Finance Business Partner

Wishford Education (Group) LimitedSN13 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.

• EV scheme with Octopus
• Cycle to work scheme and shopping discounts
• Means tested staff discount
• 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:

• 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.
• 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.

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.

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:

• 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.
• 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 .

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