Supporting Education Group
Head of Management & Financial Accounting
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Head of Management & Financial Accounting
Location: Hybrid from our London WC1 office
Contract: Full-time, permanent
About Us
Supporting Education Group is the leading education services platform in the UK working with schools, learners, multi academy trusts, local authorities, nurseries, and government departments to help solve the biggest human capital challenges facing the sector. Our goal is to empower students, educators, schools and governments with the technology, expertise and resources to ensure a high-quality education for all. The Group comprises of four customer-facing practices, Qualifications and Training, Recruitment and Supply, Professional Services and SEND and Inclusion, united by a shared purpose to make a positive impact on the education sector. These practices are supported by SEG, the central Group function, which provides strategic leadership, governance and shared services.
Our Finance Team sits at the heart of SEG, partnering with leaders across the Group to provide financial insight and decision support. In a multi-practice and multi-entity organisation, our finance team plays an important role in driving informed decisions, improving business performance and supporting sustainable growth. This is an exceptional opportunity to make a tangible impact within a well-established organisation.
About the Role
As Head of Management & Financial Accounting, you will lead the Group's accounting function and a team of 7-8 finance professionals, partnering with senior leaders to enhance financial performance, and support the successful delivery of our transformation programme.
Reporting to the Group Financial Controller, this is a senior but very hands-on role. It brings together technical accounting rigour, financial control, people leadership and effective business partnering with senior HQ operational leaders, Senior Finance Practice Directors and stakeholders across the Group.
Alongside the production of high-quality monthly management accounts and reporting packs, you'll be responsible for maintaining the integrity of the balance sheets for the relevant entities, overseeing fixed asset accounting and control, and ensuring effective VAT compliance.
You'll play a key role in strengthening financial controls across the close and reporting cycle, while providing senior leaders with clear financial information and meaningful insight to support effective decision-making.
You'll also:
- Lead, coach and develop a team of 7 to 8, creating a collaborative, supportive and high-performing culture.
- Manage resourcing and workload across the team, ensuring key deadlines and objectives are achieved.
- Own the integrity of the relevant entities balance sheet, ensuring reconciliations are complete, accurate, supported and reviewed within agreed deadlines.
- Lead the fixed asset accounting and control framework across the relevant entities, including capitalisation, depreciation, disposals and regular verification of the fixed asset register.
- Oversee VAT compliance across the relevant entities, ensuring returns are accurate, appropriately reviewed and submitted on time.
- Ensure robust control over key accounting judgements and estimates, including exception reporting, revenue recognition, provisions, accruals and deferred income for relevant entities
- Strengthen financial controls across the close and reporting cycle, addressing control weaknesses and implementing sustainable improvements.
- Oversee monthly management accounts, practice reporting packs, variance analysis and month end financial commentary.
- Work closely with HQ operational leaders and Senior Finance Practice Directors to understand practice P&Ls and improve operational and financial performance.
- Lead the annual budget process for Group HQ and support periodic forecasting across the organisation.
- Support with the review of performance against individual practice and corporate targets, identifying emerging risks and opportunities.
- Contribute to medium-term financial planning and strategy.
- Drive continuous improvement across financial processes, systems, controls and reporting tools.
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, increase automation and enhance the quality of management information.
- Support statutory accounts, external audit fieldwork and the timely resolution of audit queries.
- Support Group cash flow reporting and provide stakeholders with clear visibility of the Group's cash position.
- Lead investigative analysis and troubleshoot key financial and operational issues at both practice and Group level.
- Support finance transformation and wider organisational change initiatives.
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This is an opportunity to shape how our management accounting function operates, develop a talented team and strengthen the financial information and insight that supports decisions across SEG.
About You
You'll be a qualified accountant with strong management and financial accounting experience, alongside proven experience of leading, managing and developing a successful finance team.
You'll be comfortable moving between the detail of month-end accounting, balance sheet control and financial compliance and the bigger picture, providing the required financial information to support business decisions and improve performance.
We're looking for someone who has:
- A current ICAEW, CIMA, ACCA or equivalent accountancy qualification.
- A strong track record of leading and developing finance teams.
- Significant experience of preparing and reviewing management accounts.
- Strong experience of month-end close, balance sheet control and reconciliations within a high-volume, multi-entity environment.
- Experience of fixed asset accounting and control, including capitalisation, depreciation, disposals and maintaining the integrity of the fixed asset register.
- Sound technical knowledge of accruals, prepayments, deferred and accrued income, revenue recognition, accounting judgements and estimates, provisions, VAT returns, journals and reconciliations.
- Experience of producing high-quality reporting packs, power BI dashboards, variance analysis and financial commentary.
- Strong budgeting and forecasting experience for central HQ functions.
- Experience of developing medium-term financial strategies and maintaining robust budgetary controls.
- Experience of supporting statutory accounts and external audit processes in line with relevant accounting and audit standards.
- Experience of implementing and maintaining a strong financial control framework.
- An understanding of effective financial oversight across areas such as procurement and payroll.
- Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder-management skills.
- The confidence to support and constructively challenge senior stakeholders.
- A collaborative style based on mutual trust and respect.
- A commitment to high professional standards and continuous improvement.
- The ability to identify opportunities to improve processes, systems and ways of working.
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You'll also be a hands-on and approachable leader who can create clarity, build confidence and help others succeed. You'll enjoy working in a changing organisation and be motivated by the opportunity to improve how Finance supports the wider business.
Our Benefits
- Whilst we work in a hybrid way, with collaboration being one of our values, we'd expect you to be in our WC1 London office 2-3 days a week.
- 28 days holiday and get an extra day for each year you stay with us, up to max 33 days PLUS bank holidays
- Health Cash Plan, once you've passed probation, which includes access to a private GP
- From day 1, free life insurance covering up to x4 your salary
- We'll both add money into your pension pot after 3 months
- Choose what flexible benefits you want after you've passed probation - this could be buying extra holiday, dental, topping up your healthcare plan, bikes, gym membership, electric cars and give as you earn
- Access to Learning and development opportunities
- Volunteer days - 3 paid volunteer days a year, with 2 dedicated to Education
By joining us, you will become part of a community that is dedicated to transforming lives and sustaining communities, where your voice is heard, your ideas are valued, and your individuality is celebrated. Together, we will continue to advance our passion for education and build brighter futures for all.
Employment offers are subject to satisfactory vetting checks. These checks will be run in line with the latest guidance and legislation. You will need to already have the right to work in the UK, as we are not able to offer any sponsorship(s) for visa applicants.
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