Trust Business Manager

Job description

Job title and organisation: Trust Business Manager - Enhance Academy Trust
Salary: NJC SCP 32-35 £44,253 to £47,665
Hours: 37, All Year Round
Contract: Permanent
Location: Unit 7, The Office Campus, Paragon Business Park, Red Hall Ct, Wakefield WF1 2UY
Closing Date and Time: Sunday 1st November 2026

Overall Purpose of the Post

To support the strategic development of the Trust by working closely with the Headteacher and Senior Leaders in a group of schools to enable effective decision making and achievement of the school's aims:

• To provide high quality strategic financial planning to ensure that the academy makes best possible use of resources and is able to provide the best outcomes for pupils.
• To maintain and monitor the efficient management of a group of school's budget with Integrated Curriculum Financial Planning, along with maintaining an overview of administration management, HR, personnel, premises, and Health and Safety matters.
• To ensure financial reporting is effective and compliant with ESFA's Academies Handbook and Trust Policies.
• To be responsible for maximising income generation by letting the premises to external users and supporting the development of grant applications to support the school.

Duties and Activities

The postholder will manage a group of schools up to a maximum of seven working alongside other Central Team staff in the following areas:

Financial Management

• Responsible for monitoring all accounting procedures, identify areas of risk and to resolve any problems, including:
• The ordering, processing and payment of all goods and services provided to the school
• The operation of all accounts, ensuring a full reconciliation is undertaken at least once a month
• Maintaining an assets and risk register
• Responsible for the administration of the payment of all invoices for expenditure and income collection in accordance with payment timescales and the Trust's procedures.
• Work with Senior Leaders to develop a strategic plan for the staff and resources using Integrated Curriculum Financial Planning.
• Preparation of monthly management accounts to monitor and maintain the budget and forecast figures for the school's allocated using the Trust's budgeting software.
• Responsible for a three-year financial plan for the academy (five-year, on request) and as part of this exercise prepare the annual budgets which support the financial plan.
• Meet regularly with the Senior Leaders to discuss monthly management accounts reports.
• In conjunction with the relevant Senior Leaders and the Trust, support the planning and implementation of capital purchase programmes.
• Liaise with funding agencies to identify and source additional funding and identify potential funding opportunities, agencies or government initiatives to ensure income generation from both diverse and obvious sources.
• Prepare financial reports, estimates and completion of financial returns as required by the Trust Board, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Finance Officer (CFO), Senior Leaders, Local Academy Board (LGB), Department for Education, Companies House and HM Customs and Excise and any other group or organisation for which this information is required.
• Ensure the effective operation of financial controls and ensure they receive value for money for all expenditures.
• Review a rolling 12-month cash flow forecast, identifying any concerns and ensuring they are raised to the Trust Finance & Operations Manager at the earliest opportunity.
• Work with the Trust Finance & Operations Manager to manage and monitor internal recharges between the schools' and Central budget, ensuring that costs are recharged on a timely basis.
• Meet regularly with the Trust Finance & Operations Manager to review management accounts.
• Attend all relevant Trust and Local Academy Board (LAB) Meetings and ensure they are all given the necessary information, both at the meeting and in advance, to discharge their duties effectively
• Work with key finance staff and the Trust internal and external auditors to support the audit requirements, ensuring that information is timely and accurate.
• Have an awareness of potential fraudulent activities on the school's bank accounts ensuring that all relevant colleagues have access to webinars and/or online training for fraud or trending financial subjects.
• Adhere to Trust procurement processes, assisting with management of tenders where appropriate, working collaboratively with the Trust Finance & Operations Manager.

HR and Payroll

• Embed and implement all Trust equality, recruitment, appraisal, staff development, grievance, disciplinary and redundancy policies and procedures to comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Carry out low level disciplinary or grievance investigations where necessary, taking advice from the HR Team as required.
• Lead on attendance management across the group of schools, liaising with the HR Officer/Headteachers to monitor absence and carry out hearings and reviews as required.
• Produce absence reports and analyse data and provide solutions to reduce staff absence levels.
• Lead on the strategic recruitment plan within the school's allocated, ensuring that staffing decisions are factored into the school's budget.
• Maintain effective communication to ensure a coordinated approach on HR and payroll matters, liaise with the Trust's payroll and HR providers as necessary.
• Ensure all relevant parties are aware of changes to staffing so that relevant paperwork can be checked/authorised as necessary.
• Responsible for the reconciliation of the payroll information monthly against budgeted costs and investigation and conclusion of any discrepancies.
• Assist Senior Leaders in the development of a staffing structure that meets financial considerations
• Act as Appointing Officer for all business support in relation to recruitment ensuring that all actions and pre employment checks are completed in line with the Trust's Safer Recruitment Policy.
• Responsible for the Single Central Record and Safeguarding Training Records for all schools in the group allocated.

Leadership and Management

Contribute to the Trust's culture and development by:

• Ensuring that staff are fulfilling their professional responsibilities in relation to financial matters and are carrying out their duties effectively through performance management.
• Attend leadership meetings (where requested) and ensure the content and outcomes of the meetings are reported back where relevant, to the administration staff.
• Prepare for and attend as required any Trust and Local Academy Board (LAB) meetings as part of the review cycle to assess the progress of financial, HR, Health & Safety or premises matters.
• Share good financial practice across the Trust when required
• Responsible for an appropriate induction programme for new staff into finance is in place and provide excellent support for those members of staff who are new to the academy.
• Be an active and visible member of the school's communities whilst developing partnerships and collaboration within the Trust.
• Be responsible for the management of procedures which comply with statutory requirements such as Safeguarding Children and Young People, Data Protection and the Freedom of Information Act.
• Ensure that the school's website is compliant, and that DfE's Get Information about Schools (GIAS) is kept up to date. • Act as Line Manager for all administration staff leading appraisal for nominated staff.

Premises Management

• In conjunction with the with the Trust Estates Manager, Trust Esates Officer, Senior Leaders within school and Premises staff develop a long-term site maintenance plan to ensure the site is maintained and developed.
• Monitor contracts used within site management and look for opportunities to secure improved value for money.
• Act as the school's Health & Safety Co-ordinator.
• Ensure that fire practices, alarm tests, invacuation and evacuation procedures are planned, instigated and recorded.
• Ensure the Trust written academy Health & Safety policy statement is clearly communicated and available to all people.
• Ensure the Health & Safety policy is implemented at all times, put into practice and is subject to review and assessment at regular intervals or as situations change.
• Ensure Trust systems are in place to enable the identification of hazards and risk assessments.
• Ensure Trust systems are in place for effective monitoring, measuring and reporting of health and safety issues including ensuring that the Health & Safety and Compliance Management System (Every) is updated in a timely manner.
• Monitor the effectiveness of site, cleaning and catering teams within each academy.
• Support in implementing the training provision for all staff as required on health and safety matters, to include first aid and fire safety.
• Secure external grants to support the development of the site.
• Liaise with the Trust, outside bodies and / or contractors ensuring that the work schedules and the work is carried out to the required standards and within the appropriate timescales.
• Provide support during procurement processes to ensure best value for money
• Assist with the monitoring of the sustainability / green strategy.

GDPR/Information Security

• Act as the GDPR lead in the group of schools allocated and be the first point of contact in the schools for any matters relating to data protection.
• Be responsible for arranging the delivery of training to staff, including information governance compliance, for example, GDPR; following up non-attendance at training.
• Ensure operational compliance with all policies, including the records management and retention policy.
• Report potential breaches to the Trust Data Protection Officer.

Apply here: Recruitment

The above post is not a Leeds City Council vacancy and has been advertised on behalf of the relevant organisation. To apply please follow their application instructions.
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