Job Description

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Description

Hopwood Hall College has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Finance Officer to join a vibrant further education college with its learners at the heart of everything we do. We are looking for a talented and forward-thinking finance officer who thrives on continuous improvement and embracing new technologies to enhance the service provided.





This is a fantastic opportunity to join a welcoming and supportive team, who work collaboratively and effectively within the college.###

Key Responsibilities

1. To be responsible for the production of the rolling 18-month cash flow forecast for the College comparing actual income and expenditure to budget and analysing large variances in the month.



2. Carry out day to day treasury activities ensuring that the college's investment income is maximised by ensuring accurate cashflow forecasting and placing of deposits in line with Treasury Management policy and procedures.



3. Lead on the monthly bank reconciliations for all the College's bank accounts.



4. To ensure the capital projects processes are followed in line with financial regulations, issuing of capital codes and the monitoring of spend each month end and producing the capital spend summary as part of the management accounts.



5. Ensure that the fixed asset register is maintained and reconciled monthly, and depreciation calculated in line with depreciation policy as part of month end and year end process.



6. Be responsible for ensuring that all balance sheet reconciliations at the month and year end of fixed assets, depreciation, all loans, deposits, VAT and bank accounts of the college and its subsidiary.



7. Oversight and review of all claims and monitoring returns to the relevant funding agencies, ensuring a full audit trail and coding on the finance system is up to date and accurate on a monthly basis.



8. Provide the training and maintenance and development of the new Finance system both within Finance team and the wider college management.



9. Support the Assistant Director of Finance & Estates with the budget setting cycle including non-pay budget preparation and consolidation and including uploading budgets and support with the returns to the funding agency as required.



10. To complete the quarterly VAT returns within deadline and ensure the college is both compliant and maximising the recovery of VAT.



11. Assist in the preparation of statutory accounts and funding body returns in line with the year-end timetable and month end timetable.



12. Undertake value for money reviews as directed by the Assistant Director of Finance to ensure contributions are optimised.



13. To liaise with auditors providing assistance, support and access to relevant and appropriate information, records and files. To implement all audit recommendations within agreed timescales in relation to treasury management.



14. To provide guidance and training to all College staff on financial procedures and budget holder responsibilities and other related queries including the attendance at open days, enrolment sessions and community fun days as necessary



15. To provide line management support to the staff involved in cashbook and the preparation of grant claims.



16. Any other duties of a similar level of responsibility as may be required.

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Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Qualifications

Essential Criteria
AAT Level 4 Qualified or above
How Identified: Certificates

Desirable Criteria

CCAB part or fully qualified

Management or Customer Service qualification

How Identified: Certificates

Experience

Essential Criteria

Significant financial management experience working in a busy finance office with minimal supervision.

How Identified: Application / Interview

Desirable Criteria

Experience of producing rolling cash flow forecasts for more than one company within the group

Experience of managing investment and loan portfolios

Experience of business planning & understanding forecasts

Experience of managing staff

How Identified: Application / Interview

Specialist Knowledge

Essential Criteria

Experience of balance sheet reconciliations

Experience of completing bank reconciliations & developing a robust cash flow model

Experience of producing timely and accurate financial management information for key stakeholders and staff at all levels.

Experience of capital accounting and maintaining a fixed asset register

Experience of VAT reporting

Capital and Revenue grant monitoring and claims.

Investigation of anomalies and variances.

How Identified: Application / Interview

Desirable Criteria

Familiar with cash flow forecasting and in year monitoring to maximise interest receivable for the College.

Familiar with VAT partial exemption

IT Skills

Essential Criteria

Intermediate use of Microsoft applications particularly Word and Excel,

Experience of using financial software systems.

How Identified: Application / interview###

About Hopwood Hall

We are a Further Education College and University Centre offering a range of full and part time courses employing over 600 staff on our campuses in Rochdale and Middleton situated to the north-east of Manchester. Both campuses have ample free parking and subsidised restaurants.



We offer staff a range of benefits including free gym membership at our Middleton Sports Arena and generous holiday entitlement.

We are committed to being a great place to work and have membership status of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter. We are a Living Wage employer and an accredited Disability Confident Employer. Our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion statement is designed to ensure that unfair discrimination does not take place in any part of our recruitment process.



We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all learners and colleagues and we expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment. The college complies with Safer Recruitment guidance in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education and all successful applicants are required to undertake a DBS check and other pre-recruitment checks in line with our Safer Recruitment policy. It is an offence to apply for a regulated role at the College if you are barred from working with children (or vulnerable adults if in a role where this applies).

STAFF BENEFITS

Working at Hopwood Hall College comes with a wide range of benefits including generous holiday and sick pay entitlements.

Other benefits include:

Career average pension scheme Free gym membership at our Middleton Campus Sports Arena Purchase loans for computers and bikes Staff discount at the College's Riverside Salon, Sports Arena and Holiday Clubs On-site nursery (Rochdale Campus) Credit union for savings, low cost loans and life assurance Free on-site parking On-site Dog Kennels (spaces not guaranteed) An electric and hybrid car salary sacrifice scheme (with charging points on site) A cycle to work scheme Discounted public transport tickets Generous holiday entitlement (Teaching staff: 53 days, Business Support staff: 28 days plus bank holidays Christmas/New Year closure and the opportunity to buy additional holidays) * Subsidised bistro and refectory