Bursar

The Appointment

We seek to appoint an individual of proven leadership ability, capable of commanding respect in a high-level organisation.  Specific qualifications are less important than the right skills and personal qualities.  The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker, able to work with the School Principal, Governors and Senior Management Team to lead this highly successful school into its next stage of development.  Other essential qualities will include excellent leadership and people management skills, a keen eye for detail and an unswerving commitment to high standards.

The current bursary team includes an experienced accountant.  It is therefore not essential for the new Bursar to have accountancy qualifications, though they will be expected to be financially literate and to be able to understand and speak to complex financial documents and initiate financial modelling as required.

The Bursar will need to liaise frequently with the other members of the senior management team in order to fulfil the responsibilities of their role and to ensure that the educational purpose and all business areas of the school are fully supported by the bursary.  

Role Summary

The Bursar is responsible for the effective day-to-day management of all business aspects of the school and for making a leading contribution to the school’s strategy for the future.  Responsibilities include all financial planning and management, and the management of all contractors and contracted work, including the ongoing development, maintenance and improvement of the estate and the delivery of all aspects of the day to domestic operations and commercial activities.  Among other areas, the Bursar also has particular responsibility for Health and Safety, Data Protection and the management of all non-teaching staff. The Bursar should have a good understanding of the educational priorities and operations of the school in its entirety.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Governance:

1.     Maintain a regular dialogue with the CEO to support her understanding of the school’s finances and business operations and ensure that strategic matters are dealt with in a timely fashion.

2.     Advise the CEO and the Governing Board on financial and business policy.

3.     Prepare reports and supporting papers for Governing Board meetings and other committees, participating in those meetings as required.

4.     Make proposals for annual budgets, pay and fee levels, and planned capital expenditure.

Finance and Administration:

1.     Provide accurate and timely financial information to the School Principal and CEO.

2.     Advise on general financial policy within the School.

3.     Oversee the preparation of financial forecasts and annual estimates of income and expenditure.

4.     Manage the accounts of the school and preparing account statements in line with the requirements of the school and local and government regulations.

5.     Ensure cash-flow projections for the current and future years are maintained.

6.     Prepare forecasts for the future financial performance of the school and preparing financial appraisals of projects as necessary.

7.     Advise on taxation and other specific financial matters.

8.     Support the budgeting and financial planning process, including monthly and year-end management reporting.

9.     Oversee accounts payable and accounts receivable to maximise cashflow efficiency.

10.   Support budget holders in putting together business cases and in financial planning and management.

Compliance:

1.     Ensure the school has appropriate risk assessment and risk management processes, including a risk-register, emergency evacuation and a crisis management plan in place at all times.

2.     Ensure internal policies and statutory requirements affecting school operations and non-teaching staff are met.

3.     Manage all aspects of health and safety on the site and all school-related health and safety matters for staff and students, providing timely reports to the Principal and Governing Board as necessary.

4.     Chair the Health and Safety and other operational, compliance-related committees as necessary.

5.     Ensure the school has adequate insurance cover at all times.

6.     Liaise with external agencies on compliance issues including making official reports if required.

7.     Act as the school’s Data Protection Manager, in accordance with Chinese data legislation, ensuring appropriate IT security of information controls are robust and in place and all staff are fully conversant with the school’s data protection policies.

Facilities & Building:

1.     Manage all external contract work and contractors, including the contract process, ensuring high quality delivery on-site and value for money.

2.     In collaboration with Linked, ensure the delivery of a first-class catering and front-of-house service for students, staff and events.

3.     In collaboration with Linked, ensure the estate and buildings are provided for use in excellent order and regular maintenance is planned and carried out.

4.     In collaboration with Linked where relevant, maintain essential services and oversee the purchase of all goods.

5.     Oversee and support the operation and provision of an effective IT infrastructure which meets the evolving needs of the school.

6.     Ensure appropriate IT security of information controls are in place.

Non-Teaching Staff Management:

1.     Provide line-management for direct reports, including all aspects of performance management.

2.     Provide leadership for all members of the non-teaching staff and ensure an understanding of the school’s educational requirements.

3.     Conduct annual pay reviews for non-teaching staff with the Principal.

4.     Support the training and professional development of the non-teaching staff, including providing mentorship for non-academic heads of function, and managing talent and ensuring succession planning with HR.

5.     Ensure safeguarding processes and procedures are in place for all support and outsourced staff.

Other areas

1.     Build and maintain strong relationships between the school and the local community, including through developing understanding of the political and environmental issues of relevance to the school.

2.     Explore potential means of raising school revenue through additional commercial activities e.g. in the holidays. 

QUALIFICATIONS

·         Bachelor’s degree or above in Finance, Business Management or a related Business field.

·         Professional qualifications in a functional speciality (eg:  Finance) would be advantageous.

languages

·         Fluent in English.

WORKING EXPERIENCE

·         A minimum of 10 years’ work experience in the field of business.

·         Management experience in operations, including at least 5 years of successful people management.

·         Experience of managing multi-disciplinary teams.

·         Experience with schools and the education field.

·         Understanding of high-quality education.

·         Familiarity with Finance and other functional processes, policies and procedures in an international school setting.

Competencies

·         Robust leadership ability, with demonstrable experience of leading a team by example, empowering others and commanding respect. to deliver quality customer centred outcomes.

·         Strategic and commercial planning ability.

·         A working knowledge of accounting procedures and requirements.

·         An appreciation of the regulations affecting international schools, including a commitment to the safeguarding and welfare of those in the School’s care.

·         Project Management skills.

·         Proven cost management and large-scale budget leadership and/or accounting experience.

·         Demonstrable evidence of managing change and knowledge of financial, employment and other legal requirements.

·         Extensive experience of computerized systems.

·         Excellent oral and written communication skills

Aptitudes

·         Strong people skills and experience of building productive and collaborative relationships with people from different cultures, industries and different levels of seniority.

·         Innovative and creative problem solver.

·         Strong emotional intelligence.

·         Flexible with the ability to work as a team leader and a team member.

·         Strong initiative, integrity and sound judgement.

·         Culturally sensitive, calm and patient.

·         Excellent interpersonal skills, with an even-handed approach, sensitive and empathetic and able to see things from the perspectives of others.

·         The willingness to confront difficult issues and have difficult conversations.

·         Demonstrating practice that represent the five core SPGS values at all times (Achievement, Community, Liberalism, Creativity and Possibility).