Finance Lead in Sunderland

We are looking for a Finance Lead to join our team. The ideal candidate will be responsible for overseeing all financial operations, including billing, payroll, and accounts payable, while ensuring the financial health of our nurseries. This role requires meticulous attention to detail, strong organisational skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with the nursery manager and directors. The Finance Lead will report to the Operations Manager and will line manage a Finance Assistant.

Salary

This position has a starting salary of £30,000, with the view of it rising to £32,000 upon successful completion of a six-month probationary period.

Essential Qualifications & Skills

• Proven experience in a finance management or lead role, preferably within the education or nursery sector.
• Proficiency with payroll software and a demonstrated ability to help us on our digital journey by implementing efficient, modern financial processes.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Desirable Qualifications

• Proficiency with financial software, specifically Xero and Dext.
• A bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
• A full driving licence.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Reporting and Auditing

• Produce quarterly Profit & Loss (P&L) statements to provide a clear overview of financial performance.
• Carry out monthly audits to accurately monitor occupancy and fee income across all settings.
• Conduct quarterly financial audits to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Provide monthly income and expenditure updates to the directors.
• Attend monthly management meetings with the management team, Operations Manager, and Directors to discuss any financial concerns.
• Agree on transactions in both Dext and Xero to ensure accurate bookkeeping.

Billing and Accounts Receivable

• Manage all monthly billing runs and ensure fees are accurately calculated and invoiced.
• Deal with all fee enquiries and make necessary amendments, including adjusting fees for two-year age changes and invoicing for additional sessions.
• Calculate and create new fee policies for new starters.
• Calculate annual fee increases, create new fee policies for all children, and liaise with the nursery management team to roll out the increases.
• Allocate daily fees to the correct accounts to maintain up-to-date records on our parent portal.
• Ensure timely payment of fees by parents and proactively chase outstanding debt on a monthly basis.
• Assist the nursery manager with fee-related complaints.

Payroll and Staff Administration

• Manage payroll deductions for sickness and additional hours on a daily basis, keeping wage sheets up to date.
• Calculate and manage annual leave entitlements for all staff.
• Log and monitor sickness absences, creating reports on high sickness volumes and sharing them with the nursery management team and Operations Manager.
• Process monthly staff wages, managing any increases or changes to contracted hours.
• Liaise with external accountants for payroll and any other financial related matters, meeting with them quarterly.

Operations and Management

• Line manage a Finance Assistant, providing guidance and support to ensure team goals are met.
• Upload and log invoices daily, splitting them between settings as necessary.
• Ensure invoices and receipts are paid within the agreed timescale.
• Manage and monitor all purchase order requests, including sourcing the best suppliers and overseeing if the request is essential or non-essential.
• Work closely with the Operations manager to monitor occupancy across all settings and support business growth.

Work location schedule: You will be required to spend two days per week at each nursery setting (Heaton and Gosforth) and one day per week at the Heaton head office.