School Finance Business Partner

Responsible to: Headteachers, Trust CFO Liaising with: Trust Finance Team (Head of Finance, Assistant Management Accountant), Headteachers, Executive Director of Primary, Hub Operations Lead Hours of work: Full time 37 hours per week all year round. In addition, you will be expected to flex to attend certain governors meetings out of school hours during the year. Annual Leave: 28 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays. Annual leave should be taken mostly during school holiday periods. Up to 2 weeks annual leave can be taken in term time, taken in up to 1-week periods. Location: Working base at St Thomas More Catholic Primary School (Letchworth) 2 days per week. The remaining 3 days per week will be based at other Trust primary schools (Hitchin, Baldock, Royston, Watford) or from home (with agreement). The post holder is expected to work flexibly across Trust schools as required. Travel expenses from working bases to external sites will be reimbursed. Purpose As a School Finance Business Partner, you will oversee the financial and business performance of up to five Trust schools to include: Financial Accounting: Producing monthly management accounts and ensuring accurate posting of month-end adjustments. Budget Management: Managing the annual budget-setting process and 3-year forecasting to align with strategic objectives. Financial Reporting: Presenting monthly accounts to the Local Governing Board Headteacher and Central Trust and providing financial updates. You are expected to be a visiting member of the School’s Senior Leadership Team. Collaboration: Working closely with Headteachers and other key stakeholders to ensure financial plans align with strategic objectives and budgets. Payroll: responsible for accurate and timely administration of monthly payroll for allocated schools. Your role will encompass working closely with the Hub Operations Lead who will oversee facilities management (caretaking, cleaning, catering). You will play a pivotal role in supporting Headteachers and contribute significantly to the wider team linking in with the Executive team. This role demands a strong commercial focus emphasising the delivery of best value for schools, identifying new income opportunities and ensuring cost effectiveness in a challenging funding environment. Your time allocation across the schools will be agreed and reviewed regularly to ensure maximum effectiveness, alongside your contribution to the Trust in Trust-wide leadership roles. You will collaborate closely with the DoWAT central team and other Trust staff as necessary. As the Trust is growing, the role will evolve but it is expected that you will work across up to five primary schools within the Trust. You will be expected to take a leadership role in specific areas of expertise, to deliver trust wide improvement and business excellence and to build strong team working. Key Responsibilities: Senior Leadership To support the Executive Tea