We're delighted to be working with an Education organisation based in Central London who are seeking a Deputy Director of Finance to work alongside this prestigious organisation. Working directly with the Group Finance Director, you will be responsible for management and financial accounting, accompanying and leading a direct team of 6 heads and indirectly 17 heads.

Education experience is highly beneficial for this role, as is people management. The organisation is currently undergoing large-scale transformation and restructure and as such, uncertainty will be natural among employees so a strong people-leader and manager is critical for the success of this role.

This is a permanent opportunity offering between £60,000-£70,000 per annum.

Key skillsets required as below:

Managing the Financial and Management Accounts functions for the Group by -

• Overall responsibility for the delivery of monthly management accounts, the production of monthly and annual cashflow analysis.

• Running the month end and year end processes, producing the annual statutory accounts working with External auditors to meet deadlines.

• Ensuring effective Tax accounting, in particular VAT and Corporation Tax.

• Deputising for the Group Director of Finance, to include meeting with the Senior Management Team and the Board of Governors as required.

• Effective leadership of the Financial and Management Accounting teams, to provide outstanding financial management and support.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Managing Strategy:

• As part of the management team, to contribute to the overall strategic development.

• Ensure a culture of continuous improvement, identifying ways to drive efficiency through redesign and development of financial processes.

• Promote strong relationships with teams across the organisation to ensure the delivery and improvement of the finance function to further enhance internal and external reporting.
• Act as operational finance lead on cross-functional improvement projects.

• Promote effective working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders including External Auditors and Bankers.

2. Managing Operations:

• Lead the team responsible for the delivery of monthly management accounts.

• Responsible for understanding all income streams and maintaining reconciliations for all income streams, identifying monthly adjustments required to accurately record this income within the management accounts.

• Lead the team responsible to assist in all aspects of the budgeting and planning processes under the direction of the Group Director Finance.

• Lead the budget monitoring and forecasting process with all budget holders within the agreed framework, ensuring effective budget meetings with all budget holders.

• To review, collate and advise of the business plans produced by budget holders, supporting managers in the preparation of budgets.

• Ensure delegation limits are clearly understood and these are maintained and reflected within annual budgets.

• Ensure that the Finance Team have a clear understanding of the current and developing funding body rules on finance the proper use of funds and student eligibility, addressing their impact upon the operations of the financial and commercial aspects of the management and taking the necessary actions to ensure adherence.

• Management of the balance sheet, including reporting against budget/forecast, and completion of relevant control procedures such as balance sheet reconciliations.

• Ensure the smooth, well-controlled and timely delivery of month end and year end close, working across the Finance team to develop and improve this in line with best-practice.

• Overall responsibility for maintaining the Fixed Asset registers, posting of depreciation and reconciliation to Open Accounts.

• Overall responsibility for reconciling all Balance Sheet and College Bank accounts.

• Ensuring compliance with Tax legislation and timely submission of VAT and Corporation Tax returns.

• Ensure year-end and month end close down is maintained in Open Accounts. Ensuring the nominal ledger is maintained to sufficient accuracy and with sufficient timeliness to support the management accounts team.

• Lead on the production of the year end accounts for the business and its subsidiaries.

• Overall responsibility for the collation of the required Audit Documentation, managing the day to day inter-action with the on-site audit team and ensuring that audit queries and requests are answered in a timely manner.

For a full job description or to find out more, please email phil.dewhurst@inventum-group.com

Inventum Group is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.