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Finance Business Partner

Wishford Education (Group) Limited SN13 0ES

 

Finance Business Partner

OVERVIEW

Working within the central finance team, the Accountant will be the Finance Business Partner for a number of schools within the group, with ownership of termly billing process, overview of transaction processing and responsible for all reporting into the group consolidations.

Responsibilities include:

  • Management
  • Business Partnering including Sales, Purchase, and Nominal Ledgers
  • New Acquisition Support

Responsible to: Finance Director and Head of Financial Operations

Hours, Salary & Benefits:

Hours: Based at the group’s Support Office in Corsham, Wiltshire with regular travel to schools, this is a part-time (32 hours per week), year-round role.

Flexible working arrangements can be discussed at application and interview.

Salary: £50,000 – £55,000 FTE

Benefits:

  • 5% employer pension
  • EV scheme with Octopus
  • Cycle to work scheme and shopping discounts
  • Means tested staff discount
  • Pro rota paid holiday + bank holidays pa
  • Access to the group’s counselling scheme
  • Access to fully funded apprenticeships, up to L7
  • Discretionary Christmas stand down
  • Personal accident at work cover
  • Flexible working patterns, with remote/hybrid working available

Job Description:

Management:

  • To deputise for the Head of Financial Operations in her absence.
  • To manage the finance assistants and ensure that they follow the finance procedures and complete the tasks required on a timely basis.

Business Partnering:

Be the allocated Finance Business Partner, working with the school Heads and School Business Managers, responsible for school financial management which includes:

Sales Ledger

  • To oversee that the billing timetable and processes are adhered to for allocated schools.
  • Prepare/review fees and fee illustrations and relevant correspondence prior to communication with parents.
  • Oversee confirmation of all eligibility funding codes and ensure parents are sent timely communication regarding codes close to eligibility end date.
  • Review debtor balances on a regular basis and ensure that appropriate action is in place to collect overdue fees.
  • Oversee all sales ledger postings to ensure they are made to the correct nominal codes and these are consistent across the group.

Purchase Ledger:

  • Oversee that the purchase order procedure is being followed
  • Review payment runs and authorise in line with delegated authorities.
  • Oversee all purchase ledger postings to ensure they are made to the correct nominal codes and these are consistent across the group.

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Nominal Ledger:

  • Review the daily bank reconciliations.
  • Prepare monthly management accounts including comparative data and explanation of variances.
  • Produce reforecasts for the full year outturn throughout the year, providing narrative to movements and assumptions.
  • Produce monthly balance sheet reconciliations.
  • Prepare and process journals as required to ensure the management accounts properly reflect the trading position of the group.
  • Oversee the finances of development projects if relevant.
  • Manage the fixed asset register for each school.

New acquisition support:

  • Support the Head of Financial Operations with the integration of new acquisitions into the group where applicable to your allocated schools/region.
  • Support the implementation of new processes and systems, to include testing, data cleansing, data migration and training.
  • Work with staff in school to ensure early adoption of finance processes

Other:

  • Provide requirements for external auditors annually
  • Support the VAT lead with preparation of the VAT return
  • Support the Head of Financial Operations and Finance Director with ad hoc analysis and to make changes to working methods to reflect legislative and other changes.

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­Person Specification:

The successful candidate will have the following qualities:

  • Honesty and integrity
  • Ambition, energy, enthusiasm and commitment.
  • A positive can-do attitude and willingness to be hands-on.
  • Excellent communication skills and ability to build relationships.
  • A desire to achieve the very highest standards in everything they do.

The successful candidate will have the following skills and experience:

Essential:

  • A qualified accountant
  • An ability to work under pressure, achieving a high level of accuracy and with an eye for detail
  • Excellent time-management and task-management skills
  • A good knowledge of excel and experience of working with finance systems
  • Proven experience of working both independently and as part of a team.

Desirable:

  • Experience and knowledge of VAT
  • Experience within a school or the education sector

Full details can be found in the job description.

To apply, please fill in The Group’s Application Form, and email it to HR@wishford.co.uk.

You can also apply via TES – link here.

Application Form

Candidate Pack

Location

Wishford Schools (Group) Limited
25-27 High Street
Corsham
Wiltshire
SN13 0ES

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