Job title: Chief Financial Officer
Department: Finance
Location: Manchester – UK Management College, with responsibilities across UKMC and the wider Unibridge Group
Reporting to: Group Chief Executive Officer
Remit: UKMC, with Group-wide responsibilities and support across the wider Unibridge Group.
Works with: Group shareholders and Board; UKMC Board and senior leadership; leadership teams across Unibridge Group organisations; Finance and Audit & Risk Committees; external auditors; banks; HMRC; insurers; professional advisers; regulators; awarding bodies; funding partners; and other relevant stakeholders.
Salary: £100,000–£135,000 per annum
Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent
ABOUT UKMC AND UNIBRIDGE GROUP
UK Management College (UKMC) is a growing higher education provider in the United Kingdom, focused on widening participation and providing accessible higher education opportunities to students from diverse and under-represented backgrounds.
UKMC delivers partner-validated and franchised degree programmes across multiple campuses in Greater Manchester, the East Midlands and the North-East.
UKMC forms part of the wider Unibridge Group, which includes a growing portfolio of education institutions and businesses. Each institution operates within its respective governance and regulatory framework, with the wider Group providing strategic direction and support.
The Chief Financial Officer will be based within UK Management College’s Manchester offices and will provide senior financial leadership to UKMC while also supporting the wider Unibridge Group and its institutions.
ROLE PURPOSE
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will be the senior finance executive responsible for providing strategic financial leadership, oversight and stewardship across UKMC, while also supporting the wider Unibridge Group and its colleges and institutions.
The post holder will lead UKMC’s finance function and provide Group-wide financial expertise and support in relation to financial strategy, sustainability, governance, financial modelling, reporting,
cash and capital management, financial controls, income diversification and strategic growth.
Beyond financial stewardship, the CFO will play a key strategic role in developing sustainable financial models, building and maintaining sophisticated financial forecasts, designing and stress-testing scenarios for growth, diversification and resilience, and supporting the development of new and diversified sources of income.
The CFO will also provide financial leadership and support for the expansion of academic partnerships and portfolios, providing financial due diligence, business cases and investment appraisal to support strategic decision-making.
The CFO will report to the Group Chief Executive Officer and work closely with UKMC and Unibridge Group senior leadership, Boards and relevant committees.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Financial Strategy and Leadership
- Lead UKMC’s financial strategy and provide strategic financial leadership and support across the wider Unibridge Group.
- Ensure financial strategies support the strategic plans of UKMC and relevant Group institutions and promote long-term financial sustainability.
- Act as the principal financial adviser to the Group Chief Executive Officer, providing clear advice on financial performance, forecasts, risks, opportunities and strategic options.
- Work closely with shareholders, Boards and senior leadership teams on significant financial and investment decisions.
- Develop and maintain appropriate financial policies, delegation limits, approval thresholds and financial governance arrangements.
- Lead annual financial planning and budget cycles, ensuring budgets are realistic, capacity-led and aligned with organisational plans.
- Advise on the appropriate balance between investment, reserves, growth and financial sustainability.
- Ensure financial decisions support educational quality, student outcomes and the long-term sustainability of UKMC and the wider Group.
B. Financial Modelling and Sustainable Financial Models
- Build, own and continuously maintain integrated financial models for UKMC and support consolidated and institutional financial modelling across the wider Unibridge Group.
- Link student-number forecasts, fee income, staffing, estates, capital plans, cash flow and reserves within financial models.
- Develop rolling short, medium and long-term financial forecasts.
- Design and undertake scenario and sensitivity analysis covering recruitment performance, partner concentration, changes in fees or policy, cost inflation, new partnerships, new campuses and new income streams.
- Develop sustainability metrics including surplus margins, reserves, liquidity and partner-concentration thresholds.
- Ensure financial models are reconciled with business plans, regulatory submissions, forecasts and statutory accounts.
- Translate complex financial information into clear, decision-ready analysis for senior leaders and Boards.
- Maintain financial modelling approaches that reflect appropriate UK sector practice and regulatory expectations.
C. Income Diversification and New Sources of Income
- Lead and support the identification, appraisal and development of new and diversified income sources for UKMC and the wider Unibridge Group.
- Identify opportunities to reduce dependency on individual partners, programmes or income streams.
- Develop capability around grant and external funding opportunities.
- Support the identification and pursuit of appropriate research, knowledge-exchange, government, local-authority and other funding opportunities.
- Appraise opportunities including contract and commercial training, professional development, consultancy and appropriate commercial use of organisational assets.
- Ensure new income initiatives are supported by robust business cases, appropriate costing, sensitivity analysis and risk assessment.
- Establish and monitor appropriate income-diversification measures.
- Ensure new income opportunities do not compromise educational quality, regulatory compliance or student interests.
D. Partnerships and Portfolio Expansion
- Provide senior financial leadership and support for the expansion of academic and strategic partnerships.
- Undertake financial due diligence on prospective partners, universities, awarding bodies and other significant commercial relationships.
- Model the income, costs and financial risks associated with proposed partnerships.
- Provide financial appraisal for new programmes, subject areas, campuses and modes of delivery.
- Ensure expansion proposals are appropriately costed and financially sustainable.
- Support fee negotiations and financial contract terms with partner organisations.
- Monitor the financial impact of partner dependency and significant contractual commitments.
- Support the financial evaluation of potential acquisitions, mergers or new institutional opportunities.
- Lead or support financial due diligence and integration planning where appropriate.
E. Financial Planning, Reporting and Accounts
- Lead management reporting for UKMC and support appropriate financial reporting across the wider Unibridge Group.
- Ensure timely and accurate monthly management accounts, variance analysis, forecasts and financial commentary.
- Oversee statutory financial reporting and annual financial statements in accordance with applicable accounting standards and legislation.
- Lead relationships with external auditors and ensure audits are appropriately prepared and managed.
- Ensure appropriate tax compliance, including corporation tax, VAT, PAYE and other relevant obligations.
- Oversee key financial processes including payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, credit control and relevant student-fee processes.
- Ensure financial reporting provides senior leaders and Boards with an accurate understanding of organisational financial performance.
F. Treasury, Cash and Capital
- Lead treasury and cash-flow management for UKMC and provide appropriate strategic support across the wider Unibridge Group.
- Maintain robust cash-flow forecasting and liquidity management.
- Develop and maintain appropriate banking relationships.
- Ensure appropriate reserves and liquidity targets are established and monitored.
- Provide early warning where financial forecasts indicate potential risks.
- Lead or support capital planning and investment appraisal for estates, infrastructure, IT and other significant investment.
- Advise senior leadership on appropriate funding strategies for organisational growth.
- Ensure appropriate insurance arrangements are maintained and reviewed.
G. Regulatory Financial Compliance
- Lead the financial aspects of UKMC’s regulatory obligations and support relevant financial compliance requirements across the wider Group.
- Ensure financial returns, audited financial statements, forecasts and other required financial submissions are accurate and completed within required timescales.
- Maintain appropriate internal controls over financial and related data used for regulatory and external reporting.
- Ensure compliance with relevant Companies House and other statutory filing requirements.
- Monitor regulatory and policy developments affecting education finance in the UK.
- Support regulatory submissions and engagements with reconciled and evidence-based financial information.
- Ensure consistency between financial information presented across business plans, regulatory submissions, forecasts and statutory accounts.
H. Risk, Internal Control and Audit
- Maintain an effective framework of financial internal controls.
- Ensure appropriate segregation of duties, authorisation limits, reconciliations, procurement controls and fraud-prevention arrangements.
- Maintain oversight of significant financial risks and ensure material risks are appropriately escalated.
- Support Audit & Risk Committees and other governance bodies with accurate and transparent financial information.
- Ensure anti-fraud, anti-bribery and anti-money-laundering arrangements are appropriately maintained.
- Ensure financial audit actions are monitored and progressed to completion.
- Support financial continuity and resilience planning.
I. Financial Systems, Data and Transformation
- Provide strategic leadership for finance systems and financial technology.
- Support the development of modern, integrated systems for accounting, planning, payroll and procurement.
- Improve integration between finance systems and other organisational systems.
- Drive digitalisation, automation and continuous improvement of financial processes.
- Improve management information and self-service financial reporting for budget holders and senior leaders.
- Ensure financial data is appropriately governed, secure and GDPR-compliant.
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, accuracy and financial control through technology.
J. Leadership and People
- Build, lead and develop a high-performing UKMC Finance function.
- Provide appropriate leadership, professional support and strategic direction to finance colleagues across the wider Unibridge Group.
- Establish clear objectives, performance expectations and development plans.
- Support succession planning and professional development within Finance.
- Develop financial literacy and budget-holder capability across the organisation.
- Promote a collaborative and service-oriented Finance function that supports effective organisational decision-making.
- Promote consistency and best practice across Finance functions.
- Undertake any additional duties assigned by the Group Chief Executive Officer commensurate with the seniority and scope of the role.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND EXPERIENCE
The successful candidate will be expected to be a fully qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA / CIPFA or equivalent) with substantial post-qualification experience at senior finance leadership level.
The successful candidate should demonstrate:
- Significant senior-level financial leadership experience.
- Experience operating at CFO, Finance Director or equivalent senior level.
- Strong experience of financial strategy, planning and modelling.
- Experience of managing complex budgets and financial reporting.
- Strong knowledge of financial governance, internal controls, audit and risk.
- Experience developing sophisticated financial forecasts and scenario models.
- Experience of supporting organisational growth and strategic investment decisions.
- Strong commercial and financial judgement.
- Experience leading and developing Finance teams.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.
- Ability to present complex financial information clearly to senior executives and Boards.
- Experience within higher education, education or another regulated sector would be highly desirable.
- Experience within a multi-site or multi-entity organisation would be advantageous.
VALUES AND CONDUCT
The Chief Financial Officer will be expected to demonstrate the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct.
The post holder will:
- Act with integrity, prudence, accuracy and transparency.
- Provide clear and candid financial advice, including where financial risks or challenges need to be addressed.
- Protect the long-term financial sustainability of UKMC and support the sustainability of the wider Unibridge Group.
- Ensure financial objectives do not take precedence over educational quality or student welfare.
- Promote equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Maintain appropriate confidentiality.
- Exercise sound professional judgement.
- Work collaboratively across UKMC and the wider Unibridge Group.
- Comply with applicable governance, regulatory and professional requirements.
- Maintain appropriate professional development and standing with their professional body.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Chief Financial Officer will be based at and will be required to work collaboratively across UKMC and the wider Unibridge Group.
The role may require travel between UKMC campuses, Unibridge Group locations and other locations as required.
The duties and responsibilities outlined in this Job Description are not exhaustive. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties appropriate to the seniority and scope of the role.
The Chief Financial Officer will be expected to comply with all relevant UKMC policies, procedures, governance requirements and regulatory obligations, together with applicable requirements when supporting other organisations within the wider Unibridge Group.
