<p><strong>Finance Director</strong></p><p><strong>Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership Trust (MNSP)</strong><br /> <strong>Location:</strong> Midsomer Norton<br /> <strong>Salary:</strong> £90,000 - £110,000 + wider benefits</p><p><strong>Join one of the South West's most successful and fastest-growing Multi-Academy Trusts</strong></p><p>Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership Trust (MNSP) is entering an exciting phase. Already responsible for <strong>36 schools</strong>, with <strong>strong predicted growth in the next 12-18 months</strong>- they are a high-performing and rapidly expanding Trust with a strong reputation for school improvement, financial strength and educational excellence.</p><p>With a <strong>£150m+ turnover</strong>, and a clear commitment to supporting 3000 staff and improving outcomes for pupils, they are seeking an exceptional <strong>Finance Director </strong>to lead their finance function into the next stage of organisational growth.</p><p>Reporting to the <strong>Chief Operating Officer</strong>, you will provide strategic leadership, assurance and financial stewardship at the highest level - ensuring resources are used effectively to deliver the very best outcomes for children across the Trust.</p><p><strong>The Opportunity</strong></p><p>This is a rare and career-defining role for a senior finance leader who wants to make a genuine difference in public education. You will:</p><p><strong>Lead at Scale and Influence Trust-Wide Strategy</strong></p><ul><li>Shape and deliver the Trust's <strong>multi-year financial strategy</strong>, investment plans and capital priorities.</li><li>Provide clear analysis, advice and constructive challenge to senior leaders, the CEO and Trustees.</li><li>Play a pivotal role in driving financial sustainability during a period of significant growth.</li></ul><p><strong>Ensure Rigorous Governance, Controls and Compliance</strong></p><ul><li>Lead internal controls, audit, external scrutiny and statutory reporting - including DfE returns and preparation of financial statements.</li><li>Maintain full compliance with the Academies Handbook, Companies House and financial regulation.</li></ul><p><strong>Drive Financial Excellence Across the Trust</strong></p><ul><li>Oversee monthly management accounts, budgeting, forecasting and KPI reporting.</li><li>Manage reserves and cashflow, recommending investment options to maximise returns.</li><li>Lead procurement strategy and ensure best value across all schools.</li></ul><p><strong>Play a Key Role in Due Diligence & Growth</strong></p><ul><li>Lead financial due diligence for incoming schools and support seamless onboarding.</li></ul><p><strong>Develop and Lead a High-Performing Finance Function</strong></p><p>You will manage a team of 2<strong>5</strong><strong> staff</strong>, including:</p><ul><li>Management Accountants</li><li>Accounts Payable/Receivable teams</li><li>Payroll</li></ul><p>With some staff school-based, you'll ensure strong capacity, clear processes, and professional excellence across multiple sites.</p><p><strong>Why Join MNSP?</strong></p><ul><li>A <strong>financially strong</strong>, well-run and respected Trust with outstanding school improvement capability.</li><li>A leadership culture focused on <strong>outcomes, not bureaucracy - </strong>lean, agile and impactful.</li><li>Significant opportunity to <strong>shape the strategic future</strong> of a large and growing educational organisation.</li><li>A chance to make a profound difference to children's lives across the South West.</li></ul><p><strong>What They're Looking For</strong></p><p><strong>Essential</strong></p><ul><li>Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA).</li><li>Successful track record in senior financial leadership within a complex, multi-site organisation.</li><li>Strong experience in audit, financial reporting, and leading high-performing finance teams.</li><li>Ability to translate strategy into robust financial models, budgets and operational plans.</li><li>Excellent communication, influence and interpersonal skills - comfortable working with school leaders, teachers and Trustees.</li><li>Deep commitment to integrity, public value and improving outcomes for children.</li></ul><p><strong>Highly Desirable</strong></p><ul><li>Experience within a Multi-Academy Trust or public-sector organisation.</li><li>Up-to-date knowledge of the Academies Handbook and MAT finance regulation.</li><li>Experience in capital bids, capital project oversight, risk management and onboarding new academies.</li></ul><p><strong>Benefits</strong></p><ul><li>£90,000 - £110,000</li><li>Government Pension Scheme</li><li>26 days' holiday + bank holidays (rising to 31 after 5 years' service)</li><li>Blue Light Card - offering savings on shopping, travel and leisure</li><li>Cycle-to-Work Scheme</li><li>Free Eye Tests</li><li>EAP Scheme</li></ul><p>Robert Half Ltd acts as an employment business for temporary positions and an employment agency for permanent positions. Robert Half is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Suitable candidates with equivalent qualifications and more or less experience can apply. Rates of pay and salary ranges are dependent upon your experience, qualifications and training. If you wish to apply, please read our Privacy Notice describing how we may process, disclose and store your personal data: roberthalf.com/gb/en/privacy-notice.</p><img src="https://counter.adcourier.com/Q2hhcmxvdHRlLkJvc2hlci45NzE2MC4xMDkyM0ByaGkuYXBsaXRyYWsuY29t.gif">
<p>Robert Half are working in partnership with a values-led organisation in Swindon to recruit a Payroll Manager role on a full-time permanent basis. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced Payroll Manager that is looking to be a part of a highly respected organisation that is renowned for making a positive impact across a number of communities across the country, as well as offering long-term career prospects. The salary is between £48,000 - £54,000 plus hybrid working and other excellent benefits. </p><p> </p><p><strong>The Role</strong></p><p> </p><p>The main duties of the Senior Payroll Manager role will consist of: </p><p> </p><ul><li>Oversee the complete payroll process, working closely with managers and relevant teams to ensure all personal and payroll data is accurate and timely for monthly payroll.</li><li>Manage the end-to-end processing of monthly timesheets and overtime claims.</li><li>Ensure compliance with legal and organisational requirements, with particular attention to IR35 and employment status guidelines.</li><li>Administer pay review processes and handle payroll close activities for both month-end and year-end.</li><li>Foster effective working relationships across teams, managing the liaison between payroll, HR, budget holders, and other departments to ensure proper data flow and record-keeping.</li><li>Assist with financial accounts by reconciling payroll-related balance sheet codes.</li><li>Continuously review workflows, templates, and communication tools to seek improvements in payroll service delivery.</li></ul><p> </p><p><strong>Requirements</strong></p><p> </p><p>To be considered for the Senior Payroll Manager role, you must ideally possess the following skills/experience: </p><p> </p><ul><li>Must have experience within a Payroll management role. </li><li>Ideally CIPP qualified. </li><li>Experience in managing/supervising a team. </li><li>Strong knowledge of technical and legal, payroll related requirements. </li><li>Strong communication skills. </li><li>Excellent organisational skills. </li><li>Good problem solving skills. </li><li>Keen to implement and improve processes. </li></ul><p> </p><p><strong>Salary & Benefits </strong></p><p> </p><ul><li>£48,000 - £52,000 annual salary</li><li>Hybrid working; up to 3 days in the office.</li><li>Competitive pension scheme</li><li>28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)</li><li>Flexitime </li><li>Life assurance </li><li>On site parking </li></ul><p>Robert Half Ltd acts as an employment business for temporary positions and an employment agency for permanent positions. Robert Half is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Suitable candidates with equivalent qualifications and more or less experience can apply. Rates of pay and salary ranges are dependent upon your experience, qualifications and training. If you wish to apply, please read our Privacy Notice describing how we may process, disclose and store your personal data: roberthalf.com/gb/en/privacy-notice.</p><img src="https://counter.adcourier.com/cGF0cmljay5jaHVuZy40NjE0Ny4xMDkyM0ByaGkuYXBsaXRyYWsuY29t.gif">
<p data-start="75" data-end="362"><strong data-start="75" data-end="89">Job Title:</strong> Shared Services Finance Manager (Interim - 6-Month Contract)<br / data-end="153" data-start="150"> <strong data-end="166" data-start="153">Location:</strong> Maidenhead (On-site)<br data-start="187" data-end="190" /> <strong data-start="190" data-end="203">Day Rate:</strong> Up to <strong data-end="226" data-start="210">£500 per day</strong> <br data-start="282" / data-end="285"> <strong data-end="303" data-start="285">Business Size:</strong> £250M+ (Mid-Large Cap)<br / data-end="329" data-start="326"> <strong data-end="349" data-start="329">Contract Length:</strong> <strong data-start="350" data-end="362">6 months</strong></p><p data-start="364" data-end="885"><strong data-end="376" data-start="364">Overview</strong><br data-start="376" / data-end="379"> We are seeking an experienced and people-focused <strong data-start="428" data-end="463">Shared Services Finance Manager</strong> for a <strong data-end="507" data-start="470">6-month interim day-rate contract</strong> to lead our large, fast-paced transactional finance function. This is a key leadership role managing a team of <strong data-start="619" data-end="626">35+</strong> across <strong data-start="634" data-end="712">Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Billing, Payroll and General Ledger</strong>. The position requires a hands-on, down-to-earth manager who thrives on developing teams, improving processes, and driving a high-performance culture in a growing business.</p><p data-end="913" data-start="887"><strong data-end="911" data-start="887">Key Responsibilities</strong></p><ul data-end="1736" data-start="914"><li data-end="1019" data-start="914"><p data-start="916" data-end="1019">Lead, motivate and develop a large transactional finance team across AP, AR, Billing, Payroll and GL.</p></li><li data-start="1020" data-end="1111"><p data-end="1111" data-start="1022">Set clear performance expectations and ensure delivery of high-quality, timely outputs.</p></li><li data-start="1112" data-end="1222"><p data-start="1114" data-end="1222">Drive continuous improvement across processes, controls and systems within the shared service environment.</p></li><li data-start="1223" data-end="1305"><p data-end="1305" data-start="1225">Oversee month-end close activities in partnership with the wider finance team.</p></li><li data-end="1388" data-start="1306"><p data-end="1388" data-start="1308">Ensure compliance with internal controls, policies and statutory requirements.</p></li><li data-end="1494" data-start="1389"><p data-start="1391" data-end="1494">Work closely with business stakeholders to enhance financial workflows and support operational needs.</p></li><li data-start="1495" data-end="1574"><p data-start="1497" data-end="1574">Support finance transformation initiatives and shared service optimisation.</p></li><li data-start="1575" data-end="1672"><p data-end="1672" data-start="1577">Develop team leaders and emerging talent, fostering ownership, accountability and engagement.</p></li><li data-start="1673" data-end="1736"><p data-start="1675" data-end="1736">Monitor and improve KPIs, service levels and team efficiency.</p></li></ul><p data-end="1772" data-start="1738"><strong data-start="1738" data-end="1770">Experience & Skills Required</strong></p><ul data-end="2452" data-start="1773"><li data-start="1773" data-end="1905"><p data-start="1775" data-end="1905">Proven track record managing <strong data-start="1804" data-end="1854">large transactional finance teams (30+ people)</strong> in a shared services or high-volume environment.</p></li><li data-end="2014" data-start="1906"><p data-end="2014" data-start="1908">Experience in <strong data-start="1922" data-end="1974">mid-cap or large organisations (£250M+ turnover)</strong>-not suited to purely SME backgrounds.</p></li><li data-start="2015" data-end="2121"><p data-end="2121" data-start="2017">Strong leadership style: down-to-earth, approachable, hands-on and passionate about people management.</p></li><li data-end="2206" data-start="2122"><p data-end="2206" data-start="2124">Demonstrable success in driving process improvements and operational efficiency.</p></li><li data-start="2207" data-end="2293"><p data-start="2209" data-end="2293">Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; able to influence at all levels.</p></li><li data-start="2294" data-end="2366"><p data-start="2296" data-end="2366">Confident in working within evolving and change-driven environments.</p></li><li data-start="2367" data-end="2452"><p data-end="2452" data-start="2369">Strong understanding of financial controls and high-volume transactional workflows.</p></li></ul><p data-end="2472" data-start="2454"><strong data-start="2454" data-end="2470">Why Join Us?</strong></p><ul data-end="2822" data-start="2473"><li data-end="2558" data-start="2473"><p data-end="2558" data-start="2475">Chance to lead and optimise a critical finance hub during a key period of change.</p></li><li data-end="2661" data-start="2559"><p data-start="2561" data-end="2661">Opportunity to deliver meaningful impact quickly through team development and process enhancement.</p></li><li data-start="2662" data-end="2724"><p data-end="2724" data-start="2664">Supportive, collaborative and grounded leadership culture.</p></li><li data-end="2822" data-start="2725"><p data-end="2822" data-start="2727">Competitive <strong data-start="2739" data-end="2762">day rate up to £500</strong> and the opportunity to work with a dynamic £250M+ business.</p></li></ul><p>Robert Half Ltd acts as an employment business for temporary positions and an employment agency for permanent positions. Robert Half is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Suitable candidates with equivalent qualifications and more or less experience can apply. Rates of pay and salary ranges are dependent upon your experience, qualifications and training. If you wish to apply, please read our Privacy Notice describing how we may process, disclose and store your personal data: roberthalf.com/gb/en/privacy-notice.</p><img src="https://counter.adcourier.com/THVrZS5FZGdlY29tYmUuMTk4NzEuMTA5MjNAcmhpLmFwbGl0cmFrLmNvbQ.gif">