International Schools Partnership Careers

ISP Iberia Region

Head of Finance – St George, Barcelona

Location – On site school location, Barcelona

The Role:

The Head of Finance – Barcelona position will be responsible for the ISP school in the city of Barcelona. This position will have a direct reporting line into the Head of the school and a dotted reporting line into the Regional Finance Director for the Iberia region. The person in this role will be a key finance representative of the Iberia Finance team. The individual will be responsible for ensuring all financial and tax information is controlled and accurately reported, in accordance with strict deadlines, to satisfy all internal and external reporting requirements for each school and to support the Heads of the school, in the day-to-day financial operations and commercial activities of the schools.

Main Responsibilities:

Statutory and Management Reporting and Financial Planning

• Review and control to ensure financial transactions are recorded accurately in the ISP Group transactional and consolidation system NetSuite, in accordance with the ISP Group reporting requirements.
• Work closely with the centralised Regional Billing team to implement internal financial processes and procedures to ensure the accurate recording of all revenue transactions for the schools.
• Manage the accurate and timely recording of all supplier invoices for the schools.
• Produce and review timely financial statements, P&L, Balance sheet and Cash flows, including regular reconciliation to internal management reporting.
• Conduct quarterly reviews of balance sheet movements and perform reconciliation on all key and material balances.
• Responsible for the annual budget and the P&L forecasting process for the schools.
• Produce monthly management reporting and review monthly actual variances to the schools’ budgets, providing useful explanations, to drive corrective action, if needed.
• Establish processes to ensure accurate data collection and review of monthly KPI data for the schools’ enrolments and the schools’ headcount.

Control and Compliance

• Establish and maintain a robust internal control and compliance environment, with regular balance sheet review and reconciliations, to ensure external and internal reporting is free of material misstatement.
• Work with the centralised collections team to understand aged debtors for the schools and support as necessary to collect all outstanding amounts.
• Support the annual Group audit, by being the point of contact for the auditors, for the schools in Madrid.
• Monitor and follow up on external audit issues and implement recommended improvements.
• Ensure accounting treatment is consistent and aligned with Group accounting policies. Where there are local differences, maintain a reconciliation of locally reported figures to Group reported.
• Ensure all external statutory financial filings are made in accordance with required deadlines.

Cash Flow and Capex

• Responsible for ensuring that local cash management is optimised.
• Record and report local bank balances regularly.
• Responsible for ensuring conducting and completing the monthly bank reconciliation and clearing all reconciling items.
• Record capital expenditure for all major projects and assess the impact of significant cash outflows on cash forecasts.
• Produce monthly cash flow statements versus budget and forecast cash projections, to ensure schools have adequate funding.
• Assist in the completion of Capex investment papers, providing financial and analytical input.
• Conduct regular review of actual expenditure for capital projects versus approved budget spend and highlight deviations.

Tax

• Ensure the policy, procedures and practices relating to taxation comply fully with all legal and regulatory requirements and codes of practice /conduct.
• Liaise with external tax advisors as appropriate.
• Maintain a good technical knowledge of relevant tax policies and processes.
• Ensure all external tax filings are made in accordance with required deadlines.
• Responsible for ensuring that the tax accounts VAT, IRPF, Social Security, at the end of the month are correctly posted and supported in the NetSuite.
• Control of the SII report to Tax Authorities

Commercial Support

• Responsible for suppliers’ management, including agreements supervision and financial analysis to support procurement options, working closely with the FP&A and school team. Discuss with school management team to decide on preferred option and follow necessary internal approval procedures to action.
• Drive the finance integration of new acquisitions, implementing the ISP financial processes, procedures and systems, in a timely manner.
• Develop a business partnering approach, providing financial guidance and analysis to the management of the schools, to support them in their ongoing development and growth of their schools.
• Conduct regular financial review meetings with the management of the schools to drive understanding and accountability of the school’s financial performance.
• Control and good relationships with the suppliers of the school.
• Provide analysis and support to evaluate strategic, tactical and operational initiatives, to drive sound business decisions for the schools.
• Evaluate business and financial risks and opportunities and report any possible impact to the delivery of targets.

Systems

• Champion the implementation, use and full adoption of the ISP core accounting platform, NetSuite in the school and support other key ISP core system implementations, such as ISAMS/Netsuite Billing.
• Provide feedback, suggestions and input from the school, to help develop the systems and facilitate efficient and consistent finance processes and reporting across the school.

Team Leadership

• Establish a suitable Finance structure, team and division of responsibilities.
• Motivate and develop the team and their capabilities, to ensure an effective Finance function to support the school.

Candidate Profile:

• Recognised qualification in finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field.
• Proven experience (5+ years) in a similar role, ideally reporting into a regional or overseas Head Office
• Previous experience in a similar supervisory/managerial role is ideal.
• Strong understanding of financial planning, statutory accounting, financial control best practices, accounting principles, and regulatory requirements.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships at senior levels of the school and wider organisation and influence key stakeholders.
• Proficiency in financial software and Microsoft Office suite; experience with data management systems, billing, and ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite, ISAMs) preferred.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret financial data, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and to drive organisational change.
• Role will require some travel.
• Commitment to integrity, ethical conduct, and confidentiality in handling sensitive information.
• Good negotiation, communication, stakeholder management skills (spoken and written).
• Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines and attain company objectives.
• Internal and external customer focus.
• Continuous improvement mindset.
• Ability to simultaneously tackle multiple projects and challenges.
• Ability to challenge the status quo and experience in setting up, changing, improving financial processes.
• Fluency in Spanish and English is a must. Any other European language is highly valued.

ISP Principles

Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.

Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others.

Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community.

Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.

ISP Leadership Competencies

You consistently demonstrate and role-model the ISP Leadership Competencies in all that you do.

1. Collaboration. Takes an active part in leading their school or region; is cooperative and a genuine team player, developing positive, supportive relationships with colleagues to solve problems and maximise opportunities.
2. Learning & Getting Better. Continually demonstrates personal commitment and passion for learning and getting better using evidence and feedback; supporting others in their continual learning, development and growth.
3. Innovation Leadership. Is good at creating an environment where ideas for learning initiatives and services are generated and is able to motivate and inspire others through the process of creation through to completion.
4. Outcome driven. Can be counted on to find solutions. Is consistently looking to exceed goals and is focused on KPIs.
5. Resilience. Can deal with setbacks and challenges calmly and effectively.
6. Community Focus. Is committed to meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of our students and their families.
7. Integrity & Ethical Management. Has the ability to work ethically and with integrity; helps others feel valued; upholds and models the ISP Vision, Purpose and Principles.

ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles

ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history.