Head of Operational Finance - The Guardian : Job Details

About Us

The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.

We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.

Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.

To discover more about our culture, ethos and what it is like to work here, visit the Why Work For Us page.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Your responsibilities will include:

• Ensuring that the financial transactions of the organisation are administered in most efficient and effective way
• Monthly accounts preparation, ensuring individual and consolidated monthly account and forecasting information is available to internal stakeholders
• Ensuring that purchasing administration from point of order through to payment is administered
• Ensuring all income is administered effectively.
• Ensuring accurate financial records are maintained with effective and timely reconciliations across General Ledgers, sub-ledgers, bank and inter-company accounts
• Payroll, ensuring payments made in line with Service Levels and that effective controls/reconciliations are maintained
• Maintaining a high level of data quality to ensure maximum effectiveness of end-to-end processing
• Driving efficiencies and effectiveness of the team, processes, data, and systems to enable improvements in the timeliness of robust financial information
• Developing and leading an efficient and motivated team to delivery of accurate and value adding financial information
• Maintaining effective communication with key stakeholders, developing strong and positive relationships

Qualifications & Experience

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Proven experience of the provision of monthly accounts in an effective and timely manner
• Experience of running and driving improvements within an Operational Finance Function, specifically delivery of effective Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable disciplines
• A track record of managing and developing high performing finance teams
• Experience of Oracle Fusion or similar complex financial systems, e.g. SAP
• Strong ownership and accountability along with a positive can-do attitude.
• The ability to assess performance from a strategic/holistic view, drawing out key areas for improvement and resolution
• Strong data analysis and problem-solving skills
• The ability to lead, prioritise and set clear direction of teams
• Strong people management skills
• Strong communication and engagement skills

For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.

Professional Development & Benefits

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation.

Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date.

When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application. 

A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.