At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead financial insights for schools, supporting leaders in decision-making and improving outcomes.
- Company: Progress Education, committed to wellbeing and professional growth.
- Benefits: Generous holidays, health cashback, professional development support, and exclusive discounts.
- Other info: Opportunity to build something new and influence key decisions.
- Why this job: Shape the future of finance in education while making a real impact on students' lives.
- Qualifications: Experience in management accounting or finance business partnering; strong communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
Join us as a Finance Business Partner: Empower Futures!
Hours of work: Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm Hybrid with travel to all schools (occasionally) and head office (Switch House). Fixed Term: 12 Months.
Help shape the future of financial leadership within education. Do you want to work for a company where wellbeing is more than a word, it's a commitment? Somewhere where the person matters as much as the professional? Well at Progress Education, that's just the approach we take.
Your work-life balance matters. That's why we offer generous holidays, additional leave for foster carers and flexibility wherever possible. And why do we do this? Because when you thrive, so do our students. So we want to invest in your personal and professional growth as much as we do the young people who attend our schools.
But that's not all, we also offer:
- Professional Development: Support for professional qualifications, in-house training, including paid qualifications.
- Financial Security: Death in Service Insurance providing four times your salary.
- Family-Friendly Policies: Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave.
- Health and Wellbeing Cashback: Access to Medicash for you and your dependants, covering the costs of eye tests, optical, dental, prescriptions, and holistic treatments up to £900 annually.
- Recognition Awards: Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Recognition Awards.
- Referral Bonus: £500 for referring top talent.
- Exclusive Discounts: MiRewards benefits platform, offering loads of discounts and rewards.
- Weekly drop-ins with Senior Leaders: Connect, clarify and communicate with weekly drop-ins with our Managing Director and organisation SLT.
- Group Connection: Annual Group conference and a comprehensive benefits review.
At Progress Schools, finance is about far more than producing reports. We believe financial insight should empower our school leaders to make informed decisions that maximise resources and improve outcomes for young people.
About the Role: As Finance Business Partner, you'll become the dedicated finance lead for a portfolio of schools, working closely with Headteachers and operational leaders to understand financial performance, identify risks and opportunities, and provide meaningful commercial insight. You'll review management accounts, investigate variances, support budgeting and forecasting, and help school leaders understand how financial decisions impact operational performance.
What Success Looks Like: After six months in the role, you'll know your schools inside out. You'll understand the story behind every significant variance, Headteachers will see you as their first point of contact for financial support, and you'll be confidently identifying risks, opportunities and improvements before anyone else.
What You'll Bring: We're looking for someone who combines strong financial knowledge with excellent communication and relationship-building skills. You'll have experience in management accounting or finance business partnering, be comfortable analysing financial information and enjoy working collaboratively with operational colleagues.
Why Join Us? This is an opportunity to build something new. You'll have genuine ownership of your portfolio, work closely with senior leaders across the organisation and play a key role in developing our Finance Business Partnering function.
If you enjoy making a difference, influencing decisions and helping others succeed, this is the role for you.
What are we looking for from you?
- Academic Background: Part-qualified or qualified ACCA, CIMA or ACA (desirable).
- Experience: Experience within a management accounting or finance business partnering environment.
- Knowledge: Strong understanding of management accounts and Profit.
Finance Business Partner employer: The Progress Group
The Progress Group is an exceptional employer located in High Wycombe, dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment. With a strong emphasis on professional development, generous holiday allowances, and family-friendly policies, we prioritise the wellbeing of our staff as much as that of our students. Join us to make a meaningful impact in education while enjoying a fulfilling career with ample growth opportunities.
