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School Business Manager

• Bermondsey, South East London (SE1)
• From £32,000 to £44,000 per annum pro rata 3 days per week
• Permanent

 

THIS IS A PART-TIME ROLE

Previous experience within a school is ESSENTIAL
This is an Ofsted 1 Outstanding Girls’ School

 

The role

The Business Manager is part of the Senior Leadership Team with responsibility for the leadership, management supervision and development of the support services teams ensuring an efficient, safe, healthy, clean, attractive and comfortable environment is provided within budget and business aims and objectives. There is an expectation of the post holder to act with a high degree of autonomy including responsibility and accountability for managing delegated budgets and resources.
The role also involves creating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating development plans aimed at bringing about continual improvement in these areas.
Key Accountabilities
• Ensure the smooth, efficient, effective and economical running of each of the support departments, to include Finance, Administration, HR, Facilities and Site Maintenance, ICT, Health and Safety, Housekeeping and Catering.
• Ensure all support services meet the needs of the individual pupil and students by enabling the environment to be used as a means of support and social learning.
• Effectively lead financial management including managing and monitoring budgets, financial performance and activities.
• Provide professional leadership and management of the support teams to enhance their effectiveness and performance to achieve excellent standards.
• Promote the highest standards of business ethos and compliance.
• Carry out and/or facilitate audit processes to monitor service delivery standards.
• Ensure that IT systems and hardware are fit for purposes, meeting the needs of the company, employees and pupil and students, liaising with central and local IT teams as appropriate.
Key Duties
Leadership and People Management
• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contribute to the development and implementation of the strategic and operational plans, projects and objectives.
• Take delegated responsibility as appropriate for specific time periods and areas such as financial and other relevant decisions and actions.
• Line manage the team leads of each of the Support Services ensuring the development and effective performance management of all members of the teams.
• Ensure clear direction for each support team function providing regular feedback through informal one to one meetings and formal appraisal or performance management processes
• As SLT member be part of ‘senior on call’ cover in emergencies.
Financial Resource Management
• Support the annual budgeting process ensuring all relevant parties at site are included so that budgets are realistic and cover all likely expenditure and highlight any new or expected expenditure.
• Communicate agreed budgets to budget holders educating as necessary to allow for regular accurate reporting on budget.
• Manage agreed budgets including
o monitoring and analysing reports including ensuring expenditure is within the figures and guidelines laid down and alert appropriate manager if budgets are nearing spending limits.
o Highlight budget variance on a regular basis to the SMT, along with proposed corrective action. Manage agreed corrective action with budget holders.
o Ensure that records and systems are kept up to date and monitored.
• In liaison with central functions and operating within processes and procedures work with SLT to prioritise and adjust expenditure throughout the year to keep within allocated budgets, e.g. major repairs and capital expenditure.
• Be vigilant for and report immediately, following relevant procedures, suspected fraudulent activity, liaising with SLT and central functions and implement agreed course of action.
• Ensure relevant formal and acceptable finance agreements are in place for all suppliers following company procedures and guidelines.
• Oversee the site based payroll activities liaising with central function as appropriate to ensure everyone is paid accurately and in a timely manner.
• Support the process of fee payments supporting accurate pupil and students records including funding agreements.
Administration
• Manage the administrative function to ensure all processes, procedures, reporting and records are maintained, up to date and delivered in line with compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure administrative processes are efficient, effective and interact smoothly without duplication to provide complete systems, ensuring clear areas of responsibility.
• Introduce and maintain systems to measure and improve all administrative processes and systems and ensure the administrative function plans ahead to meet future needs and plans.
• Prepare information for publications and returns for regulatory and other external bodies, other agencies and stakeholders within statutory guidelines.
Management Information Systems and ICT.
• Ensure each team has the technology resources required by them to effectively carry out the roles required of them and report where issues exist.
• Ensure that appropriate training and education is undertaken to ensure compliance with the requirements of holding and using data in line with relevant Legislation.
• Ensure resources, support and training are provided to enable work colleagues to make the best use of available ICT including teaching, learning and assessment systems
• Ensure contingency plans are in place in the case of technology failure.
Human Resources
• Ensure that the HR policies, including the equality policy are communicated appropriately to all staff.
• On an ongoing basis identify the types of skills, knowledge, understanding and experience required to undertake existing and future planned activities.
Facilities and Site Management
• Liaise closely with the site manager to ensure that local teams and resources are appropriately deployed.
• Ensure that all property, fixture and fittings, grounds and other facilities are maintained to high standards of safety and security.
• Ensure own and teams behaviour encourages other team members and the pupil and students to care for their surroundings and to make best use of the available / allocated resources.
• Ensure that systems and procedures are in place for routine and emergency servicing and maintenance of all facilities, property and grounds.
• Manage the local requirements of contracts for outsourced services, ensuring ongoing value for money and high service delivery.
• Ensure, in liaison with the central team, that all necessary insurances are in place and up to date.
• Ensure systems are in place to ensure that all contractors undertaking work on site adhere to health safety and safeguarding procedures.
• Ensure that all vehicles are taxed, have up to date MOTs carried out, maintained in a clean, tidy and safe condition and are serviced in accordance with schedules.
Person Specification
Criteria 

EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS
• 3-5 A Level Subjects including English and Maths to Grade C or above.
• Educated to Degree level.
• Evidence of continued professional study.
• Qualification in School Business Management.

EXPERIENCE
• 3 years’ experience of working in senior administrative role with significant aspects of financial administration within the last 5 years.
• Experience of supervising others.
• Experience of administrative systems.
• 1 years’ experience of working in a school or education environment.
• Experience of leading multiple teams across several functions
• Experience of managing budgets competently

KNOWLEDGE of
• Databases and usage.
• Facilities administration.
• School MIS systems.
• Relevant regulations and standards for education and care
• Current inspection frameworks used by regulatory and statutory bodies.
• Anti-discrimination and equal opportunities legislation as it applies to staff, pupils, students and others.
• Good practice, safer recruitment and relevant recruitment and selection legislation.
• Key aspects of Health & Safety
SKILLS/APTITUDE
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to present information in a logical, clear and concise format and to communicate this effectively to colleagues, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a range of colleagues.
• Ability to work with autonomy within set boundaries.
• Ability to manage own workload and supervise others.
• Ability to identify priorities quickly and accurately and to ensure that deadlines are met.
• High level of IT skills with experience of MS Office and finance programs.
• Ability to assess situations accurately, resolve problems effectively and take decisions autonomously within limits of own authority.
• Ability to manage own time and multiple tasks effectively.

• Reference: Totaljobs/alsso002
• Job ID: 74923846

• Contact: [email protected] with your CV for help applying for this position. Don’t have the qualifications or the skills? contact us for some training courses in bookkeeping and accounting.