Description

Purpose of Role

The organisation is looking for a Regional Financial Controller - Europe, reporting to the Regional Finance Director - Europe.  The individual will be responsible for ensuring all financial and tax information is controlled and accurately reported, in accordance with strict deadlines, to satisfy all internal and external reporting requirements for all legal entities in Europe.

Key Responsibilities

Statutory Reporting

• Review and control to ensure financial transactions are recorded accurately in the ISP Group transactional and consolidation system NetSuite, in accordance with IFRS
• Review financial statements produced by the schools, P&L, Balance sheet and cash flows, in a statutory format, including regular reconciliation to internal management reporting
• Conduct quarterly balance sheet reviews, providing useful explanations for significant variances
• Review intercompany balances, to ensure full counterparty elimination, where possible, on regional and group consolidation
• These duties are performed in collaboration with local School Finance Managers for all schools, and in direct responsibility for the management entities.

Control and Compliance

• Establish and maintain an adequate internal control and compliance environment to ensure external and internal reporting is free of material misstatement
• Maintain ISP accounting policies, ensure implementation in schools and communicate updates when applicable
• Maintain a documented system of policies and procedures across the schools in the region
• Establish and maintain strong control around credit collections for the schools
• First point of contact with Group and support for School Finance managers with the annual audit of the legal entities in the ISP Europe regional structure
• Monitor and follow up on external audit issues and implement recommended improvements
• Ensure accounting treatment is consistent and aligned with Group accounting policies. Where there are local differences, maintain a reconciliation of locally reported figures to Group reported
• Ensure all external statutory, financial and tax filings are made in accordance with required deadlines
• Ensure schools have an accurate and updated fixed asset register

Cash Flow and Capex

• Collate and report local bank balances weekly
• Consolidate and report cash collections weekly
• Review cash collections against targets
• Collate, review and report cash flows on a monthly basis
• Responsible for ensuring that local cash management is optimised
• Ensure cash pooling is in place where possible
• Ensure capital expenditure are recorded and reported for all major projects and assess the impact of significant cash outflows on cash forecasts
• Working with the ISP Group Head of Treasury to ensure that cash flows are forecast accurately, and that surplus cash is repatriated to Group as needed

Tax

• Assist to develop strategies, policies and plans to ensure that the schools are fully tax compliant
• Work with ISP Group Head of Tax on group tax matters such as transfer pricing and tax reporting, ensuring that the tax profile of the region is optimised
• Ensure the policy, procedures and practices relating to taxation comply fully with all legal and regulatory requirements and codes of practice /conduct
• Liaise with external tax advisors as appropriate
• Maintain a good technical knowledge of relevant tax policies and processes

Systems

• Assist in the implementation and adoption of the ISP core accounting platform, NetSuite, and support other key ISP core system implementations.
• Provide feedback, suggestions and input from the region to help develop the systems and facilitate efficient and consistent finance processes and reporting across the region.
• Be the NetSuite super user for the region being the first point of contact for the school
• Ensure schools use NetSuite properly and in line with group policies and procedures. Liaise with ISP NetSuite team to organise training when needed.

Onboarding

• Work closely with the ISP group finance team ensure that acquired schools are integrated into ISP processes and ISP reporting in a timely manner
• Implement ISP’s accounting policies and other group policies
• Assist in gathering sufficient information to support calculations and accounting entries for Group acquisition accounting for new acquisitions.
• Maintain Fair Value accounting

Safeguarding

• A key finance representative for ISP in the region
• Manage the network of School Finance Managers and support controlling processes. Help organize common processes and guide a team to perform according to deadlines
• Develop a partnering approach to the school teams, providing guidance, training and technical accounting support
• Ensure that finance control capability in the region and schools is continually improved

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

The successful candidate will need to have a minimum 5 years’ accounting and finance operational experience in a commercial environment. They will be a self-starter who uses initiative, can manage a varied workload, is deadline driven and has the commitment to seeing a change process through from start to finish.

Essentials

• Qualified Financial Controller
• Strong understanding of tax, statutory accounting and financial control best practices for the region
• Strong technical accounting skills including a good knowledge of IFRS
• Fluent in English. Other European languages desirable.
• Comfortable in setting policy and direction Flexibility, multi-tasking mindset and an ability to deal with shifting priorities
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships at senior levels of the organisation and influence key stakeholders.
• Ability to understand the business context to draw an appropriate balance between control and giving schools freedom to operate
• Ideally will possess some international experience
• Flexibility and willingness to travel across the region

International Schools Partnership

The International Schools Partnership (ISP) is creating a leading learning-centred international family of private schools that provide high quality education for 2 - 18 year olds. ISP has grown rapidly over the past 9 years and is now one of the largest schools’ groups globally and currently has 60+ schools, delivering multiple curricula and building on local brands and reputations, operating in 9 regions with ambitions to be 120 schools within 4 years.  With over 50,000 students and 9,000 staff it is a complex group and one which is growing very rapidly both through investment in its existing schools, opening new schools and through acquiring schools.  

The Europe region currently has 4 schools located in the UK, Switzerland and Italy, offering a combination of international and national curricula to nearly 1,800 students.  ISP’s operating model is to support schools through a regional team. The European regional team is located in various countries across the continent.

Our Vision is to be an international schools group of quality and scale recognised across local communities and the education sector for amazing learning, ambition and growth. We believe that successful schools are the ones that put learning first, always aiming to create rounded individuals that are able to forge successful careers and lives in a rapidly changing world. Progressively, our goal is to position our schools as the leading School of Choice in their local area.

ISP Principles

Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.

Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others.

Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community.

Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.

ISP Leadership Competencies

You consistently demonstrate and role-model the ISP Leadership Competencies in all that you do.

1. Collaboration. Takes an active part in leading their school or region; is cooperative and a genuine team player, developing positive, supportive relationships with colleagues to solve problems and maximise opportunities.

1. Learning & Getting Better. Continually demonstrates personal commitment and passion for learning and getting better using evidence and feedback, supporting others in their continual learning, development and growth.

1. Innovation Leadership. Is good at creating an environment where ideas for learning initiatives and services are generated and is able to motivate and inspire others through the process of creation through to completion.

1. Outcome driven. Can be counted on to find solutions. Is consistently looking to exceed goals and is focused on KPIs.

1. Resilience. Can deal with setbacks and challenges calmly and effectively.

1. Community Focus. Is committed to meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of our students and their families.

1. Integrity & Ethical Management. Has the ability to work ethically and with integrity; helps others feel valued; upholds and models the ISP Vision, Purpose and Principles.

1. Leading & Inspiring Others. Supports, encourages and inspires students, colleagues and teams so that they give their best.

1. Understanding People. Is a very good judge of talent, can objectively articulate the strengths and motivations of people inside or outside the organisation.

1. Influencing & Communication. Consistently informs, influences and inspires students, parents and colleagues through timely and effective communication.

1. Agile. Responds and adapts to changing circumstances; manages and solves problems by providing solutions in a climate of ambiguity.

1. Strategic, Commercial & Financial Awareness. Has the ability to apply understanding of the business and industry to improve effectiveness and profitability.

1. Planning & Decision Making. Makes decisions on the best course of action and then plans, organises, prioritises and balances resources to achieve the desired outcome.

1. Diversity & Equity. Has the sensitivity, awareness and skill to understand the values, behaviours, attitudes and practices across cultures that supports all children and adults to learn and work effectively.

ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles

ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history.