School Accountant

• Annual Salary:£50,000 - £60,000
• Location: Slough / Windsor area 
• Job Type: Full-time Permanent 

Join an established team as a Principal Finance Officer, where you will manage the technical aspects of the Trust's account closure, construct the annual budget and medium-term plan, and monitor the in-year budget. This role is crucial in collaborating with the Director of Finance and the Trust Finance team to establish and uphold a robust financial framework.

• Deliver comprehensive professional financial management services for the Trust.
• Prepare annual management accounts for both revenue and capital.
• Conduct regular monitoring of revenue and capital budgets.
• Provide financial information for statutory and non-statutory returns.
• Perform detailed analysis of income and expenditure profiles and trends to generate reliable projections.
• Oversee procedures necessary for the annual accounts closure.
• Supply information for internal and external audits as required.
• Maintain the Trust's financial ledger in accordance with the ESFA chart of accounts.

• Familiarity with Academy Accounting codes of practice, including the Academies Trust Handbook and Academies Accounting Direction.
• Understanding of the funding regime for academies.
• Proven experience in conducting complex financial calculations, such as sensitivity and variance analysis.
• Ability to simplify and clearly present complex financial issues.
• Expertise in designing intricate spreadsheets for decision-making purposes.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written, along with presentation abilities.
• Current experience and knowledge of using the Sage Accounting Ledger Package.
• Effective problem-solving skills to tackle complex issues and propose preventive solutions.
• Competence in planning and managing conflicting priorities, handling multiple demands, and meeting deadlines under pressure.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail, while maintaining a broad perspective.