Operational Finance Assistant - Operational Growth

The Operational Finance Assistant - Growth - will provide dedicated financial modelling, analysis and reporting support for Salutem's growth and development programme. Working within the Operational Finance team and closely with the Chief Commercial Officer, the postholder will help assess the financial viability of new services, schools, acquisitions, property developments, extensions, and major refurbishments.

The role will build and maintain clear, reliable financial models for project briefs and business cases, bringing together occupancy and referral assumptions, fee income, staffing structures, payroll costs, operating expenditure, capital investment and project timescales. The postholder will support informed investment decisions by testing different scenarios, clearly documenting assumptions and risks, and comparing approved models with actual performance as projects move through mobilization and into operation.

Operational Finance Assistant

Salary: £28,000 – £32,000 | Location: Hybrid / Regional, with attendance at the Windsor office and project locations as required | Contract: Full-time, Permanent

About the role We're looking for an Operational Finance Assistant to provide dedicated financial modelling, analysis and reporting support for Salutem's growth and development programme. Working within our Operational Finance team, you'll help assess the financial viability of new services, schools, acquisitions and property developments. You'll then track how they perform once they're up and running. It's an ideal role for someone looking to build their career towards management accounting and business partnering.

What you'll do

• Build and maintain financial models for new services and growth opportunities, covering income, staffing, operating costs and capital investment
• Prepare scenario and sensitivity analysis to support business cases and investment decisions
• Convert approved models into mobilisation budgets and project trackers
• Monitor new services' performance against their business cases and explain variances
• Provide management accounting support, including accruals, prepayments and reconciliations

Who we're looking for

• Experience in an accounts, finance assistant or assistant management accountant role
• Strong Excel skills, with confidence building structured calculations
• A good understanding of profit and loss, accruals, prepayments and cost drivers
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to explain findings to non-finance colleagues
• Working towards, or willing to work towards, AAT, CIMA, ACCA or equivalent

Desirable

• Experience producing financial models or business cases for new services or property projects
• Experience with Sage 200, Power BI or Power Query
• Experience in social care, education, healthcare or another regulated multi-site environment