Chief Financial Officer

The Chief Financial Officer is responsible to the Governors and Head for the financial and support aspect of the School. He/she supports the Governing Body of the School and acts as Clerk to the Governors for the purpose of governance and compliance with all regulatory and statutory requirements. Working with the Heads as a member of the School Leadership Team, he/she is responsible for ensuring that the highest quality is maintained in all support matters, contributing to the smooth and efficient running of the school.

The CFO is responsible for:

• Overall control and accounting for the School’s financial resources
• Managing the support functions of the School
• Overseeing the management of the maintenance of the School estate, catering and domestic services, HR function and ICT systems to support the work of the School
• Ensuring that the School meets its legal and statutory obligations including corporate

The CFO has general responsibility for all financial matters including:

• The accounting system and financial processes, including the systems of internal control and authorisation
• Preparation of all Financial Statements (periodic and annual) and financial planning information
• Setting and agreeing budgets with budget holders and controlling expenditure
• Preparing plans for capital expenditure and having overall financial control of capital projects
• Monitoring the financial and business performance of the School against agreed financial projections, targets and KPIs
• Overseeing the collection of school fees and associated charges and other incomes
• Lead on all aspects of risk management and control, including maintaining adequate and effective insurance and risk assurance for the School

Line Management:

The CFO reports to the Head and is accountable to all governors, but with particular responsibility to support the Chair of Finance.

The CFO line-manages:

• Director of Digital Innovation and Systems
• Estates Manager
• Director of OWBA and Foundation
• Catering Manager
• Finance Manager
• HR Manager

Financial Management and Planning

• Governance, Data Protection and Health and Safety
• Acting as Clerk to the Governors and Secretary to all Governor committees
• Managing the commercial activities of the School

 Property and Grounds

Day to day aspects of the management of the maintenance and upkeep of the estate are delegated to the Estates Manager. The CFO is responsible overall for the maintenance and development of the physical resources, buildings and grounds of the School, overseeing and monitoring:

• The work of the Estates Manager and his/her managers in providing the maintenance of the safety and security of the School campus
• The maintenance of all buildings and equipment
• Upkeep of all playing fields, playing surfaces and the grounds
• Lead on the planning and construction of new buildings, drawing up outline specifications, obtaining tenders, planning permission, liaising with contractors and acting as the Project Manager for the Governors
• General fire safety and the installation and maintenance of suitable equipment for protection and escape from fire
• The safe and effective operation and maintenance of the School’s vehicular fleet

Catering and Domestic

• Working closely with the Estates Manager and the managers of the catering and domestic operations, the CFO is responsible for overseeing and monitoring:
• The delivery of high-quality catering for pupils, staff and guests on a day-to-day basis as well as special events
• The provision of a good standard of housekeeping services in all parts of the School

Health and Safety

The CFO is responsible for ensuring the compliance with all requirements of Health and Safety regulations through formulation of suitable procedures, and the monitoring and implementation of the School’s policy through the work of the Estates Manager.

Legal and Human Resources

The CFO is responsible for all employment law matters of the School, overseeing the work of the HR Manager in the many aspects of personnel management, including recruitment, contracts, disciplinary, pay, pensions and regulatory requirement of safeguarding.

 ICT

The CFO oversees the work of the Director of Digital Innovation and Systems for the provision of the School’s ICT infrastructure and resources, ensuring they are fit for purpose and operate correctly.

Commercial Activities

The CFO is responsible for the management of the commercial activities of the School including:

• Overseeing the letting of the School’s facilities
• Supervising the activities of the School’s trading companies – WBS Enterprises and WB International.

Clerk to the Governors

As the Clerk to the Governors, the CFO will be Company Secretary and is responsible for:

• Ensuring that the Governors are aware of and carry out their duties with regard to the School’s compliance with legislation and guidance
• Planning for all meetings of Governors and sub-committees
• Supporting the work of the Governors as required by the Chairman.

THE PERSON SPECIFICATION

The successful candidate should have some or all of the following qualifications, experience and characteristics:

• Academic/professional qualification to degree level
• Significant financial management experience and expertise
• Well-developed and proven interpersonal skills
• Experience of leading and developing staff
• Tact, diplomacy and impartial judgement
• Integrity, discretion, reliability and commitment
• Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and respond to unplanned situations
• Good ICT literacy and presentational skills
• Attention to detail and commitment to quality
• Sensitivity to the aims of independent education and the ethos of the School
• Personal attributes that help to enhance the reputation of the School
• A commitment to promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children

The following would be an advantage:

• A relevant further degree in business administration and/or finance
• Experience of the management and development of buildings and facilities