Management Accountant

Hours: 40 hours per week, 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday. Flexibility around working hours is possible, and some home working once established in the role. There will be an occasional requirement for late working, to be agreed in advance with the line manager. Attendance at Open Mornings is also required.

Salary: Up-to £55,000 per annum, dependent on experience.

Contract: Permanent, 52 weeks per year

St George’s Weybridge are partnering with Michael Page to recruit an experienced and qualified Management Account to join the Finance Department. Reporting to the Director of Finance, the Management Accountant will lead a team of four staff and will have the opportunity to influence this role.

Job Description

• Oversee the day-to-day running and activities of the Finance team, managing workload of the other Finance team members and ensuring that work is completed on time, accurately and that all reporting deadlines are met.
• Oversee electronic archiving and control the information on the Accounts drive.
• Ensure all staff work within the Finance Policies and Procedures as set by the Board of Governors.
• Act as the first point of contact for the Finance team on technical accounting matters.
• Together with the Director of Finance, support the continued development of the careers of other members of the Finance team by providing day-to-day support, training and opportunities for development within their roles.
• Arrange personal development reviews (appraisals) and appropriate external training when necessary.
• Seek opportunities for driving efficiencies into existing processes by supporting and identifying initiatives to increase automation and the use of technology to support the finance processes.
• Produce an accurate and timely management accounts pack from Sage and present to the Director of Finance each month, including forecasting. Provide a more in-depth analysis of the November, March and July accounts that are presented to the Board of Governors and other stakeholders.
• Keep forecasts up-to-date and highlight any issues that could give rise to changes in forecasts on a timely basis.
• Support the Director of Finance in the compilation of the overall School budget for presentation to Governors. Liaise with budget holders to review their budget submissions and provide advice to them on the accurate preparation of their budgets.
• Provide budget tracking with ongoing support and guidance to budget holders. Be the first point of contact for budget holders in respect of any budget vs actual queries.
• Manage the process of preparing all the required paperwork for inspection by the auditors each year, usually in October. Ensure all nominal accounts are reconciled and discrepancies dealt with. Be the first point of contact for the audit team in respect of the audit process.
• Manage the fixed asset module and ensure depreciation has been posted to Sage before month end procedure. Liaise with key stakeholders and provide reporting assistance where required.
• Support the Director of Finance in the capex budgeting process, including the capital bids process. Ensure that the appropriate accounting treatment is adopted for fixed assets such that costs are correctly shown as capital or expenses.
• Oversee the process of daily posting of bank transactions by the Finance Assistants, ensuring that all transactions are correctly recorded in Sage 200 and that bank reconciliations are prepared for review by the Management Accountant on a timely basis at each month end, or more regularly if required.
• Regular review of direct debit instructions and standing orders.
• Support the Director of Finance in ensuring that bank mandates are kept up-to-date and ensuring that the controls are aligned to the Financial Control Procedures.

The Successful Applicant

• Professional financial qualification as expected for a Management Accountant role such as CIMA or ACCA
• Previous experience of finance work in education, preferably within the independent sector
• Sage 200 Accounting program or similar
• Understanding of charitable accounting and legislation
• Understanding of the requirements of GDPR and relevant financial legislation
• A full understanding and experience of preparation, execution and presentation of management accounts to key stakeholders
• Management experience
• An understanding and appreciation of the Catholic school environment, combined with an interest in the independent school sector
• Commitment to the provision of a quality service and a high level of customer care.

Full details including a job description can be found below, or by contacting Richard Latham at Michael Page on 01932 264 116, quoting job reference JN-092024-6532491.

Please note applications will be reviewed upon receipt, and candidates may be invited to interview at short notice. St George’s Weybridge reserves the right to withdraw this advert once a suitable candidate has been found.

St George’s Weybridge is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. St George’s Weybridge is an Equal Opportunities Employer and a registered Educational Charity no. 1017853 as well as a data controller and registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office as required under current data protection legislation. Further information about how we use personal data is available in our Privacy Notice.