Appointment of Bursar and Business Director

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1 Appointment of Bursar and Business Director Appointment Brief Prepared by Jo Ogilvy and David Munns March 2015 REF: COPI Saxton Bampfylde 35 Old Queen Street London SW1H 9JA +44 (0)

2 The School St Paul s Girls School is one of the country s leading independent secondary day schools for girls aged and is a lively academic community with excellent facilities for all subjects. There are approximately 740 pupils with a thriving sixth form. Entry to the school is by competitive exam held in January and there is heavy demand for each place. Public exam results are consistently outstanding and about half of all students every year move on to Oxford and Cambridge. Increasing numbers also go on to higher education at Ivy League colleges in the United States. Aspirations and achievements in many areas go well beyond what one would normally expect from a school, making St Paul s a very exciting and stimulating place in which to work. Full details of the school, including our curriculum and public exam results, are available on our website at The Appointment We seek to appoint an individual of proven leadership ability, capable of commanding respect in a top level organisation. Specific qualifications are less important than the right skills and personal qualities and the school is keen to consider candidates from a range of professional backgrounds. The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker, able to work with the High Mistress, Governors and Senior Management Team to lead this already highly successful school into its next phase 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 school is embarking on a significant estates development programme. A separate Director of Estates Development is being identified to lead this work. The Bursar and Business Director and the Director of Estates Development will work closely together to ensure the efficient delivery of the scheme with the minimum of disruption to the day to day operation on a constrained site. The current bursary team includes an experienced accountant and the governors have considerable expertise in investments and financial planning. It is not therefore essential for the new Bursar and Business Director to have accountancy qualifications, though the appointee 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 and Business Director will liaise with the other members of the senior management team to facilitate the effective discharge of their responsibilities and to ensure that the educational purpose and all business areas of the school are fully supported by the bursary.

3 The role Responsible to: Direct Reports: The High Mistress (Head Mistress) Deputy Bursar School Accountant General Services Manager School Engineer Clerk to the Governors Personal Assistant Role Summary The Bursar and Business Director 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, the ongoing development, maintenance and improvement of the estate and the delivery of all aspects of day to day domestic operations and commercial activities. The Bursar and Business Director should have a good understanding of the educational priorities and operation of the school in its entirety. Governance Maintain a regular dialogue with the Chairman and other key Governors to support their understanding and ensure that strategic matters are dealt with in a timely fashion Advise the Governors on financial and business policy Report formally on all matters relating to the financial and operational aspects of the school Manage the Clerk to the Governors and oversee the support and preparation for governors meetings Prepare reports and supporting papers for meetings of Governors and other committees, participating in those meetings as required Make proposals for and secure annual budgets, pay and fee levels and to planned capital expenditure Finance and Administration Provide accurate and timely financial information to the High Mistress and Governors Advise on general financial policy within the school Oversee the preparation of financial forecasts and annual estimates of income and expenditure Manage the accounts of the school and preparing Statements of Financial Activity (SOFA) and Balance sheets in accordance with the requirements of the charities

4 Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) Ensure cash flow projections for the current and future years are maintained Advise on investments in consultation with the school s investment committee Prepare forecasts for the future financial performance of the school and preparing financial appraisals of projects as necessary Advise on taxation matters and where appropriate, ensuring compliance with VAT regulations Advise on scholarship and bursary funds and undertaking assessments of parents income and assets prior to making bursary awards Compliance Ensure the school has appropriate risk assessment and risk management processes, including a risk register, emergency evacuation procedures and a crisis management plan, in place at all times Ensure compliance and statutory requirements affecting the school are met 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 High Mistress as necessary Chair the health and safety and other compliance related committees as necessary Ensure the school has adequate insurance cover at all times Liaise with external agencies on compliance issues including making official reports if required Facilities Management Ensure the delivery of a first class catering and front of house service for students, staff and events Ensure the estate and buildings are provided for use in excellent order, managing regular maintenance in liaison with the Director of Estates Development, and providing cleaning, caretaking and grounds services Maintain essential services and oversee the purchase of all goods Provide and manage staff accommodation including the tenancy arrangements Manage all letting of school property, including charity and other external lettings Manage external contract work including the contract process and the delivery of work on site Support the provision of an effective IT infrastructure which meets the evolving needs of the school

5 Staff Management Provide line management for direct reports including all aspects of performance management Provide leadership for members of the non-teaching staff across the school, ensuring their integration with the teaching staff and understanding of the educational requirements Conduct annual pay reviews for non-teaching staff with the High Mistress and Head of HR Support the training and professional development of the non-teaching staff Other Areas 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 Work with the Director of Development to support the school s fundraising operation, building links with alumnae and other donors Contribute to the development of HR policy and practice for the school through liaison with the Head of HR Person Specification Essential Experience of managing support, business or professional services in a complex organisation Experience of successful staff management A working knowledge of accounting procedures and requirements an appreciation of the law affecting independent schools and a willingness to gain the knowledge required; this includes a commitment to the safeguarding and welfare of those in the School s care. Commitment to the priorities and values of the school A first degree or equivalent Strategic planning ability The ability to lead by example, empower others and command respect, both within the immediate community and in the wider professional arena

6 Strong interpersonal skills and experience of building productive and collaborative working relationships with a diverse range of colleagues Excellent oral and written communication skills Sound IT skills Desirable Experience of working in an education or charity environment Experience of project management A knowledge of investment procedures Knowledge of charity SORP and of Charity accounting and reporting together with an awareness of the effect of being a charity on other areas of the company s operation Knowledge of Health and Safety management Entrepreneurship and the capacity to generate creative ideas for the future Experience of working in a regulated environment

7 Terms of appointment and conditions of the post The package will be according to qualifications and experience and appropriate to the level of this post. How to apply Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to St Paul s Girls School on this appointment. Please submit applications using the forms provided on Saxton Bampfylde s website Applications should be sent by for the attention of Jo Ogilvy at COPI@saxbam.com or apply through our website at Alternatively they may be sent by post to: Jo Ogilvy Saxton Bampfylde (ref: COPI) PO Box 198 Guildford Surrey GU1 4FH In addition to a covering letter addressed to the Chairman of Governors (of no more than two pages), St Paul s Girls School asks candidates to provide a full curriculum vitae with details of qualifications and experience and the names, addresses, telephone numbers and addresses of two professional referees, one of whom should be the applicant s current line manager. References will not be taken without prior approval, but will be required before the post is confirmed/final round of interviews.

8 The process Pre-employment Checks St Paul s is a registered body under the Police Act 1997 because employment here involves access to children under the age of 18. This post will require an enhanced DBS check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly Criminal Records Bureau) before we can confirm an offer of employment. You will need to apply for a new disclosure, even if you already hold one. Former members of staff who re-join us also require fresh disclosures unless less than three months have passed between their leaving and their re-employment date. If you have lived or worked abroad you will also need to provide appropriate paperwork, such as a police certificate of good conduct, from the countries you have lived in. Other checks, including a medical declaration and right to work in the UK, will also need to be completed. Safeguarding guidelines The post-holder s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom s/he is responsible, or with whom s/he comes into contact, will be to adhere to and ensure compliance with our child protection policy statement at all times. If, in the course of carrying out the duties of the post, the post-holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety or welfare of children at St Paul s, s/he must report any concerns to our safeguarding designated person or to the High Mistress. St Paul s Girls School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.