Finance Director

Key Responsibilities

• Consolidated financial accounts for the College, prepared under FRS102 Charity SORP and in accordance with collegiate university agreed formats (including full fund accounting)
• Company accounts for the trading subsidiary
• Summary of management accounts, prepared monthly, and presented termly to Finance Committee, with a detailed narrative
• Overseeing the College’s annual budget and working with the Bursar to develop five-year financial strategies
• Cash flow forecasting
• Detailed staff budgeting
• Charity accounts for the Hulme Fund
• Ad hoc reporting for college officers and committees

• Billing for student fees and all residential charges
• University fee funding reconciliations
• Conference and Events Sales Ledger
• Credit control for student, senior member and commercial accounts
• Donations accounting and reconciliation with college fundraising records
• Payroll comprising of over 200 permanent staff and an average of 115 casual staff per year
• Pensions management
• Disbursement of grants and awards to students
• Purchase ledger
• Management of academic and hospitality budgets for academic staff
• Liaison with external, corporate land agent, including reconciliation of transactions and reporting

• Administration of the endowment portfolio, which is managed by the Bursar and Finance Committee, as advised by the Investment Advisory Committee
• Cash flow forecasting
• Investment transaction reporting and liaison with external advisors
• Management of cash calls & distributions

• VAT returns in complex partially exempt environment for college and subsidiary
• Liaison with VAT advisors
• Corporation tax returns
• Gift Aid returns

• Responsible, in coordination with IT department, for Finance System iPlicit (installed in 2025, GP having been the prior system) and payroll system Cintra
• Work closely with operational Department Heads regarding any necessary systems developments and interfaces that relate to the Finance team such as financial aspects of student, residential and donor databases (NetSuite, Kinetix and Raisers Edge)

• Membership of Association of Oxford Finance Directors/College Accountants (AOCA), which provides technical support and inter-collegiate peer network. It is hoped that, as the post holder develops in the role, they will play an active part on the AOCA through working parties and subcommittees.

• Leadership of the Finance Bursary team of 6
• Direct line management support of 3, including performance appraisal

• Support for treasurers of student common rooms
• Support the student bodies with their review of the annual report and accounts of both undergraduate and graduate common rooms (the Junior Common Room and Hulme Common Room), and submission to Finance Committee

• Individual queries, advice, support, and signposting for students with funding of financial support queries and issues, including liaison with OU Student Funding and College Office
• Support the Bursar (who is accountable for individual decisions about student hardship) by providing first point of contact for students, and making recommendations to the Bursar on each case
• Close liaison with College Academic Administration, Development Office and University departments in relation to the planning and administration of graduate studentships.

• Charity Commission annual returns
• Liaison with college lawyers in relation to mortgages and other legal work
• Management of all college insurances
• Oversight of pension scheme regulatory requirements
• Oversight of private health insurance scheme requirements and membership

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Recognised CCAB accounting qualification with a strong breadth of financial accounting knowledge and experience
• Strategic financial leadership with the ability to develop and implement financial strategies aligned with organisational goals
• Financial planning and analysis, able to oversee budgeting, forecasting, and financial modelling
• Leadership & team management with experience of leading finance teams, mentoring staff, and fostering cross-functional collaboration
• Process and system development, able to identify and prioritise issues, develop solutions to complex tasks and work across the College to achieve improvements collaboratively and flexibly
• IT skills including a wide variety of accounting systems and excel, confident in learning new financial operations (FinOps) platforms
• Organisation skills, with ability to prioritise complex competing tasks and complete with a high degree of accuracy
• Communication Skills with a clear and approachable communication style to financial and non-financial stakeholders.

• Experience of higher education and/or the College environment
• Knowledge of Charities SORP is highly desirable
• Experience and knowledge of Iplicit would be desirable but not essential