The Head of Finance & Operations leads the finance function of Myriad Education, the holding company overseeing the Lexel International Schools, and is accountable for the financial leadership, governance, planning, and control of the group and each of its campuses. The role establishes and maintains a single, consistent finance operating model across all Lexel schools, ensuring that financial activities are executed accurately, on time, and in accordance with group policies, accounting standards, statutory requirements, and board governance expectations. The role additionally owns the day-to-day operational running of each campus once it has been handed over for occupation - campus services, vendor and outsourced-service frameworks, operational compliance, and operational readiness for each new campus opening.

As the group scales from its first campuses toward a multi-campus network, the role is responsible for designing and embedding scalable, replicable finance and operational processes, controls, and standards that can be deployed efficiently at each new campus opening. The role owns group-level budgeting, consolidated financial reporting, treasury and cash flow, affordability and unit-economics modelling, management-fee arrangements, capital expenditure planning, finance systems, and campus operational standards.
The Head of Finance & Operations provides functional leadership to the campus finance and operations teams, setting standards, reviewing performance, building capability, and acting as the principal finance and operations partner to the General Manager, the central services team, and the Boards. The role is central to strengthening financial discipline, supporting strategic and operational decision-making through robust analysis, and safeguarding the financial integrity and long-term sustainability of the Lexel brand.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Group Financial Management & Reporting
Accountable for the timely, accurate, and consolidated financial reporting of Myriad Education and all Lexel campuses.
• Own the preparation and review of monthly, quarterly, and annual consolidated financial statements and management reports across the group and each campus.
• Consolidate campus-level results into a single group view, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and consistency of accounting treatment across all schools.
• Oversee group and campus profit-and-loss performance, balance sheet integrity, and the accuracy of general ledger records, supporting schedules, and intercompany positions.
• Lead the preparation of variance analysis, financial commentary, and board-ready reporting packs for the General Manager, central services, and the Boards of Governors and Directors.
• Review month-end and year-end close processes at each campus, supported by the campus accountants, to ensure timely completion, resolution of outstanding items, and adherence to the group reporting calendar.
• Develop and maintain group financial dashboards and cost-per-student analytics to support performance monitoring and decision-making.
Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Planning
Accountable for leading group financial planning and providing analysis that supports strategic and commercial decisions.
• Lead the annual group budgeting process and periodic reforecasting in collaboration with the General Manager, campus leadership, and central functions.
• Review budget assumptions, enrolment-linked revenue drivers, staffing costs, and capital plans for reasonableness and alignment with the group business plan.

• Provide the affordability modelling and unit-economics analysis that underpins the group fee-setting framework, ensuring pricing decisions are supported by evidence on both accessibility for middle-income families and financial sustainability.

• Build and maintain the unit economics and financial models that underpin new campus business cases, payback analysis, and the scalable growth strategy.

• Monitor budget utilisation, analyse variances against budget, forecast, and prior periods, and highlight financial risks, opportunities, and trends in a timely manner.
• Provide scenario analysis and financial insight to support cost management, investment decisions, and EBITDA performance against group targets.
Treasury, Cash Flow & Capital Management
Accountable for safeguarding the group’s liquidity, managing capital, and overseeing intercompany and management-fee arrangements.
• Oversee group and campus cash flow forecasting, monitoring, and management to maintain financial stability and adequate liquidity.
• Manage banking relationships, treasury operations, and the group’s funding and capital expenditure planning, including the financial planning and appraisal of campus build-out and capex within delegated authority.
• Administer the management-fee invoicing structure between the holding company and campuses, and the associated intercompany communications and reconciliations.
• Oversee accounts receivable, fee collection, and ageing across campuses, ensuring timely follow-up on overdue accounts and early detection of collection risk.
• Ensure accurate and timely submission of cash flow forecasts and cash management plans to the General Manager and the Group.

Governance, Controls & Compliance
Accountable for strong financial governance, internal controls, and statutory compliance across the group and all campuses.
• Establish, maintain, and continuously improve a group-wide internal control framework to safeguard assets and ensure the integrity of financial records at every campus.
• Ensure all finance processes are executed in accordance with group policies, accounting standards, statutory requirements, and board governance expectations.
• Own and apply the delegated financial authority framework, ensuring approvals, thresholds, and segregation of duties are observed across campuses.
• Ensure that service delivery and performance against vendor contracts.
• Lead audit readiness, liaise with internal and external auditors, and ensure audit queries are addressed accurately and on time.
• Ensure compliance with tax, regulatory, statutory, and financial reporting obligations in all jurisdictions in which the group operates.
• Identify, assess, and escalate control gaps, financial risks, or non-compliance matters with appropriate recommendations, and support the development of finance policies and procedures.

Campus Operations & Service Delivery
Accountable for consistent, high-quality day-to-day operations at every campus following handover for occupation.
• Establish and maintain group operational standards for campus services in the area of facilities upkeep, cleaning, security, catering, transport, and grounds, and the day-to-day running of each campus.
• Ensure campuses are well-maintained, safe, and fit for purpose, with effective asset management and a planned preventive maintenance programme at each site.
• Lead termly operational reviews with each campus to monitor service standards, cost performance, and quality, and agree corrective action with the Principal.
• Own the group fixed asset register and the periodic physical verification of campus assets.
• Support campus operations teams with clear standards, tools, guidance, and escalation routes, respecting the operational leadership of each Principal.

Vendor, Procurement & Contract Management
Accountable for effective, value-for-money management of vendors and outsourced services across the group.
• Develop and manage group vendor frameworks for outsourced services, including security, cleaning, catering, transport, maintenance, and waste.
• Lead vendor selection, contracting, performance management, and service reviews to ensure quality and value, within the delegated authority framework.
• Develop procurement strategies that deliver cost-effective, timely, and consistent acquisition of goods and services across campuses, and realise economies of scale as the network grows.
• Manage concession arrangements, including canteen, uniform, and bookshop, as commercial contracts, ensuring terms, service standards, and revenue shares are properly documented and monitored.
• Maintain the group insurance programme for property, liability, and operational risk.
Operational Compliance, Health & Safety
Accountable for the framework and assurance that keeps every campus safe, licensed, and audit-ready in its operation.
• Own the group health, safety, and security framework and the operational compliance calendar, ensuring statutory and regulatory requirements are met at every campus.
• Maintain operational licences, permits, fire certification, and regulatory approvals required for each campus to continue operating, and track renewals ahead of expiry.
• Establish consistent visitor, contractor, and access-control procedures to keep campuses safe and audit-ready.
• Support emergency preparedness, business continuity, and incident management, including drills, response protocols, and post-incident review, with execution led by the campus Principal.
• Work with the pastoral function so that physical safety and safeguarding requirements are operationally supported, including site security and transport safety.

New Campus Readiness & Mobilisation
Accountable for operational and financial readiness of each new campus from handover through to a fully operating first term.
• Own the new-campus mobilisation covering everything that follows handover of campus: furniture and equipment, signage, vendor mobilisation, licensing, insurance, and day-one operational readiness.
• Lead the finance set-up for each new campus - entity and chart of accounts, systems provisioning, payroll configuration, billing cycle, opening balance sheet, and the control framework operating from day one.
• Coordinate cross-functional readiness with the academic, pastoral, technology, and marketing functions, and confirm operational readiness to the General Manager ahead of opening.
• Capture lessons learned from each opening to improve and reduce time, cost, and risk at the next campus.
• Work with Taylor’s team through design and construction to ensure the capital programme reflects the operating cost, service, and compliance requirements the campus will carry once open.

Leadership & Oversight of Campus Finance and Operations Teams
Accountable for the functional leadership, standardisation, and capability of the finance and operations teams across all Lexel campuses.
• Provide functional leadership to the Finance Managers, campus accountants, and campus operations staff, setting standards, priorities, and expectations group-wide. These roles report functionally to the Head of Finance & Operations and operationally to the campus Principal, with both parties involved in their appointment.
• Review the performance, deliverables, and output of each campus finance and operations team to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and accountability.
• Standardise processes, controls, reporting formats, and the chart of accounts across campuses to ensure consistency and comparability.
• Coach, develop, and support campus teams, building capability and a strong bench for future campus openings.
• Maintain an agreed escalation route for resolving disagreement between a campus Principal and a functional report, applied consistently across campuses.
• Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, continuous improvement, and service excellence.
Systems, Process & Scalability
Accountable for systems, process efficiency, and building finance and operations functions that scale with the group.
• Own the group finance systems (including Xero and supporting reporting and consolidation tools), ensuring effective utilisation, data integrity, and appropriate access controls.
• Design and document replicable finance and operations playbooks, standard operating procedures, and controls that can be deployed efficiently at each new campus.
• Drive simplification, automation, and standardisation of processes, reporting, and reconciliations across the group, including appropriate use of technology to keep the operating model lean as the network grows.
• Support transformation, system enhancements, and data and dashboard initiatives that improve the speed, quality, and insight of reporting.
• Partner with the technology, marketing, and academic functions to ensure data flows accurately from source systems into financial and operational reporting.
Stakeholder Management & Business Partnering
Accountable for acting as a trusted partner to leadership, campuses, the Group, and the Boards.
• Act as the principal finance and operations partner to the General Manager and a key adviser to campus Principals and central services.
• Translate financial and operational information into clear, actionable insight to support decision-making at campus and group level.
• Support board secretarial and governance reporting requirements with accurate, timely financial inputs for the Boards of Governors and Directors.
• Liaise with the wider Taylor’s Education Group central finance and CFO functions on reporting, compliance, and group financial planning requirements, and with Taylor’s Assets on campus delivery and handover.
• Build effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders while maintaining appropriate financial control and governance standards.

MINIMUM ACADEMIC/PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION
• Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related discipline.
• Professional accounting qualification such as ACCA, ICAEW or equivalent is required or strongly preferred.
• Minimum 10-15 years of relevant finance or accounting experience, including significant experience at finance leadership or controller level with people management responsibility.

RELATED EXPERIENCE
• Proven experience leading a finance function, including consolidated financial reporting, group budgeting, forecasting, treasury, and cash flow management.
• Experience overseeing finance across multiple entities, sites, or business units, ideally in a multi-campus, multi-outlet, or group structure.
• Strong understanding of accounting principles, financial reporting standards, internal controls, and statutory and tax compliance requirements in Malaysia.
• Experience in fee or pricing models, affordability or unit-economics modelling, and building financial business cases for growth or expansion.
• Experience in audit coordination, management reporting, variance analysis, and presenting financial information to senior leadership or a board.
• Experience designing or standardising finance processes, controls, and systems, and leading process improvement, automation, or finance transformation initiatives.
• Strong proficiency in finance systems (e.g. Xero or equivalent ERP) and advanced Microsoft Excel.
• Prior experience in the education sector or in a high-growth, start-up, or scaling environment would be a distinct advantage.

COMPETENCIES (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES)
• Strong financial acumen with excellent analytical, numerical, and problem-solving skills.
• Sound understanding of financial reporting, internal controls, governance, and compliance requirements.
• Strategic mindset balanced with the willingness to be hands-on during campus set-up and scaling phases.
• High attention to detail with a strong commitment to accuracy, integrity, and accountability.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and people-development skills, with the ability to lead and standardise a finance team across multiple sites.
• Ability to interpret financial information and translate it into meaningful insight for decision-making.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to engage credibly with leadership and the board.
• Strong planning, organisation, time-management skills and able to manage competing priorities/deadlines.
• High level of honesty, integrity, sound judgement, with a customer-focused and service-oriented mindset.
• Proficiency in finance systems and Microsoft Office applications, particularly Microsoft Excel.