Job Description
Financial Controller - Education Salary £45,000 - £55,000\n\nBased in Kew\n\nOffice-Based Role\n\nA highly regarded group of Independent Schools is seeking an experienced School Financial Controller to join their finance team based in Kew. As the Financial Controller, you will take ownership of the full finance cycle, including financial reporting, budgeting, management accounts, fee billing, supplier payments, and compliance. While supported by a finance assistant for day-to-day processing, you must be confident in undertaking hands-on finance tasks as needed.
This is a great opportunity for a qualified individual to oversee and manage the finance function for a division of schools within the Group.\n\nKey Responsibilities Include:\n\nOversight of financial accounting and reporting across assigned schools\nPreparation and review of monthly management accounts with budget commentary\nManagement of tuition fee billing cycles, direct debit collections and reconciliations\nCommunication with parents regarding fee payments, including resolution of queries\nMonitoring and collection of school fees and management of debt recovery processes\nOversight of supplier payments, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and value for money\nMonthly and year-end reconciliations of all control accounts\nPreparation of VAT returns and ensuring compliance in income and expenditure treatment\nLiaison with HR and payroll to ensure accurate financial reporting of employment costs\nPreparation of financial forecasts and support of school leadership with budgeting\nLine management of the finance assistant, reviewing work and providing guidance\nContribution to strategic planning, internal process improvement, and audit readiness\nAssistance with the production of statutory accounts and liaison with external auditors\nMonitoring of Early Years Funding claims (EYF) and coordination of related forms\nMaintenance of fixed asset registers, accruals and prepayments schedules\nContinuous review and development of financial policies and internal controlsExperience required: \n\nACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified (or equivalent experience in a financial management role)\nExperience in a finance or accountancy role, ideally at controller level\nExperience in financial and management accounting, including budget setting and forecasting\nStrong understanding of fee billing and income collection (education sector preferred)\nPrevious experience of managing staff and overseeing financial processes\nFamiliarity with accounting systems such as Sage 200; and Fee Master desirable\nExcellent Excel skills and strong proficiency with Microsoft Office\nExceptional attention to detail, time management and organisational skills\n Experience of preparing for audits and dealing with auditors\nAbility to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders including parents, staff and regulatory bodies\n Desirable:\n\nExperience working within an educational setting, particularly the Independent Schools sector\nFamiliarity with financial and MIS platforms used in schools such as ParentPay, Fee Master, or iSAMS\nExperience implementing new financial systems or process improvementsBenefits: \n\n20 days + 8 Bank Holidays + close at Christmas - Can be taken during term time\nContributory pension\nCycle to work scheme\nHours of work: 8.30 am -5.00 pm\nReduced hours during school holidays 9 am - 4 pmHuntress Search Ltd acts as a Recruitment Agency in relation to all Permanent roles and as a Recruitment Business in relation to all Temporary roles.\n\nWe practice a diverse and inclusive recruitment process that ensures equal opportunity for all we work with, irrespective of race, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, age or gender. As an organisation, we encourage applications from all backgrounds and will ensure measures are met when required, to allow a fair process throughout. \n\nPLEASE NOTE: We can only consider applications from candidates who have the right to work in the UK