Finance Business Partner in Croydon

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.

We are looking for a Finance Business Partner to support our academies with clear financial insight, smart budgeting and data-driven decision-making. You will work closely with Principals and senior leaders, acting as a trusted advisor and helping drive efficiencies across our schools. If you are an analytical, confident finance professional with strong stakeholder skills, we would welcome your application.

Main Areas of Responsibility

• Producing financial reports, dashboards and analysis to assess performance against targets and trends
• Analysing financial data, margins, cost drivers and overheads to identify efficiencies and savings opportunities
• Preparing balance sheet reconciliations and ensuring the accuracy of financial reporting
• Providing insightful commentary and translating financial data into clear, actionable recommendations
• Identifying and investigating data anomalies, validating results and reconciling source data
• Partnering with schools, departments and budget holders to support budgeting, planning and performance management
• Building strong stakeholder relationships and providing expert financial advice and guidance
• Developing financial models to support business cases, forecasting and commercial decisions
• Supporting managers to improve financial performance, efficiency and value for money
• Ensuring compliance with financial regulations, internal controls and organisational policies
• Monitoring adherence to financial procedures, delegated authorities and governance requirements

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• A Bachelors degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a related discipline
• Part or full accountancy qualification (e.g. ACCA, CIMA, ACA)
• Commitment to ongoing professional development to remain current with UK financial regulations and best practices.
• A minimum of three years experience in a finance role, ideally with exposure to financial analysis, budgeting and forecasting
• Demonstrable experience working with financial systems such as Oracle, SAP, or equivalent ERP solutions for financial reporting and analysis
• Experience in a commercial or multi-site operational environment is advantageous.

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.

Our vision, from the start, has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts, and to free-up our teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of all their pupils. Our young people and communities are at the heart of everything we do. Our core mission has always been to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. Our ambition is one where every child in London, no matter their background, has equal access to high quality education, giving them the same opportunities and potential to succeed.

We know there are many challenges facing our young people and the communities we serve, and that's why we need determined people like you to help us tackle those inequalities. Whilst each of our academies has their own unique cultures and values; as a whole Federation, we have four core values which are central to successfully achieving our vision: Excellence, Collaboration, Support, and Innovation. We are proud of our values because they guide us in how we work allowing us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young people, communities, and colleagues.

What We Can Offer You

• Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression
• Annual loyalty bonus
• Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution
• 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts
• Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
• Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts
• 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees
• Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans
• For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.