Finance Director

Finance Director 

Location: Teesside

Salary: Circa £90,000 with a market leading benefits package which includes 44 days holiday (including statutory allowance and a pension that the college will contribute up to 15.2%)

Who is my client: 

Middlesbrough College is the largest further education provider in Teesside. 

It provides predominantly further education but also selected higher education provisions to over 13,000 students. Middlesbrough College also employs over 1,000 staff out of their £100m state of the art campus on the banks of the tees

Job Purpose:

Middlesbrough College has at its mission a drive to improve regional economic and social prosperity.

As a member of the College’s Senior Leadership Team, the postholder will provide transformational leadership in all aspects of the finance and registry, with responsibility for providing strategic financial leadership and direction to the Middlesbrough College Group.

Responsibilities;

As part of the Senior Leadership Team, to actively develop and deliver the College’s Strategic Plan, in particular achieving our mission through delivering the priority of ‘organisation resilience’.

To lead internally and externally on all matters related to the finance, registry, and risk management functions.

To provide strategic and proactive advice to SLT and cross college managers in all matters related to finance and registry.

To ensure strong financial and regulatory controls are in place through the development and implementation of related policies, training and internal procedures and leading on ensuring the college is compliant with managing public money.

To be the risk management champion for the college, ensuring a risk management and assurance framework is in place and effective, leading on production of audit plans, liaising and coordinating all audits and presenting to the audit & risk committee.

To develop and have overall responsibility for the operational delivery of the five-year financial plan, including but not limited to production of statutory accounts and financial returns, treasury, bank and cash management / cash flow projections, production of high quality and timely management information, tax and VAT advice and returns, income recovery and maximisation.

To ensure regulatory compliance on procurement, tendering and contractual matters, seeking value for money and procurement solutions to support the college infrastructure and operations.

Undertaking financial due diligence and ensuring a system of control is in place for delivery partner reviews.  Undertaking contractual reviews for new opportunities and providing financial information and oversight for funding bids and income tenders.

To provide high quality management information including monthly management accounts, enrolment and funding reports, overhead and benchmarking analysis, staff pay and contract scenario testing.

To produce high quality financial information to assess strategic project developments including capital developments, merger / acquisition scenarios, financial health scenario planning and stress testing of financial models.

To prepare high quality capital and revenue bid submissions and monitor project delivery and financial returns.

To produce and deliver an annual revenue and capital plan in line with strategic objectives and in consultation with governors and managers.

To meet all strategic KPIs associated with your areas of responsibility.

To have overall responsibility for the timely and accurate data returns required for our funders and regulators, including but not limited to ILR and funding contracts and returns, data accuracy checks, management information reports to maximise income, course file production, data quality, curriculum planning, timetabling, room and staff utilisation and for meeting all funder and regulator rules and return deadlines.

To manage the finance and registry teams developing team members, providing training and succession planning opportunities and carrying out performance reviews.

To provide and present timely and accurate reports and presentations to SLT, CMT and the governing body as and when required.

To provide thought leadership on matters of skills funding and related policy and attend policy groups and forums to influence and enact new skills policy – nationally and locally.

To manage budgets associated with your area of responsibilities.

Within the limitation set out in the contract of employment, working hours are flexible and can be subject to variation depending upon curriculum needs.

To carry out such other appropriate duties commensurate with your skills, knowledge, experience and remuneration

Essential Requirements:

• Fully qualified Accountant – ACCA, CIMA or CIPFA
• Proven ability to produce financial plans, statutory accounts, cash flows, revenue and capital plans and management accounts.
• Evidence of strong financial regulation and control
• Experience of meeting funders and regulators deadlines and expectations.
• Sound background in treasury, cash, bank and VAT
• A record of managing capital project funding
• Experience of financial and risk management and control

Desirable Requirements:

• Experience of managing FE funding
• Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant professional qualification
• Management qualification
• Knowledge of current issues facing the further education and or training sector

For more information or for a confidential discussion around this opportunity please feel free to contact Anthony Antoniou at Imperial Recruitment Group