JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Director of Finance and Operations/Bursar
Reports to: Head of School
Direct Reports: Operations Manager, Estates Manager, Assistant Bursar
Based at: TASIS The American School in England, Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe, Surrey, TW20 8TE
Salary range: £80,000 – £90,000 per annum

Job Summary

The Director of Finance and Operations/Bursar reports directly to the Head of School and also has reporting responsibilities to the Chair of the Board of Directors, Chair of the Board Finance and Estates Committee, and the TASIS Foundation Financial Director. The Director of Finance and Operations/Bursar is the most senior non-teaching position in the School community and a key part of the Senior Leadership Team.

The Director has direct and indirect responsibility for finance and accounting, estate management, catering and housekeeping, transport, and health and safety. The post-holder also supports the Head of School and the Senior Leadership Team by leading on the development and delivery of the operational, commercial, and financial strategy required to support TASIS England’s educational aims and overall mission.

Chair of the TASIS England Board of Directors:

• David King

Senior Leadership Team:

• Bryan Nixon, Head of School
• Megel Barker, Head of Lower & Middle School
• Melodi Jordan, Deputy Head of Lower & Middle School
• Stephanie Feo Hughes, Head of Upper School
• Andrew Reid, Director of Sports & Activities
• Darren Singh-MacPherson, Director of Inclusion, Well-being and Compliance
• Jason Tait, Director of Pastoral Care and DSL
• Joshua Clark, Director of Marketing & Enrolment
• Mike Rust, Director of Boarding
• Sally Holmes, Director of Human Resources

Key Responsibilities

The Director of Finance and Operations/Bursar will work with the Head of School and other members of the Senior Leadership Team.
The key responsibilities of the Director of Finance and Operations/Bursar are:

Finance

• Advise on financial policy within the School;
• Ensure the School acts in compliance with relevant legislation and guidance at all times;
• Prepare the annual budget for the School along with longer-term financial plans;
• Monitor income and expenditure in relation to the budget;
• Lead on the preparation of monthly and quarterly financial reports for the School and associated companies;
• Ensure systems of financial control are in place and are robust and operating effectively;
• Manage the School’s cash flow and working capital;
• Manage the School’s banking arrangements and treasury management function;
• Ensure the payment of all salaries and wages for all faculty and staff;
• Oversee the School’s pension arrangements and liaise with the School’s appointed pension consultants as required;
• Ensure all payments for goods and services provided to the School are properly incurred and authorised;
• Lead on the preparation of the School’s Annual Statutory Accounts for audit and ensure that all the necessary supporting documentation is provided to enable the satisfactory completion of the audit; and
• Plan all audit arrangements and be the lead contact with the external auditors;
• Chair the Financial Aid Committee.

Taxation

• Responsibility for tax compliance relating to corporation tax and PAYE, as well as for VAT; and
• Liaison with the School’s tax advisers on matters of tax planning and to ensure all information is provided to the advisers to enable the timely submission of tax computations and returns.

Estates and Buildings

• In conjunction with the Board member responsible for the School’s master plan and building programme, ensure all projects are properly planned and managed from both a financial and non-financial perspective;
• Provide all reports to the Foundation Board to record expenditures incurred on new build and refurbishment programmes;
• Advise on the financial and operational aspects for the effective planning, management, and delivery of the School’s building projects;
• Line manage the Estates Manager in the effective and efficient management of the School’s buildings and grounds, including the preparation of the annual programme of maintenance;
• Produce an agreed capital expenditure plan;
• Line manage the Estates Manager in their responsibility for school security and health and safety, to ensure the efficient and effective discharge of duties and the maintenance of compliance;
• Oversee the School’s rating assessments; and
• Ensure compliance with Independent School Inspectorate Regulations relating to operational areas.

Health and Safety

• Maintain overall responsibility for the School’s health and safety arrangements and ensure that regular risk assessments are undertaken and actions arising are dealt with;
• Work with the Estates Manager to ensure that the School’s Health and Safety policy is implemented and monitored, and that regulatory and best practice compliance is maintained;
• Chair the School’s Health and Safety Group (operational committee);
• Co-ordinate and develop policies to comply with the relevant requirements of the Independent Schools Inspectorate and Health and Safety legislation, ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations; and
• Take professional advice on Health and Safety as required.

Other Operational Areas

• Lead the managers with direct responsibility in delivering consistently effective and efficient management of areas such as Housekeeping, Maintenance (buildings and grounds), Security, Events Management, and Transport (busing);
• Collaborate on the development and enhancement of IT operations and systems to ensure effective support for all school functions and activities;
• Lead all managers within remit to strive for continuous improvement in the School environment for the benefit of our students and their educational experience;
• Take the lead in contracting for new or different services, to deliver improved quality and value-for-money, and take responsibility for the management of outsourced functions, currently catering and busing;
• Monitor the catering and busing service standards and levels, and regularly review performance against contract as appropriate, as well as scrutinising financial performance against agreed budgets; and
• Oversee the effective staffing, training, and recruitment of staff within remit.

Summer Programme

• Work with the Director of Inclusion, Wellbeing and Compliance, and the Director of Summer School to ensure that all operational matters relating to the School are managed; and
• Provide all financial reports to Summer School management to enable their financial management of the Summer Programme and oversee effective budgetary control.

SLT Responsibilities

• Serve on a number of relevant board Committees, including:
  • Health & Safety;
  • Finance and Estates; and
  • Governance, Risk, and Nominations.
• Attend the Board of Directors meetings in a non-voting capacity and take the minutes of the meeting.
• Attend SLT meetings and participate in the boarding programme weekend on-call rota;
• Collaborate with and provide advice to other members of the Senior Leadership Team as required;
• Represent SLT in respect of the key finance, estates, and health and safety functions during all School compliance and academic accreditation inspections; and
• Deputise for the Head of School in respect of Finance and Operations.

Group Reporting

• Provide financial reports in respect of the School’s operations to the TASIS Foundation as requested. Respond to requests for information received from the TASIS Foundation Financial Director.

Other responsibilities:

• Build own leadership capacity and take responsibility for own professional development by actively engaging with and seeking out areas for improvement;
• Lead the ongoing development and implementation of the School’s sustainability plan, working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to embed sustainable, compliant, and future-focused operational practices;
• Ensure comprehensive insurance coverage is maintained across the School, with regular review and monitoring of all arrangements; and
• Undertake other duties as may be assigned by the Head of School or Chair of the Board of Directors.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Support the work of the School’s Designated Safeguarding Lead and Safeguarding Team;
• Proactively be alert to indicators of potential safeguarding issues and report these immediately in accordance with the School’s procedures;
• Implement the School’s Safeguarding Policy and follow its requirements;
• Attend training relating to Safeguarding of Children;
• Engage in safe practice and professional conduct to safeguard children, to mitigate against the potential for misunderstandings or situations being misconstrued; and
• Create safe and secure learning environments.

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and has a range of policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practice across the school. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications and Experience

• Professional qualification
  • Fully qualified accountant (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) essential
  • Educated to degree level or equivalent desirable
• Additional professional qualifications
  • Additional operational or leadership-related qualifications (e.g. estates management, facilities management, health & safety, business management) desirable
• Senior leadership experience
  • Demonstrable senior-level financial and operational leadership experience within a complex organisation essential
  • Experience within education, not-for-profit, or similarly mission-driven organisations desirable
• Strategic contribution
  • Proven ability to contribute strategically to organisational development while maintaining strong oversight of financial and operational detail essential
  • Experience contributing at board or executive leadership level desirable
• Support services leadership
  • Proven experience of managing a range of support services to an exceptional standard essential
  • Oversight of estates, facilities, health & safety, IT, or similar operational functions desirable

Knowledge and Skills

• Financial expertise
  • Strong financial literacy with excellent analytical skills and the ability to develop long-term financial plans essential
  • Experience of multi-year financial modelling in a school or charitable environment desirable
• Financial reporting
  • Proven experience in financial reporting, including annual budgets, monthly management accounts, forecasts, and statutory accounts essential
  • Experience reporting to governors, trustees, or boards desirable
• Budget management
  • An experienced budget planner, able to work proactively with budget holders to ensure performance meets agreed targets essential
  • Track record of delivering efficiencies or value-for-money initiatives desirable
• Compliance & regulation
  • Sound understanding of company compliance and the ability to implement and manage change in line with current regulations essential
  • Knowledge of education-specific regulatory frameworks desirable
• Communication skills
  • Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage a wide range of stakeholders essential
  • Experience managing complex or sensitive stakeholder relationships desirable

Personal Attributes

• Values & mission alignment
  • Strong personal values and a deep appreciation of the TASIS England mission and the transformative power of education essential
  • Prior experience working in mission-led or international education environments desirable
• Leadership style
  • Promotes open and effective communication; models behaviours aligned with the School’s mission and values essential
  • Experience leading through organisational change desirable
• Collaboration
  • Fosters collaborative relationships through meaningful engagement, shared learning, and strong professional relationships essential
  • Experience leading cross-functional teams desirable
• Vision & influence
  • Visionary leader who leads by example, empowers others, and commands respect internally and externally essential
  • Recognised professional standing within the wider sector desirable
• Change & resilience
  • Comfortable delivering positive change at pace in challenging environments; resilient, decisive, and solution-focused essential
  • Experience leading during periods of organisational growth or complexity desirable
• Challenge & judgement
  • Able to challenge constructively, robustly, and positively essential
• Teamworking
  • Able to work independently and as a key member of a senior leadership team, with a collegial and purposeful approach essential
• Communication under pressure
  • Accomplished communicator at all levels, able to manage competing and sometimes conflicting priorities essential
• Workload & flexibility
  • Flexible, visible, and detail-focused, with the ability to manage a significant and varied workload essential
• Safeguarding
  • Committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people essential
  • Prior safeguarding training or leadership responsibility desirable