Uppingham School
Finance Manager
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Location: Uppingham, Rutland
Salary: Circa £50,000, commensurate with experience
Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week, 52 weeks per year
Contract: Permanent
Uppingham School, founded in 1584, is a leading co-educational independent boarding school which runs 24/7 in term-time. It has a strong academic profile and excellent pastoral care with an international reputation, and state-of-the-art science, sports and music facilities. Its c. 800 pupils, aged 11-18, are accommodated in 15 boarding houses, taught by over 20 academic departments, and participate in numerous extra-curricular activities such as sports, music and drama. The School employs c. 550 staff and is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, welcoming applications from anyone who feels they could fulfil the role.
The Role
The Finance Manager is responsible for the operational finance function of UGS, leading a team of six and overseeing financial accounting, transaction processing, management reporting, budgeting support and financial control. The role owns a timely and accurate month-end and year-end close, prepares management information and balance-sheet reconciliations, ensures the integrity of income, expenditure and fixed-asset records, and manages the core purchase ledger, sales ledger and cashbook activities. You will support budget holders with forecasts, cost analysis and financial discipline, develop clear procedures and controls, and provide the Financial Controller with reliable information for statutory accounts, audit, tax and wider decision-making. This is also an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in a significant finance transformation programme, helping to modernise systems, reporting, controls and financial processes across the School.
This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious accountant to take ownership of a broad finance function and work closely with the Financial Controller and CFO within a large and complex organisation.
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Key responsibilities include:
- Leading and developing the transactional finance team, setting clear expectations, deadlines and cover arrangements
- Planning and delivering the monthly and annual close timetable, including journals, reconciliations and a complete close pack
- Preparing accurate monthly management accounts with clear variance commentary for the Financial Controller, CFO and budget holders
- Owning the monthly balance-sheet reconciliation process, including accruals, prepayments, deferred income and provisions
- Supporting the annual budget and in-year forecasting processes, working with budget holders on robust assumptions
- Acting as a trusted finance partner to budget holders across the School, providing challenge, insight and support to improve decision-making and financial performance
- Attending budget-holder meetings, explaining results and forecasts, and producing focused cost analysis
- Maintaining the fixed asset register and ensuring capital expenditure is correctly authorised, recorded and classified
- Preparing supporting information and reconciliations for VAT, tax and Gift Aid reporting
- Ensuring school-fee, ancillary-income, commercial-income and supplier-expenditure records are complete and accurate
- Managing the purchase ledger, sales ledger and cashbook teams, including banking and bank reconciliations
- Maintaining financial controls, process manuals and month-end checklists, and supporting fraud prevention
- Overseeing finance-related contracts and reconciliations, including support for the catering contract
- Preparing schedules and evidence for external audit and statutory accounts
- Acting as a key operational lead for finance-system and process change, including testing, training and workflow design
- Driving continuous improvement in financial processes, controls and ways of working, ensuring procedures remain efficient, scalable and well documented
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What We're Looking For
- Qualified accountant, or actively studying towards a recognised professional accountancy qualification (ACA, ACCA or CIMA)
- Experience of delivering month-end and year-end close in a complex organisation
- Strong practical experience of management accounts, balance-sheet reconciliations, accruals, prepayments, deferred income and fixed assets
- Experience of managing purchase ledger, sales ledger and cashbook processes, with a sound understanding of end-to-end financial controls
- Experience of budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis and working directly with non-finance budget holders
- Experience of leading and developing a finance team and managing competing deadlines
- Good working knowledge of VAT and the ability to prepare robust supporting schedules for tax, Gift Aid, audit and statutory accounts
- Strong Excel and finance-systems skills, with experience of process improvement, data handling, reporting and system implementation or development
- Ability to turn detailed financial information into concise, practical commentary and actions
- High standards of accuracy, completeness and personal accountability
- Organised and calm under pressure, with the ability to prioritise and meet firm reporting deadlines
- Analytical and curious, with the confidence to challenge constructively and resolve underlying issues
- Clear, approachable communicator who can build effective relationships with finance colleagues and budget holders
- Committed to continuous improvement, good controls and practical service delivery
Safeguarding
The post-holder's responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom they are responsible, or with whom they come into contact, will be to adhere to and always ensure compliance with the School's Safeguarding (Child Protection) Policy.
Closing date is 16th October 2026.
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