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Deputy Chief Finance Officer

We are seeing a Deputy Chief Finance Officer to be able to support the CFO and provide financial insights, analysis and strategic guidance to stakeholders across the College.

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Job Details

USP College is seeking an experienced and strategic Deputy Chief Financial Officer (Deputy CFO) to join our Senior Management Team. Reporting directly to the CFO, you will play a pivotal role in driving the College’s financial strategy, ensuring robust financial management, and providing expert guidance to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.

This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified finance leader to oversee Finance and Payroll operations, lead budgeting and forecasting, support major projects, drive process improvements, and help shape the College’s long-term financial sustainability.

Please note - the interview process will involve an Assessment Centre Day, the date of which is TBC. 

The Role:

  • Support the CFO in delivering the College’s financial strategy and maintaining financial health.
  • Lead the Finance & Payroll Team, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
  • Oversee budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, procurement, payroll, and resource management.
  • Provide insightful financial analysis and decision-making support to senior leaders and budget holders.
  • Lead on risk management, insurance, financial compliance, and internal controls.
  • Drive finance system enhancements and AI-enabled process improvements.
  • Build strong relationships with governors, auditors, banks, and external stakeholders.
  • Deliver training and guidance to managers on financial planning and performance.

About You:

You will be a strategic and commercially minded finance professional with:

  • Significant senior-level financial management experience.
  • Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.
  • Expertise in budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and compliance.
  • The ability to communicate complex financial information to diverse audiences.
  • A proactive approach to improving systems, processes, and service delivery.
  • A full driving licence and access to your own transport.

The right candidate will have:

Essential:

  • Educated to degree level and ACA/ICAEW/ICAS
  • Knowledge of funding in the FE Sector
  • Comprehensive knowledge of key financial regulations
  • Proficiency in financial & payroll systems and software.
  • A solid understanding of financial concepts, accounting principles and budgeting processes
  • Excellent inter-personal and communication skills
  • Demonstratable leadership skills

Desirable:

  • Relevant post-graduate qualification
  • Experience gained from FE, ideally from a grade 2 college
  • Experience of change management, restructures, mergers and acquisition

Why choose us?

Our strategy is to create a Career Focused, Digital Learning environment, ensuring that the learner experience and our relationship within our community, local and regional employers, are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to be selected as finalists for the AoC Beacon awards for effective use of digital Technology in FE. Providing a high achieving, focused learning environment allowing our students to achieve the grades they need for higher educations, or the skills and aptitude required to secure a suitable role in their chosen career. Our college is set in the leafy suburbs of Essex, with easy access to surrounding areas and amenities, we are based in a well-connected location both by road and rail.

What we offer:

  • A dedicated and friendly team of professionals who are keen to develop and learn
  • Excellent pension provision
  • Annual Staff Awards
  • CPD days - opportunities to grow and development through mentorship and coaching
  • Free onsite parking
  • Staff appreciation days
  • Eye care vouchers
  • Onsite Starbucks & Restaurant
  • Well-being days & activities
  • Electric Vehicle Scheme*
  • Discounted gym membership
  • Hybrid Working available
  • Fully immersive teaching rooms allow simultaneous online teaching at multiple locations
  • Free Employee Assistance Programme available 24/7, 365 days offering legal & financial advice, as well as general support & guidance

* subject to terms & conditions

This role is considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. Which means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. It is an offence to apply for the role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

Shortlisted candidates will be required to complete a self-declaration of their criminal record or information that would make them unsuitable to work with children. Self-declaration is subject to Ministry of Justice guidance on the disclosure of criminal records, further information can be found on GOV UK

USP College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, we therefore expect all staff to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be required to undertake an enhanced disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service, and any other checks that the role requires to ascertain suitability for working with children and/or vulnerable adults, which may include online searches.

We will hold and process any personal data, including sensitive (special category) personal data, relating to you in accordance with our legal obligations, in the manner set out in the Privacy Notice for staff and in accordance with our Data Protection Policy, which is set out on the College’s website, found here. You should familiarise yourself with our Data Protection Policy (and all other subsidiary policies to it) and comply with them at all times. Neither the Privacy Notice for Staff nor those policies form a part of your contract of employment.

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