Senior Finance Manager - (7884)

Fixed Term Contract until 31 December 2025

Following a successful promotion within the Business Planning and Reporting Services team in the Finance Department, we are recruiting a Senior Finance Manager on a fixed term contract. As the Senior Finance Manager, you will play a leading role in the University's budgeting and planning process and be responsible for the monthly management accounting as well as quarterly forecasting. Managing the Corporate Reporting and Accounting Support team of 3 directly, (and 5 indirect reports), you will lead, guide, and motivate the team in achieving standards of excellence.

As the Senior Finance Manager, you will ensure management information reports are developed and provided regularly to senior management, budget holders and finance business partners across the University. Collaborating with key stakeholders across the University, you will proactively identify areas where the financial outputs can add value and support the achievement of strategic business objectives.

Using your strong technical skills and sound commercial understanding, you will provide advice and support to senior colleagues and ensure that budgets are well constructed. Additionally, you will support senior managers in the production of plans to deliver improved performance, reduced risk and provide better value for money.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead in the production and future development of the University's management reporting requirements.
• Be responsible for the management of period end accounting, so to ensure the milestones leading to the production of management accounts are met.
• Produce regular University forecasts at key reporting deadlines and ensure that detailed management information reports are produced to assist budgetary control.
• Be responsible for managing the University's costing and pricing models, including development, advice and promotion in order to influence a culture change throughout the University on costing, pricing and sustainability.
• Develop effective collaborative reporting via Workday Adaptive Planning, SAP and other related reporting systems in order to present results, achievements and ongoing areas requiring remedial action.
• Contribute to the on-going development, review and implementation of the University's Finance Strategy, and associated policies, undertaking project work and benchmarking exercises as requested.
• Be part of the senior management team within Business Planning and Reporting Services to contribute to the development of University wide strategic plans and operations.

Key Experience, Skills and Qualifications:

• Considerable experience of working within an accounting, planning and reporting environment of a large organisation, including accurately interpreting complex financial data in order to produce comprehensive analysis.
• A high level of competence in budget management, planning, forecasting and risk identification combined with excellent problem-solving skills.
• Well-developed communication, presentation and relationship management skills including an ability to engage effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
• Stakeholder management, proven ability to articulate finance issues to key people within the business.
• ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified.

(For a full list of criteria and benefits, please refer to the job description and candidate pack provided below)

About the team:

Supporting the university in a series of increasingly dynamic, demanding and competitive environments, our work sees us involved in a growing number of partnerships and communities, across the city but also nationally and internationally. Our financial professionals play a key role in helping shape our strategic direction, making a key contribution to the long-term financial sustainability of a great global university. The work is intellectually challenging, exciting and hugely rewarding.

If you would like to join our people and share our ambition, we would love to hear from you!

To apply, please submit your CV and covering letter (detailing your suitability for the role) via our application portal. For informal enquiries about this position, please contact Sunil Shekar on s.shekar@mmu.ac.uk  

Manchester Met University is committed to creating an intentionally inclusive culture of belonging that promotes equity and celebrates diversity. We understand the importance of having a diverse workforce and the benefits it can bring to ensuring diversity of thought and innovation in everything we do. We, therefore, encourage applications from people from ethnic minority groups, disabled people and people who identify as LGBTQIA+.