Vacancy Type/Job category
Management & Professional
Department
Finance and Resources – Departmental Services
Sub Department
Departmental Services Team (“DST”)
Salary
£54,149 – £61,950 per annum
Vacancy Overview
Permanent Position
The University of Warwick is one of the UK’s great success stories. In less than fifty years since being founded we’ve become one of the country’s best universities, consistently in the top 10 of UK league tables and rapidly climbing the international rankings of world class universities. With a reputation for entrepreneurial spirit and a group turnover of approx. £600m, the University offers exciting career opportunities for ambitious accountants.
This is a fantastic opportunity to lead a high performing team of six Finance Managers (professionally qualified accountants) and one Senior Finance Assistant (who is AAT qualified). There is an increasing emphasis on Finance Business Partnering, and the Head of Finance will need to ensure that the team effectively support the Academic Departments at this time of unprecedented change in the sector. The post holder will act as the initial Finance point of contact for the day to day activities of the Academic Resourcing Committee (“ARC”; a key committee in the governance structure), including attending full ARC meetings (presenting results) and relevant sub-groups (e.g. 5 year planning meetings), liaising closely with the Provost and other key stakeholders to evaluate new opportunities and developments within Departments (which are many and varied).
This is a key role within the Finance Office, providing wide exposure to the core activities of the University and to senior management. We are looking for an ambitious and pro-active individual, possessing a recognised professional accountancy qualification and a good honours degree. You will have significant post qualification accounting experience within a finance function and be able to demonstrate strong business partnering skills.
The role is full time (36.5 hours per week), although part time hours close to this would be considered.
Job Description
JOB PURPOSE:
To allocate, coordinate, supervise and feedback on activities for the DST Finance Managers and Management Accountants, act as a point of contact on behalf of the DST Team to other University departments and externally and resolve problems encountered by the Team, offer support, advice and guidance to the Team. To contribute to the Team’s professional development by disseminating best practice and increasing the Team’s knowledge base on financial matters pertaining to academic departments.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. To allocate, coordinate and supervise tasks amongst the DST Finance Managers and Management Accountants, solve problems which arise, provide training or specialist knowledge as necessary and produce financial information and reports for Senior Officers or Committees of the University.
2. To coordinate and supervise the quarter end financial procedures of the DST Team and the production of the quarterly management accounts for academic departments. To assist the Academic Resourcing Committee and the Budget Steering Group in their understanding of these quarterly accounts.
3. To coordinate and supervise the preparation of the five-year plans for academic departments ensuring that deadlines are met and guidelines for the content understood and adhered to. To assist the Academic Resourcing Committee in their decision-making at the annual five-year planning stage via the provision of expert advice and specialist financial knowledge.
4. To monitor the portfolios of academic departments assigned to the DST Finance Managers & Management Accountants, change the portfolios when required, monitor the volume of work within the DST Team and make arrangements in advance to ensure critical deadlines are met.
5. To liaise with other central University functions (e.g. the Registrar’s Office) or Committees (e.g. Academic Resourcing Committee), to draw up combined systems and procedures designed to inform University policy. To communicate how such policy impacts on the finances of academic departments to Chairs and to the DST Team.
6. To design, collate information for, edit and submit quarterly (or ad-hoc) financial reports to the Academic Resourcing Committee, the Budget Steering Group, the Academic Activities Sub-Committee, the Finance and General Purposes Committee and other Committees or Senior Officers, as required.
7. To review and, where appropriate, approve requests for new independently funded activities, liaising with Senior Officers or Committees as appropriate.
8. To provide support to Senior Officers on financial business plans and contractual arrangements for large scale University projects.
9. To act as central University finance contact officer for a number of University departments.
10. To undertake such other duties as are commensurate with the role, as requested by the Deputy Finance Director (Departmental Services), the Finance Director or Group Finance Director.
Person Specification
The Person Specification focuses on the knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications required to undertake the role effectively. This is measured by (a) Application Form, (b) Test/Exercise, (c) Interview, (d) Presentation.
Essential Criteria 1
A good honours degree (or equivalent) (a), (c)
Essential Criteria 2
A recognised professional accountancy qualification (ICAEW/CIMA) (a), (c)
Essential Criteria 3
Significant post qualification accounting experience (a), (c)
Essential Criteria 4
The ability to supervise a team of professionally qualified Finance Managers and Management Accountants (a), (c)
Essential Criteria 5
Comprehensive up to date knowledge and understanding of specialist technical financial reporting standards as well as direct and indirect tax legislation (a), (c)
Essential Criteria 6
The ability to give expert advice in respect of the specialist technical areas above to DST Finance Managers, Chairs of departments, Senior Officers and University Committees (a), (c)
Essential Criteria 7
The ability to coordinate large, complex, multi-party projects (a), (c)
Essential Criteria 8
The ability to design, collate information for, edit and submit financial reports for Senior Officers and Committees of the University (a), (c)
Essential Criteria 9
The ability to communicate effectively with Senior University Management and with external bodies (e.g. OfS) (a), (c)
Essential Criteria 10
Experience of producing, to strict deadlines, management accounts and financial plans for all activities within academic departments, including large capital projects, and presenting such plans within the forum of a University committee (a), (c)
Essential Criteria 11
A dedication to Continuing Professional Development as required by the relevant accounting body (a), (c)
Essential Criteria 12
Excellent IT skills including a high level of competence in SAP, Excel and Word (a), (c)
Desirable Criteria 1
Experience of contract review (a), (c)
Desirable Criteria 2
Experience of secretarial work for University Committees (a), (c)
If you wish to apply for this role, please submit a CV and Covering Letter by email to Chris Boote, Search Higher Recruitment Executive (c.boote@searchhigher.com) or for an informal and confidential conversation, please call Chris on 024 7657 5004 as soon as possible.