We are looking to recruit a Group Finance Manager to work in our Head Office in Loughton, Essex to a group of four private schools. The role will include the management of the Accounts Department, which has two Group Accounts Administrators.
Main Purpose of the Role
The Group Finance Manager will prepare the regular management accounts and monthly management information as needed by the business, such as rolling cash flow forecasting. They will also be able to assist with general accounts matters including the preparation of the accounts ready for the external auditors and support the Group Accounts Administrators with the purchase/sales ledgers.
Conditions of the Role
This is a full time position with the ‘core’ hours of 8am until 4.45pm daily at the Head Office building in Loughton. The role comes with a starting salary of £48kpa and holiday entitlement of 25 days + bank holidays. The successful candidate should be able to start as soon as possible.
Specific Duties and Responsibilities:
Management Accounts:
* To use Sage Accounts to its fullest extent for all postings, journals and reports.
* To oversee financial accounting activities and ensure that ledgers accurately reflect money coming in and out of the company.
* To coordinate the preparation of management accounts and monthly reports including accruals, deferrals and prepayments.
* To prepare and review regular profit and loss statements and balance sheet reconciliations, and provide detailed analyses of results.
* To provide oversight and management of the Capex expenditure and provide regular updates to the Director.
* To reconcile intercompany financial movements, prepayments and accruals.
* To monitor and maintain the Group’s fixed assets registers.
* To reconcile inter-company transactions.
Cash flow Forecasting:
* To manage the rolling cash flow forecasts and prepare monthly cash flow reports, KPIs and budgets.
* To monitor all accounts and report monthly to the Director on company performance and key trends.
* To support the management team in analysing, understanding and interpreting the operational and financial performance of the business.
* To forecast all overhead costs.
* To produce financial reports that provide insight for effective decision making.
General Accountancy:
* To liaise with key stakeholders including accountants, bankers and HMRC.
* To work alongside the Accounts Administrators to ensure accuracy of postings and underlying financial data.
* To assist the Group Bursar with the administration of the Group Pension Scheme.
* To assist the Accounts Administrators with the reconciliation of the monthly bank statements and posting to Sage.
* To support the Accounts Administrators with the purchase ledger, including posting to Sage and implementing regular BACS runs.
* To monitor the Barclaycard and Amex transactions to check for changes in charges.
School Fees Administration (Sales Ledger):
* To support the Accounts Administrators with the administration of all fee invoices and schedules, including:
* To log the receipt of all fees deposits for prospective pupils and maintenance of records on the Engage database for future reference.
* To check that all fees, fee adjustments and charges both in advance and arrears are correctly entered against each pupil at the four schools.
* To ensure that information is inputted onto the Engage database where necessary.
* To liaise with the School Offices about chargeable activities such as clubs, peripatetic music or SEN support and providing this information in a timely fashion for inclusion in fee invoices.
* To help despatch invoices for all pupils at the four schools electronically to the agreed timescale.
* To help handle parental queries on invoices, including the generating of duplicate invoices.
Credit Control Administration:
* To support the Accounts Administrators and Group Bursar with the collection of fees, including:
* To process payments by Credit/Debit Card when requested by parents by telephone, on line or in person.
* To send fees reminder emails and/or texts at the end of the first week of each term as required.
* To telephone parents who still have unauthorised late fees by the end of the second week of each term.
* To chase fee payments at all other times as necessary by telephone and/or email.
* To chase club payments for pupils who have left.
* To track payments received and update fees spreadsheets daily.
* To create a diary system for the chasing of regular monthly payments and keep aged debtor reports up-to-date.
* To report to the Group Bursar if the collection of fees from any family becomes a concern.
School Trips/Workshops
* To support the Group Bursar with the monitoring of school trips/workshops, including:
* To check the costings forwarded by the schools are accurate.
* To ensure the outgoings are covered by amounts charged.
* To ensure that productions are covered in the same way.
* To ensure that functions e.g. Year 11 Prom are covered in the same way.
School Budgets
* To support the Group Bursar with the monitoring and assessing of school budgets, including:
* To check the usage of each area of the budget.
* To assess the need of purchases with the Group Bursar.
* To summarise the overall spend and feed back to the Director.
Financial Conduct Authority
* To support the Group Bursar with reporting to the Financial Conduct Authority, including:
* To liaise with School Fee Plan as an appointed agent.
Preparation of Salaries
* To support the Group Bursar with the monthly salaries.
* To collate claim forms and apply them to the monthly salaries for each member of staff.
* To monitor and apply any salary changes.
* To calculate any changes in deductions/additions for the month.
* To calculate any changes in pensions.
* To diarise and apply any future changes to monthly salaries.
* To work with the Group Bursar on the day of applying the salaries to ensure all changes are applied.
* To record sickness absence and monitor when any member of staff goes over their limit.
* To keep an accurate record of current staff and their rates of pay.
* To help with the annual salary review where necessary.
Fees Review
* To support the Group Bursar and Director with the annual fees review.
VAT Returns
* To produce accurate VAT records and submit monthly VAT Returns within HMRC expected timeframes.
* To keep accurate records of VAT due to be applied to school fees and reasons for any exemptions.
* To ensure that all VAT reclaimable from HMRC is reconciled and claimed in a timely manner.
* To ensure that any VAT due to be paid to HMRC is paid in a timely manner in accordance with HMRC rules.
General Duties:
* To undertake a variety of general administrative tasks.
* To answer the telephones in a personable and welcoming manner and handle queries.
* To deal with incoming correspondence and e-mails.
* To deal with general enquiries by telephone, email and in person.
* To record and file information when necessary, always in strict confidence.
* To maintain the highest level of confidentiality and discretion at all times.
* To promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice.
* To comply with local authority Safeguarding Procedures.
* To follow Health and Safety procedures.
* To follow the Schools’ Data Protection Policies.
The Group Finance Manager should also be prepared to undertake other such specific duties that may be assigned by the Group Management Team from time to time.
Person Specification
The role involves responsibility for day-to-day finance, monthly management accounts, annual reporting cycle including annual reports and ad-hoc project work.
Essential:
* ACA/ACCA or equivalent fully qualified or near-fully qualified.
* Extensive knowledge of local laws, taxes, licenses, finance and accounting practices, and procedures.
* Several years’ experience in a finance environment working with management accounts.
* Experience within a fast paced and innovative environment.
* Advanced knowledge of Sage Accounts.
* Advanced MS Excel skills.
* Ability to analyse data and prepare comprehensive and accessible reports.
* Strong oral and written communication skills.
* Exceptional financial and analytical skills
* Excellent level of attention to detail.
* Understanding of data privacy requirements.
* Clear demonstration of honesty, integrity, reliability and confidentiality.
* The ability to set clear goals and align job objectives to the requirements of the business.
* The ability to prioritise own workload and multitask.
* The ability to support colleagues by responding effectively and efficiently to requests for help & information.
* Flexibility to work extra hours at peak times.
Desirable:
* Proven leadership skills.
* Accounting/finance degree.
* Previous experience working with credit control.
The Role Comes With:
* Competitive Annual Salary
* 25 days’ annual leave + bank holidays in addition.
* Free parking.
* Free eye test.
* Free tea/coffee and lunches!
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £48,000.00 per year
Benefits:
* Company pension
* Cycle to work scheme
* Discounted or free food
* On-site parking
* Sick pay
Schedule:
* 8 hour shift
* Day shift
* Monday to Friday
Education:
* A-Level or equivalent (required)
Experience:
* Account management: 3 years (required)
Licence/Certification:
* AAT or ACCA (preferred)
Work Location: In person
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