)

• Department: Finance

• Reporting to: School Business Manager

Why Apply?

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a supportive secondary school in a senior finance position, taking responsibility for key financial processes while contributing to the effective management and future planning of the school's resources.