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Job Information
Achieving for Children is a Community Interest Company that has a public sector ethos, combined with the freedom to innovate enabling us to do things differently. As a not-for-profit social enterprise owned by three local authorities (Windsor & Maidenhead, Kingston and Richmond), we offer the freedoms of a social enterprise with the employment benefits of local government. To find out more about us click here.
Please review our Candidate Application Guide before submitting your application, it’s packed with helpful tips to guide you through our application and interview process, while showing you what we are looking for.
Senior Schools and Early Years Finance Business Partner (Early Years)
The Senior Schools and Early Years Finance Business Partner is a key role within our Finance Team. Working as part of a supportive team, the Business Partner will become our organisational expert in early yers finance.
This post will manage a team of business partners and be committed to developing a team (alongside a peer that specialises in schools finance) that works together to deliver a good quality schools and early years finance function.
About the role
This role will oversee all functions in relation to early years finance, ensuring that early years providers have robust advice and support. They will take the lead in ensuring that funding is set, administered and reported in line with regulatory requirements and that it is paid to providers in a timely and accurate way.
The postholder will help shape and advise on strategy for early years funding and ensure that key funding issues are addressed in a collaborative way with stakeholders. They will be the Schools Forum lead for early years funding and will undertake work to report and advise on key issues.
For further information about this role, please contact Melanie Hanson by email melanie.hanson@achievingforchildren.org.uk for an informal discussion.
About you
We are looking for an experienced finance professional who is inspired to use their skills and knowledge to help us improve outcomes for children and young people.
You will either be a qualified accountant or have significant experience in a finance role. We are particularly interested in hearing from applicants who have proven experience of early years finance / knowledge of early years entitlement offers.
To be successful in this role you will need to be able to effectively lead a team and build positive working relationships with professionals working in our early years as well as other teams across AfC. You will be committed to keeping your knowledge of early years finance up to date and sharing that knowledge with other professionals. You will have good digital and ICT skills and be someone who continuously looks to improve and modernise processes.
About our benefits
We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to:
- 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years with an additional day off in your birthday month (Or for term-time workers, your leave entitlement consists of the non-working periods in your contract)
- Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC
- Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)
- Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work life balance
- A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
- A range of staff benefits and discounts
- An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway
To find out about all of the breadth of benefits of working for Achieving for Children click here. For our social work offer click here. For our Recruitment Journey, click here.
Important Information
Start dates: Achieving for Children have set start dates meaning successful candidates join on a set date in each month. Candidates are advised to prepare for this should a job offer be accepted to ensure eligible continuous service is not affected.
Right to work: The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance.
Equality: We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams. Achieving for Children are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.
Safeguarding: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
