Regional Finance Manager

Reports to: Senior Finance Manager

Location: Ark Greenwich Free School, part of the Ark Schools South London region

Contract: 1-year Fixed Term Contract (maternity cover)

Pattern: Full Time (37.5 hours per week/ standard hours 9am – 5.30pm) 

Interviews: Interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised

Salary: £38,000 to £45,000 (depending on experience and qualifications) 

About the role:

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity where you can be part of a strong team?  Do you have a passion for finance processes and embedding best practice?  Do you have a head for numbers?  If so, this might just be the perfect role for you!

This is an exciting opportunity to join Ark Schools’ Regional finance team, supporting Ark’s secondary academies in South London.

As Regional Finance Manager your role is an integral part of the schools in the region, responsible for ensuring high standards of financial integrity. Based in Ark Greenwich Free School, you will manage the monthly financial processes, ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Academies Financial Handbook, leading financial planning and partnering with the Principal and other senior staff to ensure effective strategic decision making.

Key Responsibilities:  

• Responsibility for delivery of a high quality finance service to the school
• Ensure timely production and issue of financial reports, cash flow forecasts and returns as required, including ad hoc review and projects
• Prepare the annual budget and reforecasts for approval by Ark Schools’ Risk and Audit Committee
• Take responsibility for and line management of the school’s finance support staff, including arranging appropriate training and development, conducting induction, probation and performance management reviews
• Support the school Operations Lead to ensure goods and services are processed in compliance with current and relevant procurement legislation
• Partner with the Principal and other senior staff to ensure effective financial management, adherence to budget and strategic decision making
• Drive forward change and initiatives which promote regularity, propriety, value for money and best standards, and ensuring best practice is implemented across the region

Key Requirements:

• Experience of running effective administrative and financial systems, ideally within a school environment
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Excel and the wider MS Office suite
• High level of proficiency with PSF (accounting system), Concur (invoicing system) and HCSS (budgeting system) desirable
• Experience using financial databases and confidence and interest in learning new technologies
• Line management experience, desirable
• Understanding of relevant legislation, policies and procedures and the ability to apply this understanding to real situations
• Professional integrity and resilience, being resourceful and solution-oriented
• Knowledge and understanding of the education sector, desirable

Your duties in each school may vary slightly to support the current Finance team(s) in place.

View the full job description and person specification here

About Ark

We’re an international charity, transforming lives through education. We exist to give every young person, regardless of their background, a great education and real choices in life. In the UK, we’re a network of 39 schools, educating around 28,500 pupils in areas where we can make the biggest difference and we’re recognised as one of the highest achieving academy groups in the country. We want to change the lives of children everywhere, not just in our own schools. So, we create and incubate Ventures designed not only to help pupils in Ark schools, but also to improve education systems.

You’ll be joining a group of like-minded, ambitious individuals who work collaboratively and are all committed to our core mission, that every child has the potential to succeed. Having just celebrated our 20^th anniversary, we are shaping our goals for the next 20 and there has never been a more exciting time to join us.

Benefits

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years’ service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• A flexible approach to working with understanding and consideration for work life balance and personal commitments
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to. Depending on your role you may also be entitled to LGPS which is a defined benefit scheme where you contribute a percentage based on how much you earn (as do we) in exchange for a guaranteed amount in your pension pot every year
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests

How to Apply:

Apply with a CV and cover letter on our online recruitment portal. We will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this advert may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response.

This ATS application form should take no longer 20 minutes to complete. At any time, you can pause, save, and log back in. If you have any difficulty with meeting the deadline for application, please contact recruitment@arkonline.org

Interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised.

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.  

Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark’s safer recruitment process, please click this link.