Strategic Finance & Operations Lead – Multi-School

Kirklees Council; Wakefield; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Kirklees Council are advertising this role on behalf of Enhance Academy Trust. The post holder will lead financial planning and management across up to seven schools, guiding budgeting, cashflow, and reporting to the LAB and Trust board.

Responsibilities include annual and multi-year financial planning, payroll and HR cost oversight, governance, and ensuring value for money across the Trust’s resources, with close collaboration with senior leaders and external funding bodies.

Responsibilities

• The ordering, processing and payment of all goods and services provided to the school
• The operation of all accounts, ensuring a full reconciliation is undertaken at least once a month
• Maintaining an assets and risk register
• Work with Senior Leaders to develop a strategic plan for the staff and resources using Integrated Curriculum Financial Planning
• Preparation of monthly management accounts to monitor and maintain the budget and forecast figures for the school’s allocated using the Trust’s budgeting software
• Responsible for a three-year financial plan for the academy (five-year, on request) and as part of this exercise prepare the annual budgets which support the financial plan
• Meet regularly with the Senior Leaders to discuss monthly management accounts reports
• Liaise with funding agencies to identify and source additional funding and identify potential funding opportunities, agencies or government initiatives to ensure income generation from both diverse and obvious sources
• Prepare financial reports, estimates and completion of financial returns as required by the Trust Board, CEO, CFO, Senior Leaders, Local Academy Board (LAB), Department for Education, Companies House and HM Customs and Excise
• Ensure the effective operation of financial controls and ensure they receive value for money for all expenditures
• Review a rolling 12-month cash flow forecast, identifying any concerns and ensuring they are raised to the Trust Finance & Operations Manager at the earliest opportunity
• Work with the Trust Finance & Operations Manager to manage and monitor internal recharges between the schools’ and Central budget, ensuring that costs are recharged on a timely basis
• Attend all relevant Trust and Local Academy Board (LAB) Meetings and ensure they are all given the necessary information, both at the meeting and in advance, to discharge their duties effectively
• Work with key finance staff and the Trust internal and external auditors to support the audit requirements, ensuring that information is timely and accurate
• Have an awareness of potential fraudulent activities on the school’s bank accounts ensuring that all relevant colleagues have access to webinars and/or online training for fraud or trending financial subjects
• Adhere to Trust procurement processes, assisting with management of tenders where appropriate, working collaboratively with the Trust Finance & Operations Manager

Skills

Financial management

Budgeting

Forecasting

Governance

Auditing

Stakeholder liaison

Job description

Kirklees Council are advertising this role on behalf of Enhance Academy Trust. The post holder will lead financial planning and management across up to seven schools, guiding budgeting, cashflow, and reporting to the LAB and Trust board.

Responsibilities include annual and multi-year financial planning, payroll and HR cost oversight, governance, and ensuring value for money across the Trust’s resources, with close collaboration with senior leaders and external funding bodies.