Senior Finance Business Partner
| Posting date: | 20 June 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £50,568.00 to £58,692.00 per year |
| Additional salary information: | OHCAT Outer London Business Support Scale, Grade PO5/6/7 (spine points 44-52) £50,568.00 - £58,692.00 per annum. |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 14 July 2025 |
| Location: | Sutton, London |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Orchard Hill College |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: |
Summary
Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust (OHC&AT) is a family of specialist education providers for over 1500 pupils and students from nursery to further education across 14 academies and 9 college centres in London, Surrey, Sussex and Berkshire. Supporting our academies and college, OHC&AT also operate learning support, such as nursing and therapy, and a central business support team which includes HR, finance and IT.
Pupils and students within the OHC&AT family have a wide range of learning abilities and additional needs including autistic spectrum disorder; speech, language and communication difficulties; social, emotional and mental health; profound and multiple disabilities; and physical disabilities including multi-sensory impairment and complex health needs.
OHC&AT is a rewarding and inspirational place to work, where everyone works together to create the best possible outcomes for students. To find out more about us, and what makes us a special place to work please visit www.ohcat.org
As a Senior Finance Business Partner, you will oversee and be professionally responsible for the provision of a high-quality financial service to the academies the post-holder is accountable for. This post is central to supporting the trust and its academies to achieve their strategic aims and objectives, via effective and efficient management of financial resources to ultimately transform the lives of young people. The responsibilities for this role are wide and varied and will include:
• working closely with School Leadership Teams to discuss financial strategy, management accounts, budgets & forecasts and to provide financial and commercial advice.
• working with trust finance colleagues to drive continuous improvement in controls, finding efficiencies in processes and enhancing financial analysis which adds value.
• working closely with other trust departments such as HR, Estates and Procurement to align staffing, estates and supplier strategies with financial plans.
Requirements:
• Proven experience of finance business partnering, preferably within the Education or public sector.
• Demonstrable knowledge of financial management, budget planning, analysis and reporting.
• Continuous improvement mindset with a desire to challenge the status quo.
• Excellent communication skills with proven ability in working with non-financial stakeholders
• Experience of line management and an interest in people development.
• Proficiency with Microsoft packages and ability to learn finance systems required.
• Flexible, team-player with a can-do attitude to providing the best service to schools possible.
Please see the attached job description and person specification for full details on the role and the skills, experience and knowledge we are looking for.
For an informal discussion about the role, candidates are invited to contact Stuart Alcock, Head of Finance Business Partnering, via email salcock@ohcat.org.
To apply for this role you will be redirected to our online Eteach portal. If you have any queries, please contact jobs@orchardhill.ac.uk.
Your application form will be scored according to each of the requirements laid out in the person specification for this role. Please demonstrate in your statement how your experience, skills and knowledge match the criteria that are required for the role.
Please note that CV applications cannot be considered.
Orchard Hill College & Academy Trust reserves the right to close this advertisement early, so we advise you to apply promptly.
Closing Date: 14th July 2025
Interviews will take place: Week commencing 21st July 2025
Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Appointments made will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.
Pupils and students within the OHC&AT family have a wide range of learning abilities and additional needs including autistic spectrum disorder; speech, language and communication difficulties; social, emotional and mental health; profound and multiple disabilities; and physical disabilities including multi-sensory impairment and complex health needs.
OHC&AT is a rewarding and inspirational place to work, where everyone works together to create the best possible outcomes for students. To find out more about us, and what makes us a special place to work please visit www.ohcat.org
As a Senior Finance Business Partner, you will oversee and be professionally responsible for the provision of a high-quality financial service to the academies the post-holder is accountable for. This post is central to supporting the trust and its academies to achieve their strategic aims and objectives, via effective and efficient management of financial resources to ultimately transform the lives of young people. The responsibilities for this role are wide and varied and will include:
• working closely with School Leadership Teams to discuss financial strategy, management accounts, budgets & forecasts and to provide financial and commercial advice.
• working with trust finance colleagues to drive continuous improvement in controls, finding efficiencies in processes and enhancing financial analysis which adds value.
• working closely with other trust departments such as HR, Estates and Procurement to align staffing, estates and supplier strategies with financial plans.
Requirements:
• Proven experience of finance business partnering, preferably within the Education or public sector.
• Demonstrable knowledge of financial management, budget planning, analysis and reporting.
• Continuous improvement mindset with a desire to challenge the status quo.
• Excellent communication skills with proven ability in working with non-financial stakeholders
• Experience of line management and an interest in people development.
• Proficiency with Microsoft packages and ability to learn finance systems required.
• Flexible, team-player with a can-do attitude to providing the best service to schools possible.
Please see the attached job description and person specification for full details on the role and the skills, experience and knowledge we are looking for.
For an informal discussion about the role, candidates are invited to contact Stuart Alcock, Head of Finance Business Partnering, via email salcock@ohcat.org.
To apply for this role you will be redirected to our online Eteach portal. If you have any queries, please contact jobs@orchardhill.ac.uk.
Your application form will be scored according to each of the requirements laid out in the person specification for this role. Please demonstrate in your statement how your experience, skills and knowledge match the criteria that are required for the role.
Please note that CV applications cannot be considered.
Orchard Hill College & Academy Trust reserves the right to close this advertisement early, so we advise you to apply promptly.
Closing Date: 14th July 2025
Interviews will take place: Week commencing 21st July 2025
Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Appointments made will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.
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