Kent County Council

KENT COUNTY COUNCIL

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job title: Business Manager

Reports to: Head of Service

Location: Swale Inclusion Service

Grade: KR7 – Term Time Only

Purpose of Job

To be responsible to the Head of Service (HoS) for providing strategic leadership and management of the support services of the school to provide best value and enhance effectiveness of the school’s finances and administration as well as personnel management, site management, contracts management and developing marketing and business links.

Main Duties

Leadership and Management

·  Provide support, advice and guidance to the HoS and MC in the development of policies and plans, and maintain an oversight of the services provided to the school, including development of those services.

·  Ensure that administrative, premises, personnel, financial and IT services and systems within the school meet current legislation, Kent County Council (KCC) and school based policies.

·  Be accountable for all Support Services:

·  Administration

·  Personnel

·  Finance

·  Premises and sites

·  IT

·  Management Information

Administrative

·  Ensure excellent administrative and PA support is provided for the HoS.

·  Ensure the school’s administrative systems and structures are fit for purpose.

Finance

·  Develop and compile budgets and forecasts so that the HoS and MC are given timely and accurate advice on all financial and related business matters.

·  Provide strategic leadership in financial management to ensure the long term sustainability of the school.

·  Be responsible for developing the financial aspects of the SIP, monitoring its performance, ensuring alignment to staffing and finance plans and presenting regular reports to the HoS and MC.

·  Ensure that financial systems within the school, including SIMS (or appropriate alternative systems), meet the requirements of the Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS) framework, follow sound practice, have clear accountability and are closely monitored.

·  Liaise with School Finance to provide statistics for the LA and other key stakeholders.

·  Monitoring of the asset register to enable a funded cycle of replacement of assets.

·  A complete understanding of the financial controls needed to ensure that the finances are conducted in a prudent way to protect public finances.

Personnel

·  Be responsible for ensuring HR policies are in place, are regularly reviewed and updated and that advice is available to HoS and MC.

·  Ensure that good personnel practice is followed throughout the school, based on Schools’ Personnel Service guidelines and that polices adopted by the MC are implemented.

·  Ensure that all newly appointed staff receive a contract of Employment and job description within the statutory period and an oversight maintained of all employment contracts and Job descriptions. Ensure that the Staff Single Central Register is complete and up to date.

·  Ensure that the school’s staffing establishment is monitored, can respond to new requirements and that changes are made only after consultation with and agreement of the MC

·  Ensure that the Pay and Conditions for all staff meets statutory and LA requirements

·  Ensure compliance with all legislative requirements relating to human resources and that recruitment policy and practices full comply with best practice relating to Child Protection.

Communication

·  Develop and monitor the schools Communication Policy, ensuring that good communications are maintained between the school and its stakeholders.

·  Ensure ICT and telephone systems support the efficient running of the school.

Premises and sites

·  Develop strategies for the effective and efficient management of the school’s facilities, including the buildings and equipment.

·  Ensure that maintenance and building contracts are tendered to comply with the LA Code of Practice on Purchasing Goods and Services and with the financial limits agreed by the MC.

·  Ensure the efficient and effective use of school assets including buildings and equipment.

·  Be accountable for all premises issues relating to the site including resources and Health and Safety, ensuring that inventories are maintained.

·  Be accountable for all letting of the buildings and grounds within the school’s policies, maximising income but ensuring minimum disruption to the pupils.

·  Be accountable for the maintenance of the school grounds ensuring the safety of the pupils and optimising the cost.

·  Ensure that effective and high quality domestic service is provided to the school.

Person Specification –Business Manager

Education and Qualifications

Essential:

·  Minimum Certificate in School Business Management or equivalent

Knowledge and experience

Essential:

·  Experience of running an administrative department

·  Successful and relevant leadership experience

·  Successful strategic experience

·  Experience of budgetary management and control within a school

·  Knowledge and experience of a variety of financial management systems and processes and procedures

·  Experience of motivating and leading staff

·  A working knowledge of facilities management

·  A working knowledge of Health and Safety legislation

·  An understanding of procurement, contracts, risk assessment, health and safety and traded services in organisations

·  Experience of working effectively with a wide range of external partners

·  An understanding of school management issues and the role of the Management Committee

·  Awareness and understating of school management information systems. (SIMs, FMS6)

Skills and abilities

Essential:

·  Exceptional planning and organisational skills including management deadlines

·  Excellent written and verbal communication

·  Highly developed interpersonal skills

·  An ability to analyse data and evidence of higher level ICT skills

·  An ability to use initiative and prioritise work

·  Being accurate and well organised in approach to work

·  An ability to interpret legislation and regulations

·  An ability to consult and share decision making with the senior team

·  Ability to lead by example

·  Skills and confidence to coach and mentor staff and tackle underperformance

February 2014

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