Senior Finance Consultant

Hours: 37 hours per week
Weeks: 52 weeks per year
Salary: £40,000+ (depending on experience) 
Holiday: 22 days plus bank holidays*
Looking for candidates based in: Kent, Essex or Surrey.
Start Date: TBC

Benefits

At EduFin we pride ourselves on providing excellent benefits for our employees, they include:

  • · Excellent career progression prospects

  • · Team days out

  • · Regular training

  • · Healthcare plan

  • · Study package and support where relevant to individual

  • · Pension scheme

  • · Occasional remote working

  • · Opportunity to take part in company charity events.

About Us

We are an established consultancy company working in the education finance sector. In our 10th year of trading we are looking to grow the team once again.

We are a friendly team and have a positive, upbeat, happy culture. We pride ourselves on being flexible for our staff and provide a good work life balance, but in return we’re looking commitment and passion.

We have offices in East Malling, however this role will be based at your home address and will require regular travel to clients’ premises. Mileage will be reimbursed to you at the HMRC rate.

Person Specification

Although an Accountancy qualification and/or relevant school or charity experience is desirable, they are not essential. We are strong believers of employing for attitude and training necessary skills. 

The majority of our clients use PS Financials software, therefore experience of this would be desirable, however again, not essential. 

We pride ourselves on going that extra mile for our clients and want our staff to have that same can-do attitude. 

We aim to ensure all client requests are fulfilled; managing all expectations to ensure that they always remain happy with the service that they receive. 

As a member of the EduFin team you will be expected to always present a professional image of yourself and the company. 

Some days will require home working therefore a high level of self-motivation is required. 

You will need a clean driving licence and access to a vehicle. You will also need a clean enhanced DBS check which will be initiated by EduFin at the time of employment. 

The Role

As an employee with EduFin, you will gain fantastic insight and experience into the education finance sector. The breadth of the support we offer our clients gives great exposure and ensures that there is never a dull day! 

The senior consultant role is a vast one and can include; 

  • Training school finance staff on the relevant finance software we use.

  • Absence cover for Finance Manager / Controller level roles.

  • Preparation of monthly management accounts.

  • Management of school budgets and forecasts.

  • Assisting clients and auditors with the financial statements and year end audit.

  • Reporting to Senior Management / Trustees.

  • Advising clients on best practice based on the Academies Financial Handbook.

We also run a Helpdesk, a hosting platform and have designed various software packages; so, if you like IT as well as finance then you will never be bored with us! 

Duties

Although the majority of your working day will be on site, fulfilling a role or tasks as set by the client, there are additional responsibilities that this level of role comes with such as; 

  • Keeping your planner up to date at all times; notifying line manager of any gaps 

  • Ensuring client work is scheduled in the planner accordingly to ensure client deadlines / requirements are met 

  • Ensuring client work is adequately covered when on annual leave; whether by another EduFin consultant, or rearranged to your return 

  • Being responsible for arranging client work, i.e. equipment needed for training 

  • Being a professional face of EduFin at all times 

  • Taking responsibility for the level of work delivered at all times 

  • Looking for opportunities to promote our services such as Helpdesk / Connect / Software / Consultancy (yourself and others) 

  • Having a presence on LinkedIn on behalf of the company 

  • Keeping on top of sector changes to provide the best service possible to clients 

  • Keeping up an adequate level of CPD; sourcing your own training opportunities in the areas required to improve your service to clients (funding requests to line manager) 

  • Being responsible for the training and development of junior members of the team as required 

  • Ensuring you are always delivering added value to clients, both on site and via helpdesk / email communication 

  • Having an input and focus on marketing needs of the company 

  • Any other duties as required from the directors 

Potential Client Duties

Some duties that may be expected of you when on site include but are not limited to the following; 

General

Ensure that all transactions are actioned in line with the client’s financial policies, DfE guidance and within statutory financial regulations.

Duties possibly expected by the client;

Purchase Ledger

  • Posting the below documents to the clients accounting software in a timely manner with great accuracy:

    • Purchase Requisition 

    • Purchase Orders 

    • Goods Received Notes 

    • Purchase Invoices 

    • Create new suppliers and perform relevant checks 

  • Create BACS/Cheque payment runs 

  • Ensure that all expenditure is recorded against the relevant nominal code and cost centre, and that the correct VAT code is used 

  • Receive and check statements from suppliers 

  • Investigate and action any issues that arise with regards to creditors 

  • Any other purchase ledger maintenance duties requested by the client 

Sales ledger 

  • Raise sales invoices as requested by the client on the system in a timely manner 

  • Ensure that all income is recorded against the relevant nominal code and cost centre, and that the correct VAT code is used 

  • Ensure that all requests for sales invoices are processed and sent promptly 

  • Ensure that all invoices are monitored and chased to ensure prompt payment 

  • Any other sales ledger maintenance duties requested by the client 

Bank account

  • Ensure that the bank accounts are controlled and monitored 

  • Ensure that paying in slips/ remittances are received and processed on the accounting system in a timely manner 

  • Ensure that the bank accounts are reconciled on a weekly basis and that any outstanding items are dealt with promptly 

  • Reconcile the bank accounts monthly ensuring that all unreconciled items on the bank statement are investigated. 

  • Any other bank account maintenance duties requested by the client 

Other balance sheet items 

  • Ensure that petty cash returns are received and processed on the accounting system in a timely manner and that a month end reconciliation is undertaken to ensure that actual funds held balance to the ledger 

  • Ensure that credit card returns are received and processed on the accounting system in a timely manner 

  • Ensure that all adjustments for prepayments, accruals, accrued and deferred income are processed on a monthly basis 

  • Ensure that all balance sheet control accounts are completed on a monthly basis as part of the month end process  

Payroll

  • Working with the client to ensure that the monthly payroll costs are posted and reconciled against the finance system 

  • Provide financial support and advice to assist budget holders within Academies in maintaining their budgets (produce and distribute the monthly cost centre reports for budget holders) 

Income

  • Post all relevant grant income received 

  • Work with the SEN coordinator for each academy to ensure that all SEN funding is received correctly from each local authority 

  • Work with the client and the local authority finance teams to ensure that each academy receives the correct allocation of funding 

Budgeting 

  • Support clients with the preparation of 3–5-year budgets 

  • Maintain a working budget for all changes as applicable 

  • Ensure management accounts outturns are accurate as per the working budget 

  • Ensure assumptions are accurate and a schedule maintained for backing info to the budget 

Reporting 

  • Prepare year end working papers for auditors 

  • Ensure regular reporting for specific funding, i.e. PP / SEN / PSG / Covid / etc

  • Prepare month end management accounts packs as per DfE guidance and client expectations in an accurate and timely manner. To include; 

    • Balance Sheet and supporting schedules 

    • Income and Expenditure Variance Analysis and Forecast Outturn 

    • Cashflow Forecast 

    • Executive Summary 

    • KPI’s 

Other

  • Provide financial support and advice to assist budget holders within Academies in maintaining their budgets (produce and distribute the monthly cost centre reports for budget holders) 

  • Prepare VAT returns and submit to HMRC accordingly 

  • Deliver training, both 1:1 and group sessions 

  • Maintain a capital reconciliation throughout the year 

  • Maintain Fixed Asset Registers 

  • Post Opening Balance Journals as required from the auditors and complete system roll forwards / year end close downs 

  • Advise client and implement best practice methods 

  • System maintenance requirements as requested by the client / needs recognised by yourself 

  • General system support 

  • Mentoring or managing client staff where necessary 

  • Hold meetings with Senior Leaders / Governors / Trustees as required.

To apply for this vacancy please send your CV along with a short statement as to why you would be great for this role to info@edufin.co.uk.

*EduFin is closed between Christmas and the new year, using 5 days annual leave over this period is mandatory, however after 1 year of service you qualify for an additional 3 days leave.