Finance Business Partner

As a Finance Business Partner, you will play a crucial role in supporting budget holders in their financial and strategic decision making in this Education partnership organisation. Working within the central finance team you will be an qualified accountant with significant similar experience in a Finance Business Partner role. You will be responsible for the month end reporting cycle, periodic forecasting and yearly budget setting. You will help translate financial information into insightful commentaries, and provide input into bench-marking, dash-boarding and financial modelling.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the Academy monthly financial reporting & Financial guidance and support to senior management and budget holders. Challenging and supporting senior management in managing spend on a portfolio basis. Recognising potential risk and opportunities and identifying solutions to manage them
• Leading the monthly management accounts to identity and address any areas of over / under spend, in partnership with Headteachers and Executive Headteachers. Presenting financial information to Senior Management Teams on a regular basis. Communicating complex financial issues to internal and external stakeholders, enabling individuals with little financial knowledge to understand key messages.
• Providing sound financial advice and management to ensure that the financial implications have been properly considered, are affordable and recommendations reflect good Value for Money. Leading on financial planning and forecasting exercises, supporting and providing constructive challenge to business areas when identifying their funding requirements in-year and going forward. This will include working on significant fiscal events such as Spending Reviews.
• Reviewing the monthly management accounts to identity and address any areas of over / under spend, in partnership with Headteachers and Executive Headteachers and Managing the annual budget setting and forecasting process for the designated schools, ensuring assumptions are sound, prudent and in line with Trust guidelines
• Support with balance sheet, control accounts and cash flow management. Review and authorisation of Academy BACS runs along with the Head Teacher. Review of monthly credit card and petty cash reconciliations & review and manage of aged debtors and creditor reports and support finance officers in clearing balances
• Review and manage of payroll reports and highlight significant variations to budget to the Head Teacher, updated monthly the budgeting software IMP with staff changes/forecast and Assisting with the Teachers' Pension reconciliations, annual reporting and audit
• Assisting with the financial risk to be captured in the Academy's risk register if needed & Managing all internal and external financial audit processes 18. Ensuring all DfE/ LA financial claims are made on behalf of the Academy
• Working with Academy SENCO to ensure all the required funding is duly claimed, including LAC funding. Working with Academy budget holders to ensure reporting forecasts are accurate. Assisting with Finance Officer recruitment, support and training & Help with Academy contracts register review. Termly fixed asset verifications
• Provide finance training from Head Teachers to staff in schools that have financial responsibility. Support with costing analysis and budgetary sign-off needed for new contract negotiation. Ensuring that Head Teacher/ Senior Leaders have a detailed and effective continuous training programme.
• Attend and present management accounts at governors meetings on a termly basis plus any ad-hoc tasks that fall under the FBP remit. Work closely with SFBP to ensure we run efficient and effective systems of reporting & review all income to ensure we have explore all revenue opportunities including lettings
• Review all costs with the aim of driving deficiencies and cost saving initiatives. Support the CFO with varies ad hoc requests. Support the year-end audit process including reporting to the DfE People management

The post will have line management responsibilities, and the FBP will have oversight of school based staff carrying out finance duties and will be responsible for ensuring these activities are carried out in line with the Trust's Scheme of Financial Delegation. General. Providing proactive and sound financial advice to school leaders and governors, and ensuring financial training and development needs are identified and appropriate training delivered. Working closely with the central transactional team to ensure all financial activity for the designated schools is processed on a timely and accurate basis. Ensuring all activities are carried out in line with the Trust's Scheme of Financial Delegation and DfE's Academies Financial Handbook. Keeping abreast of funding, legislative and other changes in the Educational environment and ensuring the Headteachers and Local Governing Board remain fully informed. Providing support to the Chief Finance Officer and Financial Controller.

Morgan Hunt is a multi-award-winning recruitment business for interim, contract and temporary recruitment and acts as an Employment Agency in relation to permanent vacancies. Morgan Hunt is an equal opportunities employer. Job suitability is assessed on merit in accordance with the individual's skills, qualifications and abilities to perform the relevant duties required in a particular role.