Finance Manager
Salary:up to £52,000 depending on experience and qualifications
Location: Oxford
Contract: Full time
Hours: Permanent
Looking for a senior finance role where your skills make a difference? Oxford High School offers a rare opportunity for an enthusiastic and experiencedfinance professional to play a key role managing all aspects of finance within our exceptional school.
As Finance Manager, you will lead the schools financial operations, oversee our day-to-day accounting processes, and ensure continued compliance with financial policies and wider regulatory requirements. This is a full-time, on-site role that combines strategic responsibility with hands-on management and the opportunity to shape systems that support our long-term success.
Working closely with the Director of Finance and Operations and providing line management to the Finance Assistant, you will be responsible for budget planning and forecasting, monthly and annual reporting, internal controls, and financial compliance across all areas of school activity, from trip planning and payroll to procurement and commercial lettings.
You will also oversee key systems, support and advise budget holders, lead on internal audits, and play an important role in managing outsourced catering and cleaning contracts.
About you
This is a broad and busy role for a capable finance leader who enjoys balancing operational rigour with people-focused collaboration. You will need strong technical knowledge across purchase, sales and general ledger accounting, confidence in managing VAT, payroll and regulatory compliance, and the ability to produce clear, tailored financial reports for a range of stakeholders.
You will also bring sound commercial acumen to support the schools growing GDST Enterprises activity driving commercial revenue and being the point of contact for external hirers, negotiating contracts, raising invoices and producing management accounts.
We are looking for someone who holds a recognised accountancy qualification (such as ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent), with relevant experience in a finance leadership role, ideally within the education or charity sector, although this is not essential.
You will also have excellent interpersonal skills, a calm and service-oriented approach, and a genuine commitment to supporting others to work efficiently and confidently with financial systems.
This role is office based and not suitable for remote working.
About Oxford High School:
Oxford High School is part of the Girls Day School Trust, the UKs leading family of independent girls schools. Our school is set in a beautiful location on Belbroughton Road in North Oxford, just two miles from the city centre. We offer a friendly and supportive working environment, with a strong sense of shared purpose and access to professional development through a national network of GDST finance professionals.
Benefits:
As part of the Girls' Day School Trust, the leading and largest group of independent girls' schools in the UK, we offer a variety of benefits, which include:
Competitive salaries and pay progression
Access to extensive professional development opportunities
Training grants for qualifications
Generous pension schemes
Free life assurance benefit
Free school lunches
A discount of up to 50% on fees for children at GDST schools
Interest free loans for training, computer purchase loans and travel season ticket loans
A Cycle to Work scheme
Competitive terms and conditions of employment
The closing date for applications is midnight on the 26 May 2025.
Interviews will be held in the week commencing 2 June 2025.
We reserve the right to end the advert early if a suitable candidate is found or if we receive a sufficient number of applications. An early application is therefore strongly advised.
The GDST is committed to diversity, inclusion and real change: a family where every individual is valued, respected and included.
We are committed to the safeguarding of children and child protection screening will apply to this post, including online checks.
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