Jobs

Financial Controller - Multi Academy Trust 

Location: Thrapston, Northamptonshire
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: £51,000 -£58,000 per annum

· Lead and develop a Finance Operations team within education

· Partner directly with the CFO on strategic financial planning

· Hands-on financial accounting role managing a team

· Develop your career within a Trust committed to professional growth

Our client, a well-established Multi-Academy Trust with schools across Corby, Kettering and Wisbech, is seeking an experienced Financial Controller to join their central finance team – in the Thrapston Head Office. This is an excellent opportunity for a finance professional looking to make a meaningful impact within the education sector while advancing their career in a supportive and values-driven organisation.

Company Overview 

This Multi-Academy Trust of 12 primary & secondary schools is committed to enhancing strategic financial insight across its schools and leadership teams. They focus on the efficient allocation of resources, integrating finance with curriculum planning, and ensuring compliance with ESFA and academy handbook requirements. The Trust values continuous improvement and invests in the ongoing professional and personal development of every employee. With a strong emphasis on collaboration, high standards, and courteous service, they create an environment where finance professionals can grow while making a real difference to students and staff across their schools.

Position Overview

As Financial Controller, you'll play a key role in ensuring financial sustainability across the Trust. Working closely with the CFO, you'll manage capital and revenue budgets, produce financial reports and statements, and lead the Finance Operations team of 4 staff. This position is central to maintaining robust financial controls, managing risk, and ensuring compliance with financial and legal obligations. You'll also build strong relationships with external stakeholders including banks, the DfE, and auditors, while identifying opportunities for cost savings and improved efficiency across the Trust.

Responsibilities 

· Manage and monitor capital and revenue budgets effectively

· Support the CFO in producing regular finance reports and budget packs

· Prepare financial statements including cash flow, income and balance sheets

· Perform monthly balance sheet reconciliations and fixed asset reporting

· Maintain the Key Financial Controls Framework across the Trust

· Conduct fixed asset verifications and stock takes

· Manage financial risk and ensure compliance with regulations

· Build and maintain relationships with banks, DfE, auditors and stakeholders

· Organise and follow up on internal and external audits

· Lead, develop and manage the Finance Operations team (4 staff)

· Monitor cost-effectiveness of services and identify savings opportunities

· Oversee transactional processes including banking, purchase ledger and sales ledger

· Manage working capital and cash flow forecasting

· Partner with the CEO, Regional Executive Principals and School Business Managers

Requirements 

· Proven experience managing budgets and financial controls in a similar role

· Ideally fully-qualified ACCA, CIMA, ACA or CIPA accountant

· Strong technical accounting skills including balance sheet reconciliations and financial statements

· Experience leading and developing finance teams

· Knowledge of compliance requirements, ideally within education or public sector

· Ability to build effective relationships with senior stakeholders

· Experience managing audits and working with external bodies

· Strong analytical skills to identify cost savings and efficiency improvements

· Understanding of working capital management and cash flow forecasting

· Commitment to continuous improvement and professional development

Benefits

· Competitive salary of £51-58k

· Leading public sector pension contributions

· The role is office based but there is flexibility to work from home during quieter periods

· Commitment to ongoing professional and personal development

· Supportive leadership and clear career progression opportunities

You'll join a Trust that genuinely values its people and invests in their growth. Working alongside committed professionals, you'll be part of an organisation focused on continuous improvement, high standards, and making a positive impact on education.

How to Apply 

If you have the skills and experience to succeed in this Financial Controller role and are looking to advance your career within the education sector, please submit your CV and a cover letter outlining your relevant experience. We look forward to hearing from you.

Closing date: Ongoing/ASAP

Job Description

Reports to: CEO and Board of Trustees

Line management:        none

Checks: Enhanced DBS and two references

Purpose

The Project Manager & Systems Implementation Lead will lead a programme of organisational and systemic change across DATUS, supporting the organisation to move from largely paper-based, informal and inconsistent working practices towards a more structured, reliable and digitally enabled system of operations.

The postholder will work with the CEO, senior managers and the Organisation and Governance Consultant to implement agreed organisational systems, processes and priorities across DATUS. This will include supporting the practical development and day-to-day use of systems such as SharePoint, client records, finance processes, reporting tools, action trackers, governance documents and operational workflows.

The role is focused on turning agreed organisational systems into everyday practice. The postholder will support managers and staff to use systems consistently, identify barriers to implementation, ensure agreed actions are followed through, and escalate risks where systems are not being used or delivery is drifting.

This is a senior implementation role. The postholder will have delegated authority to monitor implementation, challenge drift, request updates, support problem-solving and escalate risks. They will need to work with managers constructively and confidently, without relying on formal line-management authority.

The role does not set the strategic direction of services, replace the authority of service managers, or redefine DATUS’s peer-led model of delivery. Responsibility for service delivery remains with service managers and programme leads. The purpose of this role is to strengthen organisational reliability so that DATUS can grow, evidence its work, meet funder and governance requirements, and protect the integrity of its peer-led approach.

Key Responsibilities

Systems Implementation

• Coordinate the design, testing, implementation, embedding and ongoing improvement of agreed organisational systems, operational frameworks and processes across DATUS.
• Work with the CEO, Organisation and Governance Consultant, senior managers and relevant staff to ensure new systems are practical, usable and aligned with organisational priorities.
• Support the implementation of key systems, including client records, finance processes, SharePoint, reporting tools, action trackers, governance documents and other operational workflows.
• Ensure new systems and applications are properly documented, maintained and managed once implemented.
• Develop practical guidance, templates, processes and tools to support consistent use across the organisation.
• Identify practical barriers to implementation and work with teams to resolve them.

Embedding & Adoption

• Work with Heads of Service, managers and staff to embed agreed systems into everyday practice.
• Ensure staff are trained, supported and confident in using organisational systems.
• Reinforce consistent ways of working across programmes and teams, while recognising the different practical needs of each service.
• Gather feedback from staff and managers to identify what is working, what is not working, and what needs to be improved.
• Support a culture where systems are used to strengthen delivery, accountability and learning, not simply to create paperwork.

Delivery Assurance

• Maintain oversight of agreed organisational priorities, implementation plans, actions and milestones.
• Track progress against agreed deliverables and ensure actions are completed, followed up or escalated where necessary.
• Hold short, structured check-ins with managers and staff responsible for delivery to confirm priorities, review progress, identify barriers and agree next steps.
• Challenge drift constructively where agreed systems are not being used or actions are not progressing.
• Maintain clear action logs, risk logs and implementation trackers so that commitments are visible and followed through.

Organisational Coordination

• Maintain visibility of operational activity across DATUS and support clear communication between leadership and operational teams.
• Help managers and teams understand how their work connects to wider organisational priorities, funder requirements and governance expectations.
• Support coordination across programmes so that systems, reporting and operational processes are aligned rather than fragmented.

Reporting & Escalation

• Provide regular updates to senior leadership on implementation progress, risks, barriers, adoption issues and system effectiveness.
• Escalate issues where delivery is not on track, where risks are not being managed, or where agreed systems are not being used.
• Support clear evidence of progress for internal governance, funders, commissioners and organisational learning.

Performance & Systems Integration

• Work closely with the Performance & Finance Lead to align finance systems, client data systems, KPI reporting and organisational dashboards.
• Ensure systems support accurate, timely and useful data capture, including outcome tracking, pathway reporting and recovery intelligence.
• Support the development of dashboards, reports and practical management information that helps DATUS understand performance and improve delivery.

Policies, Procedures & Governance

• Support the development, implementation and review of organisational policies, procedures and governance frameworks.
• Translate policies into practical processes that staff can understand and use.
• Monitor compliance with agreed processes, identify gaps and support managers to address them.
• Ensure governance documents, templates and procedures are kept organised, accessible and up to date.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify where systems are not working effectively and support practical improvements.
• Work with leadership, managers and staff to refine systems and processes based on evidence and feedback.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, follow-through and shared organisational learning.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Relevant management, operations, systems implementation, project management or change management qualification, or significant equivalent experience.
• Evidence of using structured project management approaches in practice, including planning, risk management, action tracking, implementation monitoring and review.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365, including SharePoint or equivalent document management / collaboration systems.

Desirable

• Formal project management qualification or training, such as PRINCE2, APM, Agile, Lean, Scrum or equivalent.
• Training or qualification in change management, business improvement, systems implementation, governance, data management or operational management.
• Training in data protection, information governance, safeguarding systems or quality assurance.

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience leading or coordinating the implementation of organisational systems, processes or operational frameworks across multiple teams.

· Experience leading or significantly supporting the move from paper-based, spreadsheet-based, informal or inconsistent working practices into structured digital systems and agreed organisational workflows.

• Experience implementing or improving systems such as SharePoint, client record systems, CRM systems, finance systems, reporting tools, action trackers or workflow processes.
• Experience tracking organisational priorities, actions, risks, issues and milestones, and ensuring agreed work is completed.
• Experience working across teams where delivery depends on influence, coordination and constructive challenge rather than direct line-management authority.

Desirable

• Experience working in the third sector, health and social care, addiction/recovery, homelessness, mental health, criminal justice, community development or other relational services.
• Experience supporting services with funder, commissioner, quality, audit or compliance reporting.
• Experience working with peer-led, lived-experience-led or community-based models of delivery.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to create order, track detail and keep multiple workstreams moving.
• Ability to translate organisational priorities into practical systems, workflows, templates and day-to-day routines.
• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office, Microsoft 365, operational tracking systems, case management systems, CRM systems and finance systems.
• Ability to identify where systems are failing, where staff are struggling, and where risks are emerging.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain systems clearly to staff with different levels of confidence and technical ability.
• Ability to produce clear written reports, action logs, process notes, implementation plans and senior leadership updates.
• Good understanding of confidentiality, data protection and the importance of accurate records in services working with vulnerable adults.

• Ability to support dashboard development, management information and real-time reporting.
• Understanding of governance, compliance, quality assurance and continuous improvement in a third-sector or public-service environment.

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Organised, structured and methodical, without being rigid or bureaucratic.
• Practical, calm and solution-focused.
• Confident enough to challenge drift, but mature enough to do it constructively.
• Able to work collaboratively without needing formal authority over others.
• Able to simplify complexity rather than create unnecessary process.
• Respectful of peer-led, lived-experience-led and community-based ways of working.
• Non-judgemental, reflective and open to personal change.
• Willing to learn about addiction, recovery, social exclusion and the DATUS peer model