Regional Finance Manager

About The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join Ark Schools’ Regional Finance team, supporting Ark’s academies in South London. As Finance Manager, you will be an integral part of the team responsible for ensuring high standards of financial integrity within the academies. You will have a ‘home school’ where you will focus c. 60- 70% of your time, with the remainder supporting one to two other schools in South London.

You will work closely with (and report to) the Senior Finance Manager and will also work with the relevant Principal and Operations leads in the school(s) you support. For your home school, you will manage the monthly financial processes, ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Academies Financial Handbook, leading financial planning and partnering with the Principal and other senior staff to ensure effective strategic decision making. You will then provide support other schools as directed by the Senior Finance Manager.

The Regional Finance Manager will report into Senior Finance Manager. This role will be based in our South London region on a permanent basis working full time.

Interviews will be taking place in person w/c 5th October 2026.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure timely production and issue of financial reports, cash flow forecasts and returns as required, including ad hoc review and projects
• Prepare the management accounts and related analysis, posting of month end journals, ensuring bank and control account reconciliations are carried out monthly in line with the Ark month-end pack
• Prepare the annual budget and reforecasts for approval by Ark Schools’ Risk and Audit Committee
• Take responsibility for the academy’s accounting procedures, ensuring all policies and procedures are adhered to within the academy, including review of academy payment runs and payroll
• Take responsibility for and line management of the school’s finance support staff, including arranging appropriate training and development, conducting induction, probation and performance management reviews
• Partner with the Principal and other senior staff to ensure effective financial management, adherence to budget and strategic decision making
• Drive forward change and initiatives which promote regularity, propriety, value for money and best standards, and ensuring best practice is implemented across the region

Key Requirements

• Right to work in the UK
• Experienced part-qualified accountant or fully qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA or ACA)
• Experience of running effective administrative and financial systems, ideally within a school environment
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Excel and the wider MS Office suite
• High level of proficiency with Sage Intacct (accounting system) and IMP (budgeting system) desirable
• Experience using financial databases and confidence and interest in learning new technologies
• Line management experience (desirable)
• Strong organisational and time-management skills and the ability to delegate appropriately
• Ability to skilfully manage and maintain effective working relationships with parents, governors, community members and other stakeholders
• High standards and a keen eye for detail

Benefits

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years’ service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to. Depending on your role you may also be entitled to LGPS which is a defined benefit scheme where you contribute a percentage based on how much you earn (as do we) in exchange for a guaranteed amount in your pension pot every year
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest‑free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests

About Us

Ark is an education charity that exists to make sure that all children, regardless of their background, have access to a great education and real choices in life. Our network of 39 schools reaches traditionally underserved communities in Birmingham, Hastings, London and Portsmouth. We educate 30,000 pupils and have nearly 3,000 teaching staff across our network. We also incubate and scale innovative ventures, which we roll out beyond our network of schools for the benefit of teachers, pupils and the education system as a whole. Current Ventures include Ark Curriculum Plus, which equips teachers with the subject expertise needed to ensure students succeed, and Ark Start, a growing chain of nurseries offering affordable, high-quality early years education.

Recently, Ark moved to new offices at EdCity – a unique not‑for‑profit development in West London, in partnership with Hammersmith & Fulham council. EdCity is designed to bring mission‑aligned organisations together to focus on improving the lives of children, especially through education. It offers leased offices, a range of venues for training and events, and an innovation hub for the education sector to connect, collaborate and learn together.

Diversity and inclusion

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective.

Safeguarding statement

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.

Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred.

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