Head of Finance

Happy Days Nurseries are delighted to be recruiting our new Head of Finance. We are seeking a skilled professional to lead our finance function, working closely with our Chief Finance Officer to contribute to strategic financial planning and decision-making as we continue to expand and grow our business. The Head of Finance will oversee and enhance the financial operations, ensuring robust financial management whilst supporting strategic growth.

What You’ll be Doing:

• Provide effective and empowering leadership to our finance team, mentoring and supporting them to develop professionally.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration, working closely with other teams to ensure financial alignment and support for business initiatives.
• Oversee all aspects of finance operations, including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and the Company Secretary role.
• Work with senior leadership and budget managers to set and monitor financial KPIs and budgets, ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Develop and implement finance policies, procedures, and internal controls to safeguard company assets and mitigate financial risks.
• Oversee and approve the production and distribution of various financial reporting statements, maintaining all financial records and systems to a high standard of accuracy.
• Support the audit process and maintain a positive relationship with external auditors.
• Work with the CFO and management team to develop the organisation’s financial strategy, lead the annual budgeting process and long-term financial planning, and provide financial analysis and insights to support strategic decision-making.
• Prepare and present technical and strategic papers and reports to the Board and its subcommittees.

Who We’re Looking For:

• A qualified accountant (ACCA, ACA, CIMA) with demonstrable experience in a senior financial leadership role.
• Skilled in budgeting, monitoring, and financial analysis with a strong working knowledge of accounting software, Business Intelligence reporting tools (e.g., PowerBI), and Microsoft Office.
• A strategic thinker with excellent communication skills, capable of building strong relationships and influencing decision-making at all levels.
• Proficient in managing high-performing teams and fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Ability to seek out, manage, and influence opportunities for continuous improvement and change.
• Highly organised, detail-oriented, and adept at managing multiple priorities.

Hybrid Work: minimum 3 days office based per week.

Why Join Us? At Happy Days, we believe in fostering a supportive and collaborative work environment where your contributions are valued and your professional growth is encouraged. If you are passionate about finance and are looking for a role where you will drive change and make a significant impact on the future of our business, we would love to hear from you!

Key Process Milestones:

• Closing date for applications – 10th February 2025
• 1st Stage Interviews (Online) – 20th and 21st February 2025
• 2nd Stage Interviews (In Person, Summercourt Support Centre) – 4th & 5th March 2025
• Target Appointment Date – 14th March 2025

Benefits: At Happy Days, we believe that our People deserve the best. That’s why we’re continuously reviewing and enhancing our benefits to ensure they meet the evolving needs of our colleagues. Our teams, whether in our nurseries or our support centre SHINE, ensure we are delivering outstanding childcare to every child in our settings every day, making Happy Days a great place to work. By ensuring we are always recruiting, retaining and promoting a diverse mix of colleagues, who are representative of the communities within which our nurseries sit, gives us the best opportunity to continue to deliver outstanding childcare.

Happy Days Nurseries are committed to the safety and wellbeing of the children in our care, as such the successful post holder will be required to undergo a robust vetting process, including an enhanced DBS Check and Reference History Checks.