MP FinanceBright Tribe

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finance Director
Stockport
Competitive package to attract the best

 

This is an exceptional opportunity for an ambitious, enthusiastic and commercially focused Finance Director to join the Bright Tribe team.

The role of Finance Director will provide strategic direction, vision and clarity for finance teams working across the Trust. It will also involve working with your team to support and embed new academies joining the Trust.

Details about the Client

Bright Tribe is a non-profit making, multi-academy trust with charitable status based in Stockport. Combined with its sister trust, Adventure Learning Academy Trust, it manages 12 schools across the country (Suffolk, Essex, Cornwall, Cumbria and Greater Manchester) with a turnover of circa £30m and has plans to expand further in to the North East.

Bright Tribe bring together the best from the field of education and the commercial world to create a professional environment focused on educational performance and on enhancing the potential of the local communities in which they operate.

With a portfolio of historically 'challenging' schools, the Trust is now starting to see the positive impact of its school turnaround plans with improving performance results across the academies. This is, however, still just the beginning of the Trusts relentless vision for school improvement, something that the right Finance Director can be a key part of.

You will be joining a highly innovative, inspirational and ambitious organisation, who recognise that achieving the best possible outcomes for pupils is our highest priority. This key role needs to ensure the support we provide across our education and support teams is of the highest quality to deliver our this vision.

Detailed Job Description

Reporting to the COO, key aspects of the role of Finance Director include:

  • To lead on the development and delivery of the Trust's five-year financial strategic plan. 
  • To ensure effective and efficient deployment of resources ensuring risk, viability and sustainability are monitored and managed across all activities.
  • Create robust budgets and forecasts, provide analysis and insight to support decision making, and will lead and support key projects. 
  • Direct line management responsibility for the Trust finance team and Regional Business Managers.
  • To lead on and manage diverse funding streams and interpretation of the funding methodology. 
  • Ensure that the impact of financial strategy and management directly impacts on educational outcomes for pupils.
  • Provide clear financial information, advice and recommendations to the Chief Operating Officer regarding strategic development of service support, utilisation of academy assets and the development of the academy's business activity, to ensure the best possible environment for students. 
  • Work with the Director of School Improvement in relation to the oversight of preparation of accurate and timely financial reports, estimates and financial/annual returns as required by funding bodies and government departments.
  • Oversee the preparation of monthly management accounts and forecasts. 
  • Present financial reports to the Board, explaining all significant variances to all relevant stakeholders.
  • Work as part of the Executive management team to promote the highest standards of business ethos within the trusts. 
  • Lead the budget preparation of the trusts for board approval.
  • Actively monitor and control performance against budget to achieve value for money.

Candidate's Profile

With the role of Finance Director playing such a key part in the Trust it is only for those qualified accountants (ACA/ACCA/CIMA/CIPFA) that can show an understanding of the challenges the Trust faces and brings with them the energy, pragmatism, resilience and strong leadership needed to be successful in this position.

Some of the key criteria you will need to be able to demonstrate to be considered for this role are:

  • Experience of staff leadership and management 
  • Translating a vision and aims into a plan of action with agreed milestones
  • Robust approach to managing accountability 
  • Experience or knowledge of financial requirements within a publicly funded education environment
  • Ability to establish and manage effective working relationships with key stakeholders at all levels 
  • Ability to understand that educational improvement is the driver and the challenges this creates working within limited budgets
  • Resilience with the ability to handle high pressure and meet agreed deadlines 
  • Ability to make and justify difficult decisions
  • Energetic and highly motivated, with an enquiring mind and passion for excellence 
  • Strong systems and data analysis skills
  • A proactive approach to work and a 'can-do' attitude

Overall you will be able to demonstrate a track record of astute financial leadership, commercial decision making, effective team management and the ability to influence a range of stakeholders across all levels of an organisation.

You will also be comfortable with some travel to other areas of the country to engage with the academies in those areas.

Given the location of the senior management team it is preferred that the successful candidate will be based in a commutable radius of Stockport

What's on offer

competitive package to attract the best


Where specific UK qualifications are required we will take into account overseas equivalents.

All third party applications will be forwarded to Michael Page.

Ref Code: MPGW13782637Z