Group Finance Manager

GROUP FINANCE MANAGER – STAMFORD PARK TRUST – Ashton-u-Lyne, Greater Manchester.

Permanent, full-time

Start: Negotiable, as soon as possible

Salary: up to £60,000 plus membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme. 

Relocation: A generous relocation allowance may be available where the employee’s new home is reasonably close to the workplace and the former home is not.

Working directly for the Chief Operating Officer (COO), the Group Finance Manager has overall responsibility for the finance teams and financial activities of the MAT, ensuring all financial systems, structures, budgeting, reporting, and funding claims made are accurate and of a high standard, meeting both the MAT’s requirements and all legal stipulations. You will provide strategic financial direction and input to the COO and the other members of our Executive team, manage the Finance and Payroll Team across our three academies, and ensure that legal and Trust reporting deadlines are always met, budgets are tracked and reported upon, funding sources are maximised, payroll is smoothly and accurately operated, and risk is both properly quantified and appropriately mitigated. The successful candidate will help shape our decisions with sound financial acumen.

Stamford Park Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust founded by Ashton Sixth Form College, an Outstanding 16-19 College in Tameside, Greater Manchester. In June 2020, the transfer to the Trust of two local 11-16 High Schools, Longdendale and Rayner Stephens, was approved by the Regional School Commissioner, and the two schools are now integrated into the MAT and firmly established on their improvement trajectories.

We are looking for a qualified accountant, ideally with experience in education OR the charitable sector OR the public sector; someone with high levels of technical competence and the personal skills to communicate complexity clearly. The Trust’s finances are robust, and we are seeking a capable Finance Manager/ Finance Director to provide the professional direction and leadership of our teams working on finance, payroll, risk management, and procurement, and to ensure the Trust remains within budget, generating appropriate surpluses, and complying with its reporting requirements. 

Stamford Park Trust and our Academies are situated in Tameside, close to the M67, with a direct commute from much of the North West, Manchester, Bolton, Bury, Stockport, Oldham, Warrington, Rochdale, Merseyside and the towns and cities of North Derbyshire, South and West Yorkshire. 

The role will suit:

• A qualified accountant (with a recognised accountancy qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CIPFA or CIMA) who has a thorough understanding of financial policies and procedures.
• Someone with a good track record of working at a senior level in Finance, ideally (but not essentially) in Education, OR a similar sector e.g., Charity, Local Authority, the NHS, the Prison Service, Private Hospitals, Hotels etc.
• Someone with excellent communication skills.

We would like the successful applicant to take up post as soon as possible, but we understand that we will need to be flexible, to meet your notice requirements.

There is, of course, no requirement that you are a teacher.

Potential candidates are very welcome to contact our advisers ASDTi on 07736 775776 to arrange a visit to the Trust.

Stamford Park Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check.

Further details and a full application pack are available from our advisers ASDTi by visiting and downloading from www.sptgfm.co.uk by e-mailing gm@asdti.eu or by call ing 07736 775776. Please note, however, that (in common with most UK Schools and Colleges) we do not accept CVs.

ASDTi are available, on our behalf, during evenings and weekends as well and would be pleased to discuss your application, career, or relocation expectations.

Closing date for applications: 30th June 2022, at 8pm, by e-mail to gm@asdti.eu  

Interviews will most likely be held during week commencing 4th July 2022.