Assistant Business Manager

Job Overview

Job Title: Assistant Business Manager

Hours: 36.25 hours per week, full year. 8.00 am to 4.00 pm (including a 45 minute unpaid break)

Responsible to: School Business Manager

Salary: Band 9 (SCP 33 to 36, £44,075 – £47,181)

Main Purpose Of The Job

To support the Business Manager in providing high-quality financial management. To ensure the finance office fully supports the needs of the school and to strive for continuous improvement; making recommendations to the Headteacher and Business Manager where scope of system improvement is identified. To work as part of a team to support colleagues and contribute to the vision and ethos of the school.

Main Responsibilities And Tasks

Leadership and Strategy

• Under the direction of the Headteacher and Business Manager, lead on all financial matters in college, to ensure the college’s successful financial performance and that financial-related decisions are clearly linked to the college’s strategic goals.
• Attend regular operational and finance meetings at college, as requested by the Headteacher or Business Manager and report to Governors where appropriate.
• Contribute to the implementation of college-wide changes and allocate resources in line with the school improvement plan, putting policies and procedures in place and communicating them to staff.
• Take all decisions in line with the vision and values of the college and encourage others to do the same.

Financial Management and Fundraising

• In partnership with the Headteacher, Business Manager and Finance Team, manage the school’s budget and ensure it is balanced, realistic, and represents and effective use of public funds.
• Monitor the budget all year round, advising the Headteacher where revisions or changes are needed.
• Forecast future years’ budgets, based on the college’s estimated funding and trends in expenditure, to enable the Headteacher to make effective strategic, long-term decisions.
• Conduct monthly reviews of forecasting reports, investigating variances and liaise with the Business Manager as required.
• Preparation and distribution of monthly department / budget holder reports, responding to any department budget queries.
• Contribute to the college’s fundraising and income generation strategy, choosing fundraising priorities in line with the school improvement plan.
• Lead on college level procurement processes, managing tenders where appropriate, conducting due diligence, benchmarking and evaluating suppliers, negotiating deals and ensuring value for money.

Day to Day Finances

• To be part of the Finance Team and will have a key role in implementing procedures and maintaining the schools financial reporting system
• Assisting the Business Manager in all aspects of financial management
• Line managing the the Finance Team (two part time staff)
• Undertake training and have a knowledge of all College Finance software packages
• Ensure spending of the school budget is operating in line with Financial Regulations and official guidelines including CFR Guidelines and the School Finance Manual
• Maintain accurate files of accounts, which record the school\’s financial transactions, including order forms, invoices, cash, receipts and other paperwork.
• To ensure spending is kept in line with the budget, produce monthly monitoring reports for budget holders and ad-hoc reports as requested.
• Monitor and reconciliation of control accounts including aged debtors and creditor reporting, VAT and payroll accounts, bank, cash and fixed asset recording
• Liaise with all budget holders, stakeholders and external bodies when required
• Monitor the monthly advance and grant income receipts are in line with the School budget allocation and other funding streams
• Liaise with the bank, auditors, DfE and Governors
• To ensure all orders and financial commitments are input accurately and timely into the schools management information systems
• Maintain the School Fund Account currently on SAGE with the Finance Team throughout the year and produce the year end statement
• Authorise the invoices in the Schools Finance System to produce and reconcile timely BACS payments
• Raise school invoices as required and manage the debtor control system
• Administration of petty cash and internal recharges and maintaining the records in the finance system
• Complete monthly VAT returns
• To be responsible for the use and management of the school’s bank cards
• Reconcile the school\’s bank accounts in the management information system
• Monitoring and managing the cash flow of school accounts
• Administer the School Fund and Gift Aid Account processing the annual claim to HMRC
• Maintaining the College contractors register
• Support the Business Manager with Local Authority and DfE returns
• Take responsibility for the provision of school transport via the minibus fleet and external providers

Human Resources

• Provide the information required by Payroll and HR for the smooth running of those functions.
• Involvement in HR issues and recruitment within the school as requested by the Headteacher as required.
• Support the Headteacher and other senior staff with HR admin as required.

Premises and Health and Safety

• Support the Headteacher with the day to day management of the site.

Additional

• Be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to the appropriate person
• Be responsible for your own continuing self-development, and willing to undertake any additional training as appropriate
• Contribute to the overall ethos/work/aims of the school
• To undertake any other reasonable duties, as directed by the Headteacher
• This job description will be reviewed annually and may be subject to amendment at any time after consultation with the post holder. It is not a comprehensive statement of tasks but sets out the main expectations of the school in relation to the post holder’s duties and responsibilities

Closing Date: 9:00am on Thursday 2nd October 2025