Finance Manager

York, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Northern College of Acupuncture | Registered Charity Number: 1081184

About Us: The Northern College of Acupuncture (NCA) is the UK’s premier acupuncture teaching institution, registered with the Office for Students. Our courses are validated by Health Sciences University. Located in the heart of York, we offer excellent transport links. In addition to our BSc in Acupuncture, we provide MSc programs in Nutrition and Chinese Herbal Medicine. As part of our charitable mission, our busy teaching clinics offer subsidised treatments to the local community.

Job Title: Finance Manager

Job Description: We are seeking a dynamic and proactive Finance Manager to lead a wide range of strategic and operational finance activities. This role includes preparing and submitting statutory financial reports, budget preparation, management accounts, financial forecasting and planning, and creating business proposals that include income, expenditure, and return on investment (Roi). You will also handle payroll, pensions, and tax processing.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement an institutional financial strategy aligned with best practices in higher education and clinical service administration.

• Create financial tools for modelling, including budget development, forecasting, and setting financial sales targets.

• Prepare bespoke financial proposals assessing cost, income, and Roi for new commercial activities.

• Generate financial reports that meet statutory and regulatory requirements.

• Submit annual financial returns to regulatory, statutory, validation, and accreditation bodies.

• Develop a cash flow model and monitor income and expenditure against the budget on a monthly and annual basis.

• Provide robust financial data to inform management decision-making.

• Review and enhance financial control systems for tracking income and expenditure.

• Contribute to the development of a new staff expenses policy.

• Develop tools for P&L analysis of academic programs and other income-generating activities.

• Produce accurate annual accounts with a full audit trail.

• Manage and deliver payroll, including tax and national insurance payments.

• Oversee the College’s creditors and manage fees and income to reduce debtor days.

• Maintain relevant insurance policies for the College.

• Line manage the Finance Administrator.

• Undertake other tasks as reasonably requested.

Essential Skills & Experience:

• At least five years in a high-level finance role (e.g., financial controller or equivalent).

• Recognised finance/accounting qualification (ACCA/CIMA).

• Experience with the Xero accounting system.

• Knowledge and experience in processing payroll, pensions, and tax.

• Experience in preparing statutory returns and management accounts.

• Expertise in financial strategy, analysis, and insight to inform management decisions.

Desirable Skills & Experience:

• Experience in financial management within a UK higher education institution.

• Knowledge of resourcing, scalability, and economies of scale.

Contract Type: Permanent, employed.

Location: York (Hybrid).

Hours: Full-time. Weekend work required at the start of the academic year to support student induction days.

Salary: Grade 6: £36,924 - £39,105 (pro-rata).

Reports to: The Principal & CEO.

Start Date: March 2025 or earlier.

NCA’s Values: We strive to be a person-centred, progressive, sustainable community, embodying integrity and quality.

What We Offer:

• A friendly and committed professional team.

• 33 days of annual leave (pro-rata), including bank holidays.

• Discounted or free treatments in our Acupuncture, Nutrition, and Chinese Herbal Medicine clinics.

• Support for personal and professional development.

• On-site parking in city-centre York.

Application Process: Please submit your CV and a covering letter explaining how your skills and experience will add value to the NCA in this role. Note that we can only consider candidates authorised to work in the UK.

For an informal conversation about this role, contact the Principal & CEO at emmaheathcote@nca.ac.uk   

For questions about the recruitment process, contact us through our website here: https://nca.ac.uk/contact/college-enquiries 

Closing Date for Applications: Sunday, 1st December 2024.

Interview Dates: Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by Friday, 6th December 2024. First stage interviews will be held online on Thursday, 12th December 2024. Please ensure availability for the online interview before applying. If you cannot attend on this date, mention it in your covering letter, and we will try to accommodate you. Second stage interviews will be held face-to-face in York (date TBC).