Finance Manager

· Act as trusted finance advisor to the Bursar, School Principal and leadership teams.

· Support school leadership in achieving financial and operational objectives.

· Challenge and support commercial decision-making through financial analysis.

· Identify opportunities to improve profitability and operating performance.

· Support and help drive enrolment and ancillary revenue growth initiatives, ensuring approved P&L accounts are in place for each initiative.

· Support monthly financial reporting processes across the school, ensuring timeliness, accuracy and relevance.

·Support monthly financial review meetings with the Bursar, school principal and regional finance teams.

· First point of contact for finance shared services for the school.

· First approver for all invoices submitted by the shared service team, ensuring data accuracy (e.g. departments & GL accounts are correctly allocated) and costings are in line with the school budget.

· Support annual budgeting and periodic forecasting processes for the school.

· Support audit requirements where school judgement is required.

· Act as a technical accounting expert, advising on compliance and policy changes.

· Monitor cash collection performance and aged debt.

· Support schools in improving fee collection and reducing bad debt.

· Review cash flow forecasts and identify potential risks.

· Drive working capital improvements.

· Draft fee payment plans in accordance with ISP credit and collections policies for review with the bursar and school principal.

· Provide oversight and challenge to ensure payment arrangements balance family circumstances with appropriate debt recovery controls and liaise with debt recovery agencies.

· Support school leadership with complex parent fee collection matters.

· Monitor adherence to approved payment plans and escalate high-risk cases where appropriate.

· Analyse collection performance and identify opportunities to reduce aged debt and improve cash conversion.

· Coordinate with shared service teams to ensure timely billing is made to parents.

· Act as the primary contact for parents regarding school fees, payment queries and collection matters.

· Liaise with Admissions to monitor agency commissions and student discounts. Maintain accurate records and ensure the school is following the broader discount strategy.

· Ensure the Capex projects are allocated to the correct departments

· Monitor delivery of approved capital expenditure budgets.

· Build strong relationships with school leadership and operational teams.

· Work collaboratively with HR, Admissions, Operations and Shared Services.

· Support integration of acquisitions where required.

Key Skills

Finance business partnering

Commercial acumen

Team leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Cross-functional collaboration

Financial planning

Performance management

Cash flow management

Financial reporting and analysis

Capital Expenditure projects

Technology adoption

Process improvements