Description
An exciting opportunity has arisen within Enfield Council's Finance Business Partnering team for a Finance Manager – Schools and DSG.
Reporting to the Head of Finance - Education and Schools, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality financial leadership and support across the Council's education and schools portfolio. Working closely with senior officers, schools and other stakeholders, you will help shape the financial sustainability of education services and support effective decision-making across a diverse range of activities.
The role has responsibility for leading the financial management of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), while also overseeing key schools finance processes and supporting wider education services, including financial planning, budget monitoring and statutory reporting.
This is a varied and influential role, offering the opportunity to work closely with senior officers, headteachers, school leaders and Schools Forum on complex and high-profile financial issues.
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee the key schools finance processes.
- Lead the financial management, monitoring and forecasting of the Council's Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), ensuring compliance with Department for Education funding requirements and regulations.
- Provide robust financial advice, support and challenge to senior stakeholders across Education and Schools services.
- Support the development of the Medium Term Financial Plan, annual budgets, budget monitoring processes and statutory accounts.
- Prepare and present complex financial information to a range of audiences, including Schools Forum, senior management teams, committees and governance boards.
- Lead the preparation of specialist education finance returns.
- Work collaboratively with education services and schools to support effective financial decision-making and deliver value for money.
About You
We are looking for a confident finance professional with excellent technical, analytical and business partnering skills. You will be comfortable working with senior stakeholders, providing constructive challenge and translating complex financial information into meaningful insight.
You will be able to demonstrate:
- A CCAB accountancy qualification or finalist, with an expectation to become fully qualified within six months of joining the Council.
- Significant experience of financial management, budgeting and financial reporting within a complex organisation, ideally within local government.
- Strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret and communicate complex financial information effectively.
- Experience of influencing, advising and challenging senior managers, elected members and other senior stakeholders.
- Excellent communication and relationship management skills.
- Demonstrable experience of Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) funding would be highly desirable.
Working Arrangements
Enfield offers a hybrid working environment and there is an expectation that the postholder will attend the office regularly to meet business needs, including attendance at key meetings such as Schools Forum.
Benefits
- An excellent pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
- Up to 32 days annual leave depending on grade and length of service. You will also get eight public holidays per year and an extra day off at Christmas.
- A blend of remote and office based working for most roles.
- Interest free season ticket loan repayable over three or ten months.
- Career development and learning experiences from a range of training courses and learning methods.
- Employee Assistance Programme to provide advice and counselling services. This is a free and confidential service available to staff and members of their family.
- Health and leisure discounts and tax-free bikes for work.
- 1 month's paid sabbatical for registered Social Workers working in Children's Social Care.