Finance Business Partner - MTC Training

MTC Training have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Finance Business Partner.

MTC Training are a wholly owned trading but not for profit subsidiary of the Manufacturing Technology Centre, (MTC). More information about MTC Training can be found HERE.

Operating from high quality training centres in Coventry, Oxford, and Liverpool with ambition to open a new training centre in the Northeast of England and, overtime, in other regions.

Our mission is to develop training capabilities that embeds knowledge, skills, and behaviours that future proof UK manufacturing. Aligning technical content identified in MTC's core business to our apprenticeship and commercial (engineer upskilling) is at the core of our strategy. Ours is an end-to-end business made up of three key parts:

• Training Services – identify future skills and develop training content required to deliver the manufacturing technologies of now and the future.
• Training & Skills – delivers high quality apprenticeships and upskilling and reskilling courses.
• Events – delivers events on behalf of UK manufacturing that range from national conferences with international reach to small high-profile meetings and everything in-between.

Our customers range from global multi-nationals through to local small to medium size enterprises, (SMEs), who are committed to high quality and being market leading. We delivery high quality skills which are recognised in many ways: Ofsted ‘Good’ with outstanding features, multiple awarding winning apprentices including medals at WorldSkills competitions, annual sponsorship by Lloyds Banking Group of £1m, to name but a few.

What you’ll be doing

As Finance Business Partner you’ll provide strategic financial support as well as in depth, accurate and timely financial planning, and analysis. Delivering high impact insights that drive and influence the right decisions, to optimise, control and deliver business performance and strategy. It will lead both near term forecasting and long-range strategic planning for MTC Training.

You’ll be working with government agencies, (currently the Department for Education (DfE)) with oversight of funding streams for skills and education programmes.

Experience of Apprenticeship funding (e.g.16-18 incentive payments, on programme payments and completion payments) and the implications on business plan budgeting, quarterly and monthly management accounting are essential for this position.

Responsibilities include:

• Strategic Financial Insights: Partnering with the MTC Training leadership team to collaboratively drive business performance and achieve budget and strategic targets using in depth strategic financial insight.
• Strategic Business Partnering: Be a critical finance friend to the business, by helping “connect the dots,” from actions to financial impacts and outcomes. Participation in meetings to present financial performance to key stakeholders.
• Strategic Business Planning: Considering opportunities for the business to expand or grow. Mapping outgrowth plans, including capital expenditures and investments. Generating short to long-term financial forecasts and tracking progress against.
• Continuous Improvement: Working with the finance team and wider business to drive and implement continuous improvement.
• Delivery Unit Reporting: Oversee the preparation and analysis of delivery unit reports.
• Monthly S&OP Processes: Consolidate MTC Training monthly Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) 15-month forecast, providing analysis and insights through reporting and steer-co meetings.
• Weekly Flash Reports: providing senior management with weekly financial updates.
• Commercial Pricing Strategies: Develop and support commercial pricing strategies to enhance profitability.
• Budgeting and forecasting:  developing 5-year plans, annual budgets, quarterly forecasting.
• DfE – ensure MTC Training acts in full compliance with approved financial policies and rules.
• Stat Accounts – Collaborate with others to support the statutory accounts process, ensuring compliance with DfE funding requirements.
• Company Secretary for MTC Training: Working with the Group’s Head of Legal, oversee the Company Secretarial duties and activities for MTC Training. Facilitating communication and ensuring that the Board functions effectively.

You are we looking for.

We’re looking for a highly experienced Finance Business Partner, who’s either CIMA, ACCA or ACA qualified and has previous experience working in leadership roles, as well as experience of working in the Education or Training sector.

You’ll be a team player with exceptional Stakeholder Management and influencing skills. We’ll be looking for you to demonstrate the ability to influence and constructively challenging Senior Leaders to drive strategic decisions and improvements. You’ll also have first class communications and collaboration skills and be able to flex your style ensure you get the best out of your colleagues to help their business and teams' flourish.

This position will quite somebody skilled at translating complex financial concepts into understandable terms for non-financial employees and have meaningful engagement with Senior Managers driving insightful discussions.

We’re also looking for.

• Strong analytical expertise with the ability to generate insightful reports and analyses that support business objectives across different areas.
• Coaching and Mentoring skills, demonstrating experience in coaching, developing, and mentoring finance team members to enhance their performance and professional growth.
• Knowledge and experience of Further Education (FE) and Skills Funding, for example working in an Independent Training Provider, (ITP), a FE college or third sector organisations that has been in receipt of government funding for Apprenticeships, Adult Skills Fund (ASF),
• Expert in Management Reporting and Analysis, demonstrating strong skills in management reporting and data analysis, providing valuable insights to support business decisions.

Desirable experience includes.

• Strong working knowledge of DfE Apprenticeship Funding Rules and how to apply them in practice.
• Proven ownership of ILR–to–finance reconciliation and funding assurance readiness
• Governance and control environment expertise in line with the ITP Financial Handbook 

Interview Process

Once you submit your application, this will be passed on to our Talent Acquisition team for review. If you are successfully shortlisted, the next steps will be a 2-stage interview process.

Reference and Security Checks

All employment offers will be subject to us obtaining satisfactory employment references. As part of your role, you will be required to undergo a BPSS Check. In addition, our learners’ safety and wellbeing is of paramount importance to all MTC Training employees.