NSW SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE
NSW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Position Description
POSITION DETAILS
Position Title:
Director, Schools Finance
Reports to:
Chief Financial Officer
Location:
Bridge Street, Sydney
Directorate:
Finance
Date:
February 2011
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES
Provide expert strategic advice and recommendations to support decision making,
within the context of the department’s planning processes, on matters relating to the
allocation, management and control of government school budgets and the financial
management of Government school programs.
Undertake the strategic budgetary management of the Schools portfolio and develop
and implement business processes that will ensure the effective and efficient
delivery of financial practices and direction that meet the department’s financial
operating objectives in relation to NSW Government Schools.
Manage the development and delivery of the financial accounting functions of the
Schools Portfolio within the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) to
ensure the integrity of financial records and the effective management of
departmental resources.
Manage, direct and lead the functions, staff and resources of the Schools Finance
Unit to provide a high quality financial accounting and reporting service to support
the delivery of educational initiatives across the state.
Participate as a member of the Corporate financial leadership team to deliver wide
ranging financial services to schools, thus contributing to the operation of the
department and its entities.
Position Description: Director Schools Finance – February 2011
1
ORGANISATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
The Department of Education and Training is an innovative organisation focused on
provision of service to the community through the delivery of quality education and
training.
It is the role of senior staff in the department to lead the development of an
organisational culture which is focused on the work of staff in schools and TAFE
Institutes. Senior staff serve and support students, staff and the community; promote
the development of key relationships and values; and work collaboratively with
interest groups. They also value team work, problem solving and strategic issues
management; and promote the significant role of education and training for the social
and economic future of NSW.
More than 1.5 million students (in schools, TAFE and ACE) in NSW benefit from the
services of the Department of Education and Training. To achieve this, the
department has a recurrent budget of approximately $12.4 billion and a workforce of
over 96,000 FTE. Its size and capacity for coordination provide opportunities to
integrate the provision of education and training in ways that had not been possible
traditionally.
The challenges and opportunities facing the department are immediate and
significant. Success depends on providing quality support to teachers in schools,
TAFE Institutes, communities and industries; ensuring that high quality learning and
teaching are everyone’s central focus; providing students with the knowledge,
understanding, skills and values for productive and rewarding lives; and providing
vocational education and training of the highest quality. This ongoing focus is
needed to meet the needs and aspirations of the community and industry, and to
implement government initiatives in the provision of educational technology.
The Department of Education and Training will meet these challenges and
opportunities by strengthening its focus on support for teaching and learning; leading
the growth of the market position of public schools; ensuring accountability to the
Government and community; and implementing an ethos of customer service
throughout the department. The department is committed to promoting public
schools and TAFE and the teachers who work in them; and creating harmonious and
productive relations with the teaching profession (and those who represent its
members), the community and industry.
Rapidly changing information and communications technology provides further
opportunities for the Department of Education and Training to apply and adapt work
practices to e-business, online curriculum, flexible delivery of services and products,
and strategic use of executive information to inform corporate and educational
decisions.
Provision of high quality public education and training requires the concerted effort of
every senior officer of the department. These efforts require close alignment of policy
and support through the department’s directorates and portfolios with the needs of
schools and TAFE Institutes.
Position Description: Director Schools Finance – February 2011
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The staffing environment of the Department of Education and Training is diverse and
complex. Staff are employed under a number of Acts of Parliament, with the majority
being covered by the Teaching Service Act 1980 and the Public Sector Employment
and Management Act 2002 (this includes staff employed under Chapter 1A of the
Public Sector Employment and Management Act 2002 in the Department of
Education and Training, or the TAFE Commission Division, to enable the TAFE
Commission to exercise its functions). Every senior officer of the department will
ensure that all staff, regardless of the awards governing their employment, are
committed to the corporate priorities.
The Finance and Infrastructure portfolio, which has responsibility for the
development of core corporate policies and services to the whole organisation in
accordance with best practice in contemporary educational management and public
administration, includes the Directorates of Finance, Administration, Asset
Management, Finance Shared Services and Procurement. Collectively, these areas
work with other areas of the department to drive, facilitate and support the
department’s strategic directions for the promotion of public education and training.
In addition a major focus of the Finance and Infrastructure portfolio is to enable all
areas of the department to access the highest possible level of Commonwealth and
State public funds and use these funds flexibly to deliver education and training in an
intensely competitive market.
The Finance Directorate has a pivotal role in coordinating the allocation, reporting
and management of financial resources across the department. Changes in
direction, especially the implementation of shared corporate services, policy shifts,
cultural changes, new initiatives, modifications to service delivery and structural
changes need to be considered on an ongoing basis by the Directorate in terms of
their resource implications and their implications for the role of the Directorate.
There are very few areas of the department that can operate in isolation from the
Finance Directorate which has an extremely important role to play in the overall
management and operation of the department’s $12.4 billion dollar budget.
The Finance portfolio is made up of the:
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Financial Control and Reporting
Financial Performance Management
TAFE Financial Management
Schools Financial Management
The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for these units working cohesively to
provide and achieve an efficient, effective and comprehensive financial and reporting
management service to the department as a whole, working within policy constraints
and best practice guidelines and meeting the Government’s and Treasury’s financial
guidelines for operating and reporting.
Position Description: Director Schools Finance – February 2011
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REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
The Director of Schools Finance reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer. Three
other senior directors also report to the Chief Financial Officer. These are the
Director of Financial Control and Reporting; Director TAFE Finance and the Director
of Financial Performance Management.
There are four (4) positions directly reporting to the Director of Schools Finance and
a further 27 positions reporting indirectly. The Management positions reporting
directly are the:
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Principal Finance Officer, Government Schools Global Funding
Principal Finance Officer, Government Schools Financial Planning and Reporting
Executive Assistant to the Director, TAFE Financial Management and the
Director, Schools Financial Management
Manager, Office of Schools Portfolio Finance – the staff in the areas of Access
and Equity Finance and Learning Development Finance report through the
Manager’s position to the Director of Schools Finance.
MAJOR ROLE OF THE POSITION
The purpose of the position is engage with the Schools Portfolio to gain a thorough
understanding of its operations and provide financial functions that support these
activities. The position is also responsible for providing analysis and expert strategic
advice regarding the Portfolio’s financial performance in order to support decisionmaking within both the Portfolio and the department. The position also leads,
develops and reviews procedures and business processes to support the activities of
the Schools portfolio.
To achieve the position’s objectives, the Director, Schools Finance concentrates on:
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Providing timely strategic advice and analysis to senior managers within the
Schools Portfolio, the department’s Executive and the Minister regarding the
Portfolio’s financial management and performance to support decision making
processes.
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Developing and implementing business processes and procedures for
Government Schools that ensure the effective management of departmental
resources and the integrity of financial resources.
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Managing the strategic planning of financial resources of the Government
Schools sector by developing, implementing and monitoring budgets in order to
contribute to the effective delivery of education NSW.
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Assessing and implementing relevant accounting policies and practices in line
with Australian Accounting standards to ensure accounting procedures and
controls are in place to meet accountability and management requirements.
Position Description: Director Schools Finance – February 2011
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Managing financial accounting, budgets and internal analysis functions of
Government Schools in order to present budget and actual financial data to the
Deputy Directors-General, Director-General, The Minister and Executive,
National and State funding bodies for their approval.
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Managing relationships and expectations related to Schools finance with DET
executives, DET Directorates (Eg. International Business), Regional Directors
and Principals.
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Maintaining and extending key working relationships with government agencies
and other stakeholders relevant to the financial operations of Government
Schools.
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Developing and enhancing staff financial literacy and capability throughout
Government Schools.
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Implementing procedures that predict and address significant financial issues
affecting the delivery of Government Schools programs.
ROLE OF POSITIONS REPORTING
Positions reporting to the Director, Schools Finance are the:
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Principal Finance Officer, Government Schools Global Funding – provides
leadership and management of activities associated with the financial
management of Global Funding - Budget centrally administered by Finance to
government schools for specific items of recurrent expenditure.

Principal Finance Officer, Government Schools Financial Planning and
Reporting – the management, coordination and assistance with government
schools and program related financial management and services (excluding
shared services) and associated advice and decision support to government
schools Executive, Directors and Principals.

Executive Assistant to the Director, TAFE Financial Management and the
Director, Schools Financial Management - providing executive, administrative
and clerical support to the Director, Schools Finance and Director TAFE Finance,
including the day to day operations of the office.
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N.B - Manager, Office of Schools Portfolio Finance – the staff in the areas of
Access and Equity Finance and Learning Development Finance report through
the Manager’s position to the Director of Schools Finance.
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
The Director, Schools Finance has frequent contact with the Chief Financial Officer
for reporting purposes and to discuss and provide high level advice on a range of
financial and administrative issues.
Position Description: Director Schools Finance – February 2011
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The position also provides expert strategic advice directly to the Deputy DirectorGeneral, Finance and Infrastructure, the Deputy Director-General Schools, the
Director-General and the Minister with regards to a wide range of financial and
administrative issues, including budget allocations, financial accounting, policy and
systems and matters of public concern involving Government Schools.
Within the department, the position leads a professional group with a range of
managers and staff, in a complex and sensitive environment. The Director, Schools
Finance regularly liaises with the other finance directors to discuss common issues,
and to provide advice to each other on various financial issues.
Externally, the Director, Schools Finance has frequent contact with Regional
Directors and Principals and attends regular meetings to provide expert long and
short term strategic financial advice and negotiate annual budget appropriations.
The position also meets regularly with senior staff from the Department of Services,
Technology and Administration, other Central Government Agencies, to negotiate
contracts and requirements on behalf of the department.
CHALLENGES AND CONSTRAINTS
Major challenges and constraints currently faced by this position include:
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Integrating the financial and accounting procedures, policies and systems to
support Government Schools within the context of the department’s financial
objectives.
 Developing best practice, management reporting procedures in the context of a
large and diverse organisation and regular alterations to reporting requirements.
 Providing advice and recommendations to the Deputy Director-General, Schools
on Schools budget, so as to ensure accountability of public funds, equitable
funding distribution, achievement of cost efficiencies and the optimal funding for
training delivery.
 Implementing new standard processes and procedures for financial planning,
management and reporting that enables the tracking of the use of all Government
Schools resources.
 Providing advice and recommendations to the Deputy Director-General, Schools
on the development and implementation of comprehensive cost savings
strategies aimed at achieving greater efficiencies and effectiveness.
 Managing the consolidation of key Government schools financial functions and
processes, given the diversity and multitude of existing local arrangements
across the department.
DECISION MAKING
The Director, Schools Finance is fully accountable for the formulation of expert
strategic advice given and recommendations made to the Deputy Directors-General,
Director-General and the Minister.
Position Description: Director Schools Finance – February 2011
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The Director, Schools Finance is accountable for decisions made with regards to the
day to day management of the Schools Financial Management units staffing and
procedures.
The position makes recommendations and provides expert strategic advice to senior
managers within the department about resource allocation and financial policy
changes that may potentially change the strategic direction of Government Schools
funding, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer. This approach also applies
to decisions concerning equitable funding determination and distribution across
government schools across the various regions of the department.
The position provides expert strategic input into the decision making processes in
relation to department wide issues involving Government schools financial activities.
The position uses astute judgement to set an efficient and effective level of resource
allocation, and is chiefly responsible for developing departmental priorities regarding
school Finance within the Finance Directorate.
Any decisions involving delegation beyond the position’s authorised amounts or
increases in Institute funding beyond approved budget levels, are referred to the
Chief Finance Officer or the Deputy Director-General Finance and Infrastructure.
POSITION DIMENSIONS
The position has a financial delegation of $200,000
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
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Lead Government School programs related financial management and services
(excluding shared services) and associated advice and decision support to DET
and Government Schools executive.
Act as the primary advisor for Government Schools finance to DET executives,
senior Government Agency officials and Government Schools General
Managers.
Participate as a core member of the Finance Leadership Team, providing
strategic input related to Government Schools finance considerations.
Oversight and lead the financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, monitoring,
evaluation and associated decision support for Government Schools.
Assist the Deputy Director-General, Schools to develop and implement solutions
to address significant financial risks and issues associated with Government
Schools financial management.
Ensure that government school funds are applied in accordance with
Government, Ministerial and departmental policies and priorities.
Provide direction and leadership over activities associated with Government
Schools financial management, such as:
Position Description: Director Schools Finance – February 2011
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 Day to day operations of the Government Schools Financial Management
units and its team leaders.
 Attracting, developing and retaining talented team leaders, including setting
staff guidelines and appraising workplace performance.
 Managing relationships and expectations related to Schools finance with DET
executives, DET Directorates (E.g. International Business), Regional Directors
and Principals.
 Clarifying and defining Government schools financial management related
responsibilities of staff across DET.
 Aligning objectives and priorities amongst all DET staff involved with the
financial management activities related to Government Schools.
 Government Schools related performance measure development, monitoring,
evaluation, reporting and adjustment.
 Executing of effective and efficient financial planning, budgeting, forecasting,
monitoring and evaluation services for Government Schools.
 Delivering of accurate, timely and transparent financial reporting that provides
insight for Government schools decision making including the implementation
of frameworks, policies and procedures that predict and address significant
financial issues affecting the delivery of Government Schools programs.
 Developing and enhancing staff financial literacy and capability throughout
Government Schools.
 Implementing financial practices that ensure all Government School programs
operate consistently within financial policy and national best practice with an
appropriate level of responsibility and control
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Demonstrate commitment to core NSW public sector values of cultural diversity,
equity and ethical practice, and a healthy safe and fair workplace; and lead staff
in implementing these values.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
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Extensive financial and management skills and experience, including strategic
leadership and people management skills.
Expert knowledge and understanding of financial accounting and financial
management practices including budgeting, cash flows, chart of accounts and
annual reporting in a large and complex organisation.
Extensive knowledge of government school operations and an understanding of
the challenges in implementing standardised financial planning, management and
reporting to track the use of Government school resources
Position Description: Director Schools Finance – February 2011
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Comprehensive experience in the development of frameworks, policies,
practices, strategies and financial systems for a complex and diverse
organisation.
Thorough knowledge of Government policy and practice including the
interrelationships between public sector departments and central agencies.
Strategic analysis, research, planning and advisory skills, combined with creative
problem-solving skills.
Expert knowledge of government processes in the public sector and the
underlying legislative basis, particularly in relation to financial and administrative
management reform including School education.
Significant skills in the successful management of organisational, program,
technological and cultural change.
Outstanding interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.
Tertiary qualifications in a finance or accounting discipline, membership of a
recognised Accounting body.
Capacity to lead staff in implementing the department’s Aboriginal education and
training policies and to ensure quality outcomes for Aboriginal people.
Position Description: Director Schools Finance – February 2011
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