What is the job role?

POST TITLE: Director of Finance – WMG Academy Trust

POST RESPONSIBLE TO: Chief Executive Officer

SALARY: Grade 13 (SCP 45-50) £49,702 - £55,077 (pay award pending)

CLOSING DATE: Friday, 30th September 2022 at 12.00 noon

INTERVIEW DATE: Thursday, 6th October 2022

START DATE: As soon as possible

The WMG Academy Trust Board is seeking to appoint a high quality finance professional with ambition and drive, who is fully qualified (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or CIPFA) and shares the Trust’s values and passion for improving the lives and opportunities of young people to secure high calibre destinations. This key role will be an exciting and rewarding opportunity for an ambitious professional seeking to join a small but ambitious Multi Academy Trust (MAT).

The Role

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, you will act as Chief Financial Officer, providing clear financial and commercial strategy and direction for the MAT. You will be responsible for managing all aspects of financial planning, monitoring and reporting, take on executive responsibilities as part of the Senior Leadership Team and undertake the operational line management of the finance function and team.

You will be responsible for identifying funding opportunities and developing financial proposals, and you will work with the leadership team to ensure that the Trust maximises its financial sustainability and efficiency. You will ensure all financial systems are updated and reporting is timely and in line with required annual returns. In addition, you will coordinate the work of the external auditor and prepare and submit audited, statutory, consolidated accounts.

The WMG Academy Trust

The WMG Academy Trust comprises two academies (Coventry and Solihull) and is led by the Chief Executive, Stewart Tait, a Board of Trustees, chaired by Stuart Baker, and each academy has a Local Governing Body.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. This post is subject to enhanced DBS clearance.

To apply for this position, please complete the application form with a supporting statement (section 7 of the application form). Please state in your application your specialist subject(s) and other subjects and to which level you are able to teach. CV’s will not be accepted.

Completed application forms should be returned to: Chief Executive Officer, WMG Academy, Mitchell Avenue, Coventry, CV4 8DY or by email to principal@wmgacademy.org.uk

For an informal conversation or for more information please contact the Chief Operating Officer by email c.gordon@wmgacademy.org.uk or by calling 0121 289 3556 and asking for Catherine Gordon, Chief Operating Officer or the Chief Executive Officer, Stewart Tait.

FURTHER PARTICULARS

“We have some of the best companies and supply chains in our local area, and they all desperately need new talent and skills to help them grow. That is why the WMG Academy for Young Engineers is so important.”

The late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, Chairman, WMG

The WMG Academy for Young Engineers

The WMG Academy for Young Engineers Multi Academy Trust was formed in March 2015. Following the successful opening of the Coventry Academy in September 2014, the WMG Academy Trust opened its second Academy in September 2016 in North Solihull.

Formed between a partnership of the University of Warwick and with the support of national, regional and local businesses such as Jaguar Land Rover, National Grid, and Rolls-Royce, the Trust is committed to providing a better way of learning for the Engineers of the future.

The Trust is made up of members from industry including the MAKE UK, Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and the University of Warwick who have led the development of the WMG Academies and oversee their running from a strategic perspective. They are supported by a board of trustees and governors, all with relevant business and education experience, who shape the experience of our learners.

Each WMG Academy focuses on engineering, science, maths and digital communication technologies and caters for up to 640 learners of 14-19 years of age from Coventry, Warwickshire, Solihull and Birmingham.

The WMG Academy initiates and supports the development of well-educated and industry trained learners who not only have the qualifications but also the functional skills, knowledge and personal qualities to make an impact in the worlds of work, further and higher education.

WMG Academy Coventry was rated 'Good' by Ofsted in June 2022 and WMG Academy Solihull was rated

'Good' by Ofsted in 2019.

As well as a core curriculum at Key Stage 4, which includes GCSEs in the core subjects Maths, Science, English and Engineering Manufacture, students can select from options which include a humanities subject and free option subjects, such as Art and Design, Computer Science, IMedia, Electronics, Product Design, Business Studies and Triple Science. In addition, all Key Stage 4 students can follow an additional Level 2 Cambridge Nationals course in Engineering Design.

Students at Key Stage 5 can follow a flexible pathway bespoke to their needs. Students can opt to study 3 A Level subjects or a Level 3 BTEC Engineering qualification at Certificate, Diploma or Extended Diploma level.  Further BTEC qualifications are available in Art, Business, ICT and Science and students can mix qualifications to suit a blended qualifications pathway.

Our vision

We will ensure that our learners have raised aspirations that will provide the motivational drive to succeed. 

Strong employer and further and higher education links, as well as a professional ethos and culture, will ensure the learners will be in demand from employers.

Our unique status of working very closely with some of the biggest employers in the region means that we have shaped the curriculum from day one to ensure we produce learners with a professional ethos and culture that is in high demand in today’s working world.

Team working is the norm and learners work together to develop the skills that employers value. We are committed to developing team working, problem solving, creativity, leadership, communication, resilience and an ability to respond to change. As staff, it is our role to model those skills and behaviours to our learners in everything that we do.

The Academy Trust believes that all young people deserve to become world-class learners - to learn, enjoy, succeed and thrive in a first-rate educational environment with excellent facilities, outstanding teaching and the most up-to-date resources available to them. You will benefit from visionary, inspirational and dynamic leadership and be empowered to develop your own skills.

This is a unique opportunity to be involved in an exciting academy; designing and leading an innovative approach to learning and ensuring that learners achieve the highest outcomes and opportunities and we look forward to receiving your application if you feel you meet

WMG Academy for Young Engineers Coventry

Opened in September 2014 by Ratan Tata, the Coventry Academy has over 450 students on roll. Located close to the Westwood area in Canley and the University of Warwick, the Coventry Academy was designed with a large Engineering Hall filled with over £1M worth of specialist equipment. Three additional dedicated CAD/CAM areas allow industry standard software to be used by students in their Engineering projects.

WMG Academy Coventry has a highly successful sixth form, which is consistently at the top of the post-16 performance tables for the city.

Students at the Coventry Academy come from a wide catchment area which includes Solihull in the north through to Kenilworth, Warwick and Rugby in the south.

The Academies follow an 8.30am – 4.30pm timetable (Tuesday – Thursday) with enrichment opportunities offered to students that include football, F1 in schools, GreenPower and Engineering clubs, including the Royal Navy Engineering Challenge and the European Space Agency's CanSat project. Students also have access to resources at Warwick University. On Mondays and Fridays students leave at 3.20pm.

WMG Academy for Young Engineers Solihull

Opened in September 2016, the Solihull Academy boasts over £2M of specialist equipment and ICT. 

Developed along a similar open plan design to Coventry, the Solihull Academy occupies a slightly bigger footprint. The Academy is thriving on successful recruitment and currently has provision for four year groups including Year 10 to 13.

Dedicated ICT facilities include 3 CAD suites and student PC access in all teaching rooms giving unrivalled access to industry standard software. These facilities allow innovative teaching pedagogy through digital technologies. A large Engineering Hall, complemented by ‘Make and Do’ areas above, allows a flexible group-work approach to learning.

The Solihull Academy occupies land adjacent to the Chelmsley Wood shopping Centre, North Solihull, and draws from a wide catchment of East Birmingham, Solihull and North Warwickshire. The Solihull Academy follows the template of the 8.30am – 4.30pm working day used in the Coventry Academy (Tuesday – Thursday) and has the additional flexibility of incorporating some enrichment into the Academy day due to its close proximity to North Solihull Sports Centre and having its own multi-use games area and activity hall.

Who are we looking for?

Following recommendations from Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) for an additional pre employment check with effect 1 Sept 22, please note, an online search may form part of this recruitment process.

Coventry City Council