Senior Finance Manager

We are hiring for two Senior Finance Manager positions within our North London region who will manage different clusters of four schools each within the region, Further details about the clusters of schools will be discussed in more detail during the interview stage.

As Senior Finance Manager (SFM), you will play a key role in upholding high standards of financial integrity across the cluster academies. This is an exciting opportunity to join Ark Schools’ Regional Finance team, supporting academies in West London.

In this role, you will deliver a high-quality financial service to the schools you support, working closely with the Regional Finance Director, as well as the Principals and Operations Leads at each of the four academies.

You will manage the monthly financial processes, ensuring compliance, accuracy and timeliness, leading financial planning and partnering with the principal and other senior staff to ensure effective strategic decision making.

The Senior Finance Manager will report into the Regional Finance Director. This role is currently operating in the North London region on a permanent basis working full time.

1^st round interviews will be taking place virtually between 11^th – 13^th August with 2^nd round interviews taking place in person on the 18^th or 19^th August.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure support and communications are consistent across the cluster, diarising regular meetings with Principals and Operations Leads, thus promoting excellent working relationships
• Take responsibility for and line management of Finance Manager(s) and Finance Assistants/Officers/Apprentice, including arranging appropriate training and development across the cluster, conducting induction, probation and performance management reviews and identifying succession plans where the opportunity arises
• Support the RFD and school Operations Leads to ensure goods and services are processed in compliance with current and relevant procurement legislation
• Be pro-active in identifying and pursuing income generating activities across the cluster
• Drive forward change and initiatives which promote regularity, propriety, value for money and best standards
• Share best practice across the region, promoting a positive environment and delivering training on new initiatives
• Work closely with school Principals and Operations Leads across the cluster to ensure financial information is up to date and available for review
• Take responsibility for the academies’ financial accounting procedures, ensuring financial handbooks are kept up to date and all policies and procedures are adhered to across the cluster, ensuring a clear direction of responsibility for finance managers
• Ensure financial filing systems and records are continually updated and appropriate evidence of financial controls are always available for audit

Key Requirements:

• Qualified/part-qualified accountant (ACCA or CIMA) or qualified by experience
• Right to work in the UK
• Experience of running effective administrative and financial systems, ideally within a school environment
• Experience of working across several financial institutions or multiple projects, managing conflicting priorities
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office

• 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
  
• 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

Ark is an education charity that exists to make sure that all children, regardless of their background, have access to a great education and real choices in life. Our network of 39 schools reaches traditionally underserved communities in Birmingham, Hastings, London and Portsmouth. We educate 30,000 pupils and have nearly 3,000 teaching staff across our network. We also incubate and scale innovative ventures, which we roll out beyond our network of schools for the benefit of teachers, pupils and the education system as a whole. Current Ventures include Ark Curriculum Plus, which equips teachers with the subject expertise needed to ensure students succeed, and Ark Start, a growing chain of nurseries offering affordable, high-quality early years education.

Recently, Ark moved to new offices at EdCity – a unique not-for-profit development in West London, in partnership with Hammersmith & Fulham council. EdCity is designed to bring mission-aligned organisations together to focus on improving the lives of children, especially through education. It offers leased offices, a range of venues for training and events, and an innovation hub for the education sector to connect, collaborate and learn together.