McQuade Consulting
Finance Manager
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We are an established and growing alternative provision group of schools operating in the West Midlands. We deliver education to children referred by local authorities, academies, and mainstream schools, including a significant cohort of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
The Group currently operates across three sites with a fourth opening in 2027 and a fifth planned for 2028. Student numbers are forecast to grow from c.166 in 2026 to c.299 by 2028, supported by a staff base scaling from c.51 to c.82 over the same period. The business is profitable, cash-generative, and has historically grown without reliance on external debt.
The Group is investing in its finance function to support the next phase of growth. This role sits at the centre of that function, working alongside a Fractional CFO who provides strategic financial leadership and board engagement.
Purpose of the role
The Finance Manager owns the day-to-day running of the finance function. The role is hands-on and accountable for the ledger, month-end close, billing, cash, and credit control, producing accurate and timely numbers that the Fractional CFO and shareholders can rely on.
The Fractional CFO leads strategic finance, forecasting, board engagement, and shareholder reporting. The Finance Manager owns execution: keeping the books clean, the billing right, the cash controlled, and the issues surfaced early.
Key responsibilities
Month-end and reporting
- Prepare monthly management accounts and KPI reporting to a fixed timetable, with commentary on variances for review by the Fractional CFO
- Maintain the general ledger in QuickBooks, including accruals, prepayments, intercompany, and monthly balance sheet reconciliations across all Group entities
- Produce weekly aged debtor and creditor reporting
- Support the year-end process and act as the main day-to-day contact for the external accountants
Revenue and billing
- Run the monthly invoicing cycle to local authorities, academies, and referral partners, working with school leadership to confirm pupil placements, start and end dates, and day rates
- Maintain the revenue recognition schedule, applying term-day phasing consistently and reconciling revenue recognised to invoices raised
- Keep pupil-level billing data accurate and complete across all sites
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Cash and payments
- Own the weekly payment run and supplier statement reconciliations
- Maintain a short-term cash forecast and flag pressure points early
- Ensure payment controls and approval limits are followed
Credit control
- Lead credit control across a local authority customer base, where payment cycles can be extended but credit risk is low
- Resolve invoice queries with commissioning teams and escalate persistent issues to the Fractional CFO
Payroll and pensions administration
- Prepare monthly payroll inputs for the payroll provider, including starters, leavers, and contract changes
- Reconcile payroll journals and pension contributions and ensure auto-enrolment obligations are met
Budgeting and forecasting support
- Provide clean actuals and data for the annual budget, quarterly reforecasts, and the three-year financial plan
- Maintain the underlying schedules that feed the plan and check data integrity before figures are released
Systems, controls, and administration
- Maintain and document finance processes and controls, and improve them where practical
- Administer finance systems and support the transition to any new accounting or MIS platform
- Handle finance-related supplier administration, insurance renewals, and other central admin as required
Team and ways of working
- Line manage the Finance Assistant, setting clear priorities and reviewing their work
- Work closely with the Fractional CFO: own execution, raise the right issues at the right time, and act on agreed actions
- Build strong working relationships with headteachers and site administrators so that operational data flows into finance reliably
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Candidate profile
Essential
- Part-qualified or qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, AAT, or equivalent). Qualification by experience will be considered for a candidate with strong hands-on SME finance exposure
- Has personally prepared management accounts, run payment runs, and managed credit control in an SME environment
- Confident with a cloud accounting system (QuickBooks, Xero, or Sage) and strong Excel skills
- Organised and accurate, with the discipline to close the month to a timetable
- Comfortable working with a part-time senior finance lead rather than daily oversight
Desirable
- Experience in education, alternative provision, SEND, children's services, or another public-sector-funded environment
- Familiarity with local authority commissioning, EHCP funding, and the rhythm of the academic year
- Experience of a multi-site or multi-entity business, including intercompany accounting
- Experience of moving a business from owner-led administration to a more structured finance function
Personal attributes
- Pragmatic, hands-on, and detail-oriented. This is a doer's role
- High integrity and discretion, with full visibility of payments and sensitive information
- Resilient and adaptable, comfortable in a growing business where processes are still maturing
- Genuine interest in the social purpose of alternative provision
What success looks like in the first 12 months
- A clean monthly management accounts close within 5 working days, with balance sheet/bank reconciliations completed each month
- Billing issued on time each month and reconciled to recognised revenue, with aged debt actively managed
- Weekly payment runs and cash forecasting fully embedded in the finance function with no slippage in creditor settlement
- Finance processes documented and controls operating consistently across all entities
- A reliable flow of accurate inputs to the Fractional CFO for reporting and forecasting
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