School Financial Adviser for Maintained Schools

Job Description

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: Leicestershire County Council, Glenfield, LE3 8RA

Salary: £33,129 - £35,493 Per annum (Pro rata for part time)

Working Hours: 37 hours

Contract Type: Fixed term / Secondment for 6-9 months

Closing Date: 31/10/2026

Interview Date(s): to be confirmed

Are you looking for a rewarding career where you can make a difference?

Do you want a job where no two days are the same?

About the Role

The School Finance Advisor role is within Leicestershire Traded Services, supporting schools and academies with financial management, budgeting, compliance, and strategic financial planning. The post reports to the Head of Professional & Business Services and is based across County Hall and school locations.
The role is responsible for delivering a comprehensive school-based financial management service, helping schools manage their finances effectively while ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
The post also has a commercial focus, identifying opportunities to grow the service, increase the customer base, sales and revenue. The role also includes:

• Supporting schools with financial management systems, accounts, records, and statutory financial returns.
• Preparing, monitoring, and evaluating annual and multi-year budgets, including financial forecasting.
• Producing financial reports and budget monitoring information for school leaders, business managers, and governors.
• Working with colleagues and stakeholders to ensure consistent delivery of service standards and financial best practice.
• Promoting the service and ensuring it reflects current financial, legislative, and compliance requirements.

About You

To apply for this post, you must have:

• Finance Qualification Equivalent to NVQ Level 4, Bookkeeping or accounting experience and ideally experience working in school finance and a Diploma in School Business Management would be desirable.
• Proven significant ICT experience with evidence of operating at a practitioner level (SFIA level 2) in a large ICT environment.
• Strong experience of financial management software and budget management in schools. Demonstrable Bookkeeping/Accounting experience.
• Experience using spreadsheets, databases, and reporting systems to produce financial information and forecasts.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to explain financial information to varied audiences.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, planning, and organisational skills. Ability to analyse information, solve complex problems and develop practical solutions that support service delivery and continuous improvement.

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:

Margot Welland, Head of Professional & Business Services

Telephone: 0116 3055942

Email: margot.welland@leics.gov.uk

How to Apply

At Leicestershire County Council we’re looking for top talent from all walks of life. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, and whatever your background - we care about what you bring to our organisation, not just what’s on your CV. That’s why we’ve designed a recruitment process that’s fair, accessible, and focused on potential. And with benefits that support people at every age and stage of life, we make sure you can thrive - both personally and professionally.

If you share our passion to make a difference for the people of Leicestershire, we’d love to hear from you. Click the apply button to submit your application, ensuring that you upload a supporting statement that explains how you meet the criteria listed in the ‘About You’ section above. Without this information, we won’t be able to assess your suitability for the role, and your application will be rejected. For tips on how to write your statement, see the How to Apply section on our career site.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post or you want to request an application pack in an alternative format, please contact our Employee Service Centre by telephoning 0300 3030222 (select option 2) or raising a ticket via our online portal: https://emss.org.uk/support.

By applying for this post, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.

About us

About Leicestershire County Council

At Leicestershire County Council, we're committed to making a real difference in people's lives. Our aim is to work with communities and partners to deliver public services that make Leicestershire the best possible place to live and work for everyone.

Our employees play a key role in supporting this goal and helping us deliver the vital services we provide to the people of Leicestershire. Whether you're starting your career or looking for your next challenge, you'll find a place with us where your ideas are valued, and your work has purpose.

For further information on what it’s like to work for us and the benefits we offer, please refer to the following:

Our Recruitment Process
Our Organisational Values
Our Employee Benefits
Working for Us