Description

About ISP

The International Schools Partnership (ISP) is a growing group of committed colleagues, in financially responsible schools around the world, all of which aim to be the school of choice in their local area. Learning is at the heart of everything we do for our students, colleagues, and parents. We are committed to getting better, all the time.

ISP was founded by an experienced team of committed educationalists and operators who have worked together over many years. Our growing group of private schools located in the UK, the USA, Canada, Spain, Italy, Switzerland Costa Rica, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru educate children and students from 2–18 years of age. We have now expanded to over 50 schools that employ over 8,000 staff and deliver multiple curricula to over 46,000 students located across the globe.

We believe that successful schools are the ones that put learning at the heart of everything they do, always aiming to create rounded individuals that can forge successful careers and lives, in a rapidly changing world. Our goal is to enable our schools to be the leading school of choice in their local area. At ISP we continue to engage with schools around the world that are interested in becoming part of our global group of schools and look forward to welcoming more students and staff to the group.

Role context

The Finance and Integration Manager’s (“FIM”) position is responsible for all aspects of newly acquired schools in the region. The FIM will be the main point of contact with incumbent finance teams in the acquired schools, or help embed new finance team members as applicable. This will cover multiple key topics such as:

• Financial Integration - analyse the business drivers, quality of earnings, quality of assets and future forecasts to identify possible concerns and potential opportunities. Help the school to adopt ISP calendar and processes such as budget, forecast, month end, payroll.
• Financial reporting, including bringing the school onto ISP systems such as Engage, NetSuite and PBCS, production of monthly financial reports, maintenance of an adequate system of accounting records.
• Control Environment - a comprehensive set of controls designed to mitigate risk, enhance the accuracy of the school’s reported financial results, and ensure that reported results comply with international financial reporting standards.

This role is crucial to the onboarding of the school and ensuring a seamless transition to being part of the ISP group. Post integration, the FIM will continue to support the school to become the ‘school of choice’ in their local area, and the effective delivery of the Amazing Learning message that is at the center of the ISP vision.

In coordination with stakeholders:

• ISP Middle East Regional Team
• School Leadership Team including the School Principal, and other relevant stakeholders in the acquired schools to make sure they fully understand the work we are doing and why
• Regional finance team in Dubai and the Group Finance team in London
• Third-Party Vendors

 Main responsibilities include:

 Reporting, Compliance and Control

• Integration of the School into the wider ISP network, ensuring policies and procedures are adopted and ISP practices are followed
• Ensure the timely reporting of all monthly and annual financial information.
• Ensure timely and accurate production of month-end numbers and reporting which include Profit and Loss account, Balance Sheet and Cashflow.
• Design internal control systems for all functions in the school to ensure the safeguarding of regional assets and monitor and enforce internal controls.

Financial Planning and Analysis

• Support the preparation and submission of the school budget and in year reforecasts
• KPI and performance monitoring to identify any areas for improvement
• Assist the group with gathering data and preparing reports for key personnel as requested.
• Undertake such other reasonable responsibilities and tasks that may, from time to time, be assigned by the Regional Finance Director and other key stakeholders.

Candidate Profile
The successful candidate will need to have a minimum five year’s accounting and finance operational experience. 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.

• Essential skills/experience:

1. Fluent English is essential, Arabic advantageous
2. Chartered accountant or equivalent
3. Strong technical accounting skills, comfortable with system integration and implementing chart of accounts
4. Advanced Excel skills
5. Excellent communication and influencing skills
6. Flexibility, multi-tasking mindset and an ability to deal with shifting priorities
7. Comfortable managing a variety of financial and non-financial stakeholders
8. Experience in the education industry is desirable but not required

Safeguarding & Safer Recruitment

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.