Finance Business Partner. RECfinancial are delighted to be working exclusively for the SMB College Group to recruit a Finance Business Partner on a permanent basis. This is a role you don't want to miss.
A brief history
Established in 2020, SMB Group is formed of two merged Colleges - Stephenson College and Brooksby Melton College - and their commercial entities.
- Their purpose is to improve opportunities for their students, underpinned by a commitment to excellence, innovation and inclusion. Their aim is to create a first-class College Group, which speaks with one powerful and strategic voice, retaining deep roots in the local communities it serves. This combination of local access to skills development within a strategic regional framework is at the heart of what they do.
- The positive culture of the merged colleges builds upon strong and effective collaboration with all key stakeholders, including local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships, schools, universities, employers and community groups. SMB Group works closely with industry partners to ensure it provides the skills needed now and for the future.
Purpose of Job: To provide high-level professional, financial and business information, direction and advice which delivers continuous improvement in financial performance. To lead and be responsible for the management reporting function, ensuring timely and accurate management information is produced. To Identify and manage financial risk and ensure financial integrity of business operations.
Key Responsibilities:
- To be an integral member of the College Management Team, fully contributing to the development and implementation of College/Department strategic plans, and to the monitoring and control of business performance.
- Prepare and present College Performance and Financial Performance Reports as required.
- To work proactively with all senior managers and budget holders, contributing to the college's corporate objectives.
- To inform and influence the business direction of the business areas, working with budget managers to develop strategies for improvements in returns at an acceptable level of risk.
- To establish and maintain a business planning approach for all activities and projects within the College. To evaluate the financial impact of alternative scenarios in order to maximise use of resources and financial returns.
- To prepare, analyse and interpret profitability of different business segments/ income streams.
- To evaluate and authorise business development proposals, ensuring benefits are clearly identified and that proposals are financially and commercially robust. This will include the utilisation of financial investment appraisal techniques together with the provision of costing and pricing advice and support.
- To establish and maintain a business ethos within the College, challenging and negotiating with relevant budget managers to ensure delivery of a budget submission in line with affordability and a forecast submission in line with budget.
- To produce, analyse and interpret management accounts to inform and influence business decisions, meeting with budget holders to provide financial and business advice and direction.
- To prepare reports on financial and business performance, detailing key results, analysis and explanations of major variances, extrapolating the impact of underlying drivers and advise on future actions to ensure budget achievement.
- To manage the production of the monthly management accounts for the college and it subsidiary companies.
- To act as an 'engaging manager', ensuring that Section colleagues have high levels of satisfaction, motivation, loyalty and commitment, leading to higher levels of organisational performance.
- To ensure that the management accountant team undertake appropriate professional development and that talent is effectively identified, managed, nurtured and developed within the College's overall resourcing strategy and plans.
- To be responsible for continuous review and improvement of the management accounts process processes and reporting, and leading on implementing the improvememts.
- To review all month end accruals and prepayments as prepared by the management accountants and assist in the preparation of journals where necessary.
- Being responsible for providing accurate and timely management information and reports to Budget Holders, taking responsibility for ensuring budgets are understood and queries are resolved.
- To lead on the forecasting and budgeting processes, ensuring budget managers are an integral part of the process, being able to challenge constructively and provide business advice to ensure affordable budgets are delivered.
- To oversee the year end process, ensuring document are accurate and ready for the external auditors, including the reconciliation of accounts, review of invoices and schedules, and compiling information for the external auditors. Play an integril role in preparing the statutory accounts.
- To play a key role in enhancing the levels of financial knowledge and financial management skills throughout the organisation.
- Career Average Pension Scheme (Local Government Pension Scheme)
- 38 days plus 8 bank holidays
- Onsite free parking at all campuses/gym membership
- £40k - £45k dependant on experience
For further information on this fabulous opportunity, please contact Neil@RECfinancial on 07976 416967 or email us for further information
