*INTERNAL APPLICATIONS ONLY* DSG Payments Manager in Walthamstow

About the role: We are currently seeking to appoint a DSG Payments Manager to lead and manage our Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) payments service within Education Operations and Performance. This is a senior leadership role responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of statutory financial processes linked to early years and high needs funding. The postholder will oversee the development and implementation of funding formulae, ensuring accurate and timely payments to early years providers, schools, and other commissioned services in line with Department for Education (DfE) and Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) requirements. You will play a key role in ensuring compliance with all legislative and regulatory frameworks, maintaining robust quality assurance processes, and safeguarding significant levels of public funding. The role also involves leading on strategic planning and continuous service improvement across the DSG payments function. You will develop policies, systems, and procedures to enhance efficiency, including driving digital solutions to improve payment processes. Working closely with the Head of Education Operations & Payments, you will contribute to wider service strategy, provide expert advice to senior leaders and elected members, and deputise where required.

A key aspect of the role is building strong relationships with internal teams, schools, early years settings, and external partners. You will lead on communication, training, and guidance to ensure stakeholders understand and meet financial and statutory requirements. In addition, you will oversee the production of high-quality financial and performance reports, manage consultations, and respond to complex enquiries, including those from senior stakeholders and elected representatives. As a manager, you will lead and develop a small team, ensuring high performance, professional standards, and a strong focus on customer service. The role carries responsibility for managing significant budgets—supporting the accurate distribution and quality assurance of DSG funding at scale—while ensuring value for money and effective resource management. This is an exciting opportunity to shape and deliver a critical service that supports education provision and outcomes for children and young people, while operating at the heart of financial governance and strategic decision-making within the Council.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work in partnership with the Head of Operations and Payments to contribute to the development of strategic plans, policies and procedures in relation to the Operations and Payments.
• Develop a strategy for the DSG Payments service, implement long and short term service plans and contribute to the development of policies and procedures that ensures service delivery meets strategic, legislative and Government policy requirements in relation to Early Years Block (EYB) and High Needs Block (HNB) Dedicated Schools (DSG) Block formula and payment requirements.
• Lead on development and implementation of a range of information advice and training to Ofsted/DfE registered settings, commissioned providers and individuals that is of high quality, intelligence-led and evidence-based to ensure that they have access to support, advice and training as well as development opportunities that lead to strong financial arrangements, financial sustainability and quality service delivery and are aware of and meet their statutory requirements in relation to EY DSG and HNB DSG payments.
• Lead on the monitoring and evaluation processes that will measure the impact of information advice and training provided, which in turn informs service planning and strategic vision.
• Lead on the production and implementation of financial guidance document for early years providers with regards to the claiming and use of FEEE/EYFF monies in line with statutory and LBWF requirements.
• Implement policies and procedures for making EYB and HNB DSG payments to Ofsted/DfE Registered settings, commissioned providers and individuals.
• Lead on EYB and HNB DSG funding consultations.
• Collate and analyse a range of information in order to produce and present a range of accurate performance and financial reports in relation to area of responsibility in partnership with internal and external partners as appropriate for relevant statutory returns as well as Schools Forum, Scrutiny, Cabinet reports and other meetings and boards as required.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Experience of successfully undertaking a leadership/management role which lead on delivering a Council’s statutory requirements relating to developing and implementing a transparent formula to fund and make payments to all providers who deliver the Governments free early education and childcare scheme.
• Experience of successfully undertaking a leadership/management role which lead on delivering a Council’s statutory requirements relating to develop and implement financial procedures in order to make payments to Ofsted/DfE registered settings, commissioned providers and individuals from the High Needs Block (HNB) of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG).
• Experience of develop and deliver arrangements for the delivery of financial trading services.
• Experience of monitoring compliance with statutory and financial requirements and taking appropriate action where non-compliance issues are identified.
• Experience of developing and implementing financial ICT systems/databases.
• Significant experience in developing and implementing strategic plans and evaluating their impact, seeking continuous improvement and associated challenges.
• Knowledge of project and performance management and a track record of delivering projects using data informed decision making.
• Experience of translating organisational vision into department/team priorities and service plans.
• Ability to demonstrate effective involvement of stakeholders in service development and delivery, harnessing the benefits of partnership working by persuading, convincing and negotiating.
• Experience of monitoring service performance against national service, council performance targets and other service providers.
• Experience of using complex, multi-source data to identify areas for improvement and gain efficiencies.
• Experience of identifying innovative solutions that transform the flexibility, responsiveness and quality of the service.
• Experience of commissioning and contract monitoring services.
• Experience of using digital opportunities to identify areas where ICT could be used more effectively to improve service delivery and provide required outcomes.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret and utilise data and experience of collation and analysis of complex information in order to produce accurate information, performance and financial data and reports at a high level.
• Awareness of local, regional, and national educational issues and legislation, including wider local government issues and the political context in which it operates.
• Experience of using an understanding of political agenda to create effective solutions and drive improvements.
• Effective ICT skills.
• Experience of Synergy/Access, Oracle or similar large financial ICT system.

Terms and Conditions:

• Satisfactory employment references and CIFAS identity checks;
• Satisfactory declaration of interest;
• This role is subject to safer recruitment practices as it involves work with children and/or vulnerable adults;
• Satisfactory DBS check;
• Continued professional body registration;
• As a public authority, we must ensure that members of staff in public-facing roles are able to speak fluent English. This means that they must have a command of spoken English, with confidence and accuracy, sufficient for the effective performance of their role. This requirement does not refer to any particular English language qualifications, regional or international accents, dialects, speech impediments or the tone of conversations. It does not require staff to speak only in English.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Waltham Forest is a diverse borough where diversity is valued and is integral to both, service delivery and employment of its staff. The Council is proud of its rich mix of communities and as the largest employer in the area, it works hard to respond to the changing needs of its population. We use our statutory duties on race, gender and disability equality and best practice in respect of age, faith and sexual orientation to ensure equality of opportunity in the workplace. The Council is committed to meeting its 4 equality objectives: Promoting equality of opportunity, Opposing all forms of discrimination, intolerance and disadvantage, Ensuring our workforce reflects the diverse communities of Waltham Forest at all levels, Providing fair, appropriate, accessible and excellent Services to all. Respecting Diversity is a core Council value.