Finance Manager: job description and person specification

Finance Manager

Thank you for your interest in the post of Finance Manager at Sarum College. The College has made a number of changes over the last few years including a restructuring of the College Leadership Team involving devolved leadership, introduction of a new hospitality booking and invoicing system, and response to the impact of the pandemic. The person appointed to the post of Finance Manager will need to combine:

• accuracy and attention to detail;
• the ability to work with colleagues across education and hospitality departments to continue to develop effective systems of financial administration; and
• the ability to work with colleagues on the College Leadership Team to develop departmental financial reporting.

Please find below further information about the College and the role. If you would like to have an informal conversation about the post to help you decide whether to apply, please contact the Director of Finance & Facilities, Mark Manterfield: T 01722 424832 E mdm@sarum.ac.uk

Background of Sarum College

Sarum College is an ecumenical centre for Christian study located in Salisbury Cathedral Close where all are welcome.

People come to Sarum for a variety of reasons: to retreat and take a break from ministry; to read, pray and think; to engage in postgraduate study; to train for ordination or lay ministry; to attend day programmes or explore spiritual direction; to stay for B&B, conferences, or to visit art exhibitions.

Sarum College offers courses, consultancy, conferences, and research opportunities with three distinct forms of educational work:

• Non-accredited short courses, which provide a wide range of adult learning opportunities for students who are learning for leisure or seeking professional or ministerial development;
• BA and postgraduate programmes specifically oriented towards ordained Ministry;
• Two programmes of study at postgraduate level validated by the University of Winchester in Theology, Imagination and Culture and Christian Spirituality

To find out more about the College, browse this website and the College’s dedicated hospitality site.

Sarum College is an incorporated charity with a trading subsidiary called Sarum College Services Ltd. The consolidated income is around £1.7 million from a range of educational programmes, hospitality, and property income.

The role of Financial Manager is responsible for financial administration through to Management Accounts.

Finance Manager

Salary
£32,000 p.a. plus a pension contribution of 8.5% of salary to the nominated pension scheme, currently the Church of England Church Workers Pension Fund (Pension Builder Classic) and lunch in the College Refectory when available.

Hours per week
Please note this role is unsuited to remote working. Hours of Work: 35 hours a week, Monday to Friday, 9.00 am till 5.00 pm with a daily unpaid break of one hour. Work may be required outside these hours to assist the College with events and additional work may also be required to cover other staff absences, for which time off in lieu will be given.

Line Management
The post holder reports to the Director of Finance & Facilities.

Leave
The post’s annual leave entitlement is 25 days plus statutory holidays; this includes the days when the College may be closed over the Christmas period. Holidays are to be taken with due regard to the needs of the College, in particular the deadlines for financial reporting, and following consultation with the Director of Finance & Facilities.

Job purpose

• To ensure that the College’s financial transactions are properly recorded, processed, reconciled and reported to management account level.
• To be the operational face of finance to the assorted departments
• To perform these tasks for the charity, trading subsidiary and any organisations the Charity may enter into agreement with.
• To assist the Director of Finance & Facilities as required

Job Description and Person Specification

 Main duties and responsibilities:

1. Payroll

• To oversee all aspects of payroll processing and perform payroll tasks as required through to annual returns including liaison with pension providers, HMRC and other statutory organisations.

2. Financial Management

• Reconcile the College’s bank accounts;
• Clear the control accounts and reconcile courses;
• To administer student fees including raising invoices, processing receipts, keeping abreast of unpaid fees and sending reminder letters;
• To operate procedures and systems for controlling, recording and processing income and expenditure transactions
• To control the purchase ledger and sales ledger including reconciliations, taking action for the recovery of overdue fees in accordance with the current policy on the treatment of debtors.
• To undertake routine reconciliation processes
• To assist with the smooth running of the hospitality finance systems and to perform month end procedures, reconciliations and invoicing in relation to each department.
• To produce and send invoices for the College where they are not raised by other departments.
• To produce reports and financial returns as required including monthly management accounts.
• To assist the Director of Finance & Facilities in the preparation of the annual capital and revenue income and expenditure budgets, in consultation with the heads of departments for consideration by the Principal and Trustees.
• To assist the Director of Finance & Facilities in the preparation of forecasts and cash flow forecasts.
• To produce the quarterly VAT returns.
• To prepare and submit the Gift Aid declarations.
• To prepare for the drawing up of the year end accounts by completing necessary reconciliations and schedules.
• To support Heads of Department in expense monitoring including providing cost centre reports for budget holders.
• To meet and work with appointed auditors, as required.

3. Trustees

• To assist the Director of Finance & Facilities with the preparation and distribution of papers relating to meetings of the Governing Body.

4. Administrative

• To assist the Director of Finance & Facilities with the preparation of statistical returns;
• To be a proficient user of the College’s finance, hospitality and database software;
• To assist in the smooth running of the College administration, the Finance Manager may occasionally be required to stand in for absent staff which may include assisting with staff, students, customers and prospective customers.

5. General

• To deputise for the Director of Finance & Facilities in his/her absence;
• To provide support as required to the Director of Finance & Facilities;
• To respect at all times the confidential nature of the information which passes through the finance office.

6. Promote and safeguard the wellbeing of students and guests by ensuring compliance with the College’s Safeguarding policy at all times. It is a requirement of staff to report any actual or potential risks to the safety and welfare of students to the Safeguarding Office. Safeguarding training will be included in the induction process.

7. To contribute to the overall aims, ethos and targets of the College, appreciate and support the roles of other members of the College and attend and participate effectively in relevant meetings as required.

8. To be aware of and participate in the College’s performance management framework and training and development activities as required, sharing information where appropriate.

9. To comply and assist with the development of policies and procedures relating (but not limited) to safeguarding, health and safety, welfare, security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.

10. To carry out such other duties as the College may from time to time reasonably require.

The list of duties is not exhaustive or prescriptive and this job specification will be reviewed and updated periodically, after consultation with the post holder. The post holder will be expected to approach the role with enthusiasm and initiative and play their part as a full member of the College’s support staff.

 

Person Specification

Key Skills	Essential	Preferred
Working knowledge of accountancy procedures and bookkeeping	X
Working knowledge of Sage Line 50 and Sage Payroll	X
Strong IT skills, particularly Microsoft Excel	X
AAT Level 3	X
ACCA full or part qualified		X
Practical Experience Of	Essential	Preferred
Purchase ledger management	X
Credit control	X
Cash allocation	X
Production of Management Accounts	X
Preparing and monitoring budgets		X
Bank reconciliation	X
Report production	X
Billing administration	X
Payroll administration	X
Pension administration	X
Pensions auto-enrolment	X
Being responsible for VAT reconciliation	X
VAT partial exemption		X
Gift Aid claims		X
Personal Competencies and Qualities	Essential	Preferred
The ability to plan and organise effectively	X
Initiative and problem-solving ability	X
Proven record of adaptability/ability to be flexible	X
Team player	X
Excellent organisational skills	X
Excellent attention to detail	X
A good sense of tact, diplomacy and integrity	X
A good sense of humour	X
Ability to work autonomously and deliver results	X
Ability to work to and meet deadlines	X
Excellent numeracy skills	X
Outstanding written and oral communication skills	X
Personal energy, drive and resilience with a desire to make a difference	X
An ability to collaborate effectively with the public, academic and administrative staff	X
Experience of working in an educational environment		X
An understanding of vulnerable person protection and safe-guarding		X
Understanding or charity and corporate governance		X
Knowledge of the specific accounting requirements relating to educational establishments and charities		X
Sympathy with the Christian roots and values of the College		X

 

 

Application Process

If you wish to apply for the post, please complete the application form by the deadline of 10am on Monday 7th November.

Interviews will be held on Friday 11 November 2022.

Application Form (Word) 

Application Form (PDF)

Please be aware that under the Immigration Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, it is a criminal offence to employ anyone who is not entitled to live or work in the United Kingdom. Applicants will be asked to provide proof of their employable status before the College can confirm any offer of appointment.

This appointment is subject to basic DBS clearance. Shortlisted applicants also will be required to complete a Confidential Declaration relating to safeguarding and a Medical Questionnaire.

This appointment is subject to a six month probationary period, which may be extended.

To email your application, send it to Mark Manterfield mdm@sarum.ac.uk.

Applications may also be submitted in hardcopy to:

Mark Manterfield
Sarum College
19 The Close
Salisbury
SP1 2EE