Job Description

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Location: Hybrid (regular presence at our Swansea or Cardiff office)
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Part-time (3 days/week) or Full-time (with temporary People/HR cover during maternity leave)
Salary: 36,000-44,000 FTE (dependent on experience) - pro-rata if part-time
About Equal Education Partners
At Equal Education Partners, our purpose is to create opportunity and unlock potential through transformative education.
Our vision is to be the UK's most well-respected multi-service education management company, helping educators and learners thrive every day.
Our mission is to attract, develop and retain the best teaching talent and deliver unrivalled opportunities for learners.
We're an ethical employer and we invest in professional learning and development.
The Opportunity
We're looking for a highly organised, detail-driven Finance Manager to own day-to-day finance operations and provide timely, accurate reporting across a multi-service education business. The core role is Finance (0.6 FTE). If you're interested in a full-time role, you can add temporary People/HR responsibilities during a colleague's maternity leave, after which you'll continue permanently as Finance Manager.
You'll report to the Managing Director.
What you'll do
Finance (core)

• Own month-end: produce accurate monthly management accounts and divisional P&L maintain balance-sheet reconciliations.
• VAT & compliance: prepare quarterly VAT returns and ensure on-time submissions; maintain Companies House/HMRC compliance.
• Payroll: run weekly and monthly payrolls for internal staff and contingent workers (supply teachers, tutors, mentors); ensure PAYE, pensions and statutory returns are correct.
• Cash & controls: manage AR/AP, credit control and cash-flow forecasting; maintain strong controls, approval flows and audit trails.
• Budgets & forecasting: lead annual budgeting and quarterly re-forecasting with division leads; track variances and advise on actions.
• Systems & process improvement: own Xero, streamline reconciliations, and improve procurement/PO and expense processes.
• Business partnering: translate numbers into insights; coach budget holders and improve financial literacy across the team.

Optional: People / HR (adds full-time hours during mat leave)

• Manage recruitment paperwork, contracts/variations and employee onboarding.
• Maintain and update all policies in line with legislation
• Support the compliance team ensuring adherence to REC Audited Education accreditation and other standards
• Support legal matters, audits and regulatory inspections when required
• Prepare and submit reports to government and procurement bodies
• Keep HR records accurate
• Act as a first point of contact for complaints, working to resolve issues promptly, fairly, and with a focus on positive relationships.
• Advise managers on core HR processes (leave, probation, performance cycles).Contribute to wellbeing, engagement and L&D activities alongside the SLT.

What good looks like (your first 6 months)

• A reliable month-end close cadence and clear pack delivered on time.
• Clean debtor/creditor ledgers with improving debtor days and predictable cash-flow.
• VAT, payroll and statutory returns right first time.
• Simple, documented finance processes that the team actually follows.

Requirements:
About you
Essential

• Solid experience in SME finance management (management accounts, VAT, payroll, AR/AP, cash).
• Confident user of Xero and strong Excel/Sheets skills.
• Pragmatic, organised and quality-driven; able to own outcomes and meet deadlines.
• Clear communicator who can explain finance to non-finance colleagues.
• Alignment with our mission, values and commitment to safeguarding.

Desirable

• AAT Level 4 / PQ ACCA/CIMA / QBE in a comparable SME.
• Experience with weekly payrolls and/or education/recruitment environments.
• Familiarity with HR admin and UK employment basics (for the full-time option).
• Experience as a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or in a similar safeguarding role, with proven ability to manage safeguarding matters effectively. (advantageous but not essential)
• Welsh language skills (advantageous but not essential).

How to apply
Please submit your CV and a short cover note explaining your preferred working pattern (part-time Finance or full-time Finance + temporary HR cover) and your relevant experience with Xero, payroll and VAT. We'll review applications on a rolling basis.
Right to work in the UK required. Appointment subject to satisfactory references and an Enhanced DBS Check (the cost of which is covered by the Employer)
Benefits:
Working at Equal

• Purpose-driven work with national impact in education.
• Hybrid working with flexibility around the 3-day pattern or full-time schedule.
• Professional learning and development support.
• Auto-enrolment pension.
• 25 days' annual leave, rising to 27 after 2 years and by 1 day a year thereafter to 30 after 5 years.

Skills Required