Operations, Finance and Contracts Manager (Music Service)

Job Description

Operations, Finance and Contracts Manager (Music Service & Music Hub) | 11089 | Permanent Contract | 37 hours per week | £50,166 to £54,277 per annum | Grade L | Countywide, Norfolk

Operations, Finance and Contracts Manager

Music Service & Music Hub | 11089 | Permanent Contract | 37 hours per week | £50,166 to £54,277 per annum | Grade L | Countywide, Norfolk

Norfolk County Council is the lead organisation for the Norfolk & Suffolk Music Hub, a dynamic partnership of education, cultural and community organisations working together to ensure every child and young person has access to high-quality music education.

The Music Service delivers a wide range of traded and grant-funded services, including instrumental and vocal tuition, ensembles, performances, professional development and instrument services. Alongside this, the Music Hub coordinates a broad programme of funded activity across Norfolk and Suffolk, supported by the Department for Education and administered by Arts Council England.

We are now seeking an experienced, CCAB-qualified and commercially astute Operations, Finance and Contracts Manager to join our senior leadership team and play a pivotal role in supporting the continued growth, sustainability and success of both the Music Service and Music Hub.

This is a unique opportunity to help shape a nationally significant music education partnership. You’ll provide leadership across financial management, procurement, commissioning, contract management, governance and operational delivery, ensuring that public funding is managed effectively, commissioned services deliver impact, and children and young people continue to benefit from outstanding music education opportunities. This is a new role and pivotal to the service.

Working closely with the Head of Service, Children’s Services colleagues and external partners, you will ensure robust financial leadership and oversight, effective quality assurance and strong governance across a complex and evolving delivery model, providing professional financial advice to support strategic decision-making, long-term sustainability and value for money. You will also contribute to wider thinking across Children’s Services on traded services, financial sustainability and service development.

The Role

• Managing budgets, financial planning, forecasting and reporting across Music Service and Music Hub activity.

• Ensure the timely and accurate preparation, reconciliation and submission of quarterly and annual grant returns and management accounts, while maintaining supporting evidence for external assurance.

• Providing expert commercial and financial advice, drawing on professional accountancy expertise to support strategic decision-making, financial sustainability and value for money.
• Leading procurement, commissioning and contract management, ensuring compliance and value for money.
• Overseeing quality assurance, provider performance and risk management.
• Ensuring strong governance, accountability and compliance for grant-funded and traded activity, including reporting to funders.
• Managing operational support functions such as business support and instrument services.
• Building effective relationships with schools, partners, internal teams and national stakeholders.
• Supporting wider traded service development across Children’s Services.

About You

• A qualified accountant holding a recognised CCAB qualification, such as CIPFA, ICAEW, ACCA, ACA, CIMA or ICAS.
• Significant experience of strategic financial management, budget planning, forecasting, reporting and monitoring within a complex organisation.
• Experience of procurement, commissioning and contract management, including working within regulated governance frameworks.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to provide financial insight to influence strategic decisions.
• Experience of monitoring performance, managing risk and holding providers to account for service delivery.
• Knowledge of governance, compliance, audit and accountability requirements within public sector or grant-funded environments.
• Up-to-date knowledge of financial governance, financial controls, audit requirements and value-for-money principles within public sector, grant-funded or similarly regulated environments.
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to interpret and present complex financial and performance information.
• Experience of leading teams and managing operational services.
• Strong communication and relationship management skills, with the confidence to work effectively with a broad range of stakeholders.
• A commitment to continuous improvement and delivering high-quality services for children and young people.

Experience of working with Arts Council England funding, Music Education Hubs, commissioned services for children and young people, or local government environments would be advantageous.

Why Join Us?

This is an exciting time to join Norfolk Music Service and the Norfolk & Suffolk Music Hub. You’ll be helping to shape the future of music education across two counties, supporting a service that reaches thousands of children and young people every year.

You’ll work alongside passionate colleagues and partners, influence strategic decision-making, and play a key role in ensuring the long-term sustainability and success of one of England’s Music Hubs.

Before You Apply

We recommend reading the full Job Description and Person Specification to help you demonstrate that you meet the criteria.

For an Informal Discussion

Please contact Tim Eyres, Assistant Director, via Tim.Eyres@norfolk.gov.uk.

This role is subject to an Enhanced DBS check with Children's Barred List check. Norfolk County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment.

These are some benefits you can enjoy by working for Norfolk County Council:

• Competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Health and Wellbeing services including fast-track physiotherapy and a free counselling service
• Flexible working opportunities including flexi-time, part time, remote and hybrid working – dependant on your job role and business need.
• Financial benefits such as:
  • ‘Norfolk Rewards’ our employee discounts programme which helps you save money on almost anything, from everyday groceries and clothes, to holidays, new technology, gym membership, trips to the cinema and days out.
  • A Blue Light card for Fire Service and Social Care Workers
  • Relocation expenses (where applicable)
  • An advance of your expenses if you travel for work
  • Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution, life assurance, death in service payments and dependants’ pensions.

  • Tax efficient ways of getting extra pension and new bikes

  • Access to our tax efficient car lease scheme for greener travel enabling you to lease a brand new, ultra-low emission vehicle (subject to eligibility)

  • A payment if you refer someone you know to a hard to fill job

You can also find information on our Terms and Conditions here.

Already a Norfolk County Council employee? See and apply for internal and external vacancies in myOracle using your @norfolk.gov.uk or @nccal.ac.uk email.

We would like to make you aware that priority consideration for this post may be given to current employees who are at risk due to restructure within the organisation or are in a redeployment position.

Redeployment closing date: 19 September 2026 at 23:55

All other applicants closing date: 27 September 2026 at 23:55.