Trust Accountant (Primary Link & Teaching school)

JOB PURPOSE

 To ensure the CFO, Head of Finance, individual school leaders, and Trustees are kept informed of financial performance of their schools to which you are allocated through regular analysis and reporting of monthly management accounts. 

 Assist the Trust Head of Finance in budget and forecasting process to ensure that your individual school’s budgets designed to facilitate Trust and School Leaders plans for school improvement

 To monitor the quality of trust financial records and reconciliations are completed.

 To be responsible to the Trust Head of Finance from whom they will receive formal supervision and who will allocate work when necessary. 

 Taking the lead on VAT returns and other returns to HMRC, and any other pension or other returns that are necessary from time to time.

 The post holder will be expected to work within established procedures and guidelines and to prioritise day-to-day work. May from time to time be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility defined in this job description.

 Contribute to the production of any report to the Trust Board as required.

MONITORING FINANCE TEAMS

Under the direction of the Trust Head of Finance:

 Review of your school’s management accounts, liaising with finance staff to ensure month end timetable is adhered to, and explanations provided to support financial data;

 Support and identify breaches of internal controls within your schools, including liaison with the auditors and overseeing implementation of recommendations

 Monitoring your academies adherences to budgets, and challenging academy finance staff on variances and outliers;

 Implement and monitor the delivery of documentation and guidance for your academies finance staff covering:

o Month end close down processes

o Month end management accounts reporting

o Common chart of accounts

o General financial procedures for academies to comply with the Academies Financial Handbook

o Internal controls within individual academies and across the Trust

o Accounts timetable and data requirements

o Other data requests to support Trustees

SUPPORTING TRUST SCHOOLS

 Support your allocated school leaders to identify cost-savings, efficiencies and other financial improvements

 Providing advice on finance-related issues, including reporting and procurement. This will include supporting the generation of procurement savings

 Collate, assess and report on financial benchmarking data across the Trust and, where appropriate, to compare with other academies.

 Building a relationship with your academy school lead and working with the Trust Head of Finance to hold them accountable for delivery within their agreed budgets.

OTHER

 To work under supervision to the mandatory guidelines within the Academies Financial Handbook and the Trust Financial Procedures 

 To use the trusts financial packages, currently Sage for the management of the Trust accounts and HCSS budgeting software for the recording and calculation of the Trust and individual school’s budgets. 

 Develop constructive relationships and communicate with other agencies/professionals

 Attend and participate in regular meetings sharing experience and skills with others 

 To support/assist the supervision of Trust Finance staff and individuals based at schools. 

SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES

 Clear strategic thinking and the ability to see initiatives through to the end

 Good project management and administration skills

 Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels

 Proficiency in data manipulation and presentation

 Collaborative and responsible

 Self-starter

 Self-organised

 Can act with integrity, openness, and authority

 Flexible hands-on approach

EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING

• Qualified accountant

• Previous experience in education an advantage

• Experience of operating and managing accounting systems

• Experience of consolidating financial data an advantage

• Experience of management reporting, forecasting and budgeting

• Evidence of successful implementation of new systems and structure

ADDITIONAL FACTORS

• This role supports flexible working, and requires mobility between academies

• A pro-active and self-motivated approach

• Customer focused, can-do attitude

• A professional and friendly disposition

• Ability to maintain confidentiality

• Ability to remain impartial

• An openness to learning and change

• Ability to travel to meetings.

LOCATION, LINE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE & RESPONSIBILITES

Your direct line manager will be the Trust Head of Finance and your line reports will be finance staff within your academies.  Your working base will be the Central Trust Office, but you will be expected to move around your academies on a rotational basis, or as required.