Employment

Position Title: Finance Manager, Milkwood Steiner School

Contract: Fulltime contract (9:30-5:30, Monday-Friday), start date negotiable but the position is available for immediate start.

Annual leave: 6 weeks per annum

Closing Date: 3pm, Wednesday 5 April

 

Overview

Milkwood Steiner School is situated on Larrakia land (Darwin), in the tropical north of Australia delivering a Steiner Curriculum to 120+ students from Kindergarten to Class 7. Our school has unique large tropical style buildings with classrooms that open out on to broad verandas, with a playground that extends to a beautiful native bushland.

We are a thriving, growing school, with a welcoming community and children from diverse cultural backgrounds. Milkwood Steiner School’s financial standing is healthy, stable and sustainable. Our College of Teachers are committed to applying the richness of a Steiner Education to the unique cultural and environmental context of Australia’s Top End. We are seeking a colleague who has a strong desire to grow our school with us.

 

Position Summary

The Finance Manager reports to the school Principal, and works closely with the Principal and Administration staff for the smooth financial administration of the school. The position includes procurement, grant applications and acquittals, financial management and reporting/analysis. The Finance Manager works on site at the school and maintains a warm and professional relationship with families and staff at the school.

The Finance Manager has a high level of financial management and communication skills. They enjoy working in a collegial environment, and enjoy the presence of children. They have excellent attention to detail. In all their conduct, the Finance Manager is trustworthy,  responsive and kind.

 

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial reporting

• Oversee the day-to-day financial activities of the School, including receipting and banking of funds and payment of accounts payable.
• Prepare the annual financial statements, including all end of year financial accounts and reports, balance day adjustments and meeting all statutory requirements.
• Liaise with and assist external auditors.
• Prepare regular financial analysis and reporting for Board and Principal.
• Complete all regulatory, educational and general compliance requirements as they fall due including lodgement of funding accountability certificates, COSI, Census, STAT, ACARA, ACNC, and Financial Questionnaire (FQ).
• Prepare and lodge regular accurate Business Activity Statements (BAS).
• Prepare and lodge the annual FBT and workers compensation returns ensuring that they are accurate. Liaise with external bodies to gather relevant information in a timely manner to meet reporting deadlines.
• Issue monthly financial statements to budget holders as required.
• Prepare as Board papers monthly profit & loss statement, balance sheet, cashflow budget update and debtors aging reports each compared with budget and prior-year to date results.
• Monitor bank accounts and prepare monthly cash flow forecasts as required.
• Inform the Principal of inherent risks, errors and omissions in any returns.

2. General ledger maintenance and control

• Regularly review internal controls to ensure that they are adhered to and maintained.
• Make recommendation to Principal on improvements to processes and general level of accountability.
• Ensure that accounts payable are processed within trading terms and in accordance with the School’s delegations.
• Ensure approved School loans are accounted for appropriately.
• Prepare and maintain accurate monthly general ledger reconciliations.
• Prepare and maintain bank reconciliations as required, ensuring approval by the Principal on a monthly basis.
• Prepare month end accounting entries, ensuring approval by Principal.
• Prepare monthly statements for approval by Principal as part of month end checklist and rollover procedures.
• Ensure ongoing maintenance and reconciliation of the School Asset Register, including Annual audit of School Assets and their condition.

3. Accounts receivable

• Prepare school fee invoices, ensuring that they are accurately prepared and dispatched on a timely basis.
• Ensure all fees and charges are levied and collected in a timely manner in accordance with the School’s policies.
• Undertake where appropriate, the collection of outstanding fees in accordance with School policy and liaise with the Principal on write-off of bad debts as required.
• Assist/advise staff re costing of excursions, fundraising activities and GST implications associated with these activities.
• Undertake regular reviews of costs associated with these activities and recommend adjustments as appropriate.
• Evaluate requests for fee relief and recommend these to the Principal and Board for consideration.

4. Budgets

• Liaise with all stakeholders to gather relevant information to support budget preparation.
• In conjunction with the consultant, prepare a Mid-Year Budget Review (MYBR) for submission to Principal and Board.
• Input approved budget into financial database and allocate accordingly.
• Monitoring variances against budget and report as required.
• Prepare operating budgets to support significant financial proposals as requested by the Principal.
• Monitor Budget expenditure and follow up budget exceptions with budget managers.
• Ensure all authorised purchase orders and expenditures are within the approved budget and are covered by available funds.

5. Human Resources

• Manage the HR files, advising the Principal on new and existing staff salary levels and condition of employment in accordance with relevant Awards and employment contracts.
• Liaise with staff on employment and Industrial Issues, including salary packaging, superannuation requirements etc.
• Manage Cleaning and Maintenance staff and contractors.
• Process Workers compensation claims efficiently.

6. Payroll

• Prepare salary records and pay for all staff using MYOB or other financial software.
• Administer all staff salary sacrifice arrangements and liaise with external provider as required.
• Keep informed of all award changes, benefits and conditions of service.
• Process all leave entitlements and provide advice/assistance to all staff as required.
• Create payroll reports and submit to Principal for approval.

7. Grants and other income

• Be familiar with government funding, grants and other income sources that may be accessed by the School.
• Assist in the preparation of applications for funding and fund raising as required.
• Prepare accountability requirements for funding and collating data for required documentation.
• Assist with compliance with all statutory requirements concerning funding.
• Assist in compiling records and returns.

8. Other Functions

• Provide front office reception duties for 2 hours/day.
• Other duties, as required from time to time.
• Attend relevant meetings at the discretion of the Principal.
• Maintain a shared office environment that is functional and orderly in ways that are sensitive to the needs of all office users, ensuring that the aesthetics, layout and management of the room reflect the values of Milkwood Steiner School.

 

SELECTION CRITERIA

All applicants must provide a current Ochre Card, Police Check and First Aid Certificate, or evidence of eligibility for these prior to employment.

Essential

1. Experience in a similar role, with proven knowledge of management accounting, auditing and legislation.
2. Strong experience in financial and accounting software, such as MYOB and Xero, and in Microsoft Office suite.
3. Proven ability to solve problems, recognise opportunities, recommend best practice proposals and implement approved plans – both independently and in a collaborative team environment – including skills for strategic thinking, data management and analysis and reporting.
4. Demonstrated excellent oral and written communication skills for maintaining professional relationship, cultural safety and confidentiality.
5. Demonstrated organisational skills, including the ability to triage and meet deadlines.
6. Excellent understandings of self-care and insight into own support needs.

 

Desirable

1. Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline (e.g. business, accounting, finance).
2. Previous professional experience in School environment.
3. Familiarity with approach and philosophy of Steiner education.

 

Enquiries and applications to the Principal by 3pm, Wednesday 5 April principal@milkwood.nt.edu.au

Applications to include

• Cover Letter addressing the selection criteria
• CV and evidence of registration documents
• 2 referees

________________________________________________

Primary Teacher

Fulltime contract, commencing ASAP

Milkwood Steiner School

Closing Date: 3pm Thursday 23 March

 

Milkwood Steiner School is situated on Larrakia land (Darwin), in the tropical north of Australia delivering a Steiner Curriculum to 130 students from Kindergarten to Class 7. Our school has unique large tropical style buildings with classrooms that open out on to broad verandas, with a playground that extends to a beautiful native bushland. We are seeking another teacher to join our College.

We are a thriving, growing school, with a welcoming community and children from diverse cultural backgrounds. Our College of Teachers are committed to applying the richness of a Steiner Education to the unique cultural and environmental context of Australia’s Top End. We are seeking a colleague who has a strong desire to grow our school with us. The successful applicant will ideally aspire to work with their appointed class for a minimum of 3 years.

Milkwood teachers are supported by highly experienced teacher assistants and a rich release/specialist subject program. A Learning Enrichment teacher supports teachers, classes and individual students with diverse learning needs.

Indigenous applicants who do not meet the Steiner Teaching qualification requirement, but have a willingness to engage in Steiner Teacher Training or a Mentorship by senior staff at the school are strongly encouraged to apply, and will be provided with support and mentoring to join our College.

 

Key Responsibilities

• Work effectively with the College of Teachers, Principal and Administration Staff
• Plan, implement, document, assess and report on teaching programs aligned to the Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework.
• Develop educational adjustment plans and other adjustments for individual students based on best practice interventions for inclusion, wellbeing, and learning.
• Maintain accurate records of class attendance, engage with incident reporting, behaviour management reporting and mandatory reporting as required.
• Supervise a range of student activities including support and welfare programs, Festivals, excursion, assemblies and other.
• Communicate regularly with parents via email, phone or face-to-face, via parent-teacher conference (Term 2 & 4) and group information sessions (Term 1 & 3).
• Attend relevant meetings, including a reasonable number of planning meetings, at the discretion of the Principal.
• Ensure appropriate behaviour of students in class, around the school and whilst on excursions or camps.
• Care for the classroom and manage the classroom budget, ensuring that the aesthetics, layout, and management of the room reflect the cultural values of Milkwood Steiner School and support teaching and learning.

 

Key Selection Criteria

Essential

1. A commitment to the principles of Steiner Education, including qualifications and/or commitment to Professional Development in Steiner Education
2. Demonstrated experience planning, delivering and assessing a child-focused Steiner curriculum, with classroom management and organisational skills
3. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and community including demonstrated skills in communication
4. A love for children and an inclusive approach that values diversity and wellbeing
5. Excellent understandings of self-care and insight into own support needs

 

Desirable

1. Specialist subject area training, skills, strengths or interests
2. An interest in specialised areas of the school’s professional and cultural life (eg. child studies, festivals, adult education, eurythmy, community camps, mentoring)

All applicants must be eligible for teacher registration in the Northern Territory and provide a current Ochre Card, Police Check and First Aid Certificate.

Enquiries and applications to the Principal by 3pm Friday 10 March: principal@milkwood.nt.edu.au

 

Applications to include

• Cover Letter addressing the selection criteria
• CV and registration documents
• 2 referees

_________________________________________________

Relief  Teachers

We are seeking enthusiastic, flexible and caring teachers to join our teaching team on a casual basis. You must be a registered teacher in the NT to work at Milkwood. Please email principal@milkwood.nt.edu.au with a letter of introduction, CV, TRB number, Ochre Card and 2 references.

_________________________

Relief Support Staff

Relief support staff are needed to work as casual Teacher Assistants, Playgroup Leaders, After School Care Leaders and Assistants, and in Administrative roles. Please email principal@milkwood.nt.edu.au with a letter of introduction, CV, Ochre Card and 2 references.