Finance & HR Officer

Location:                      London, Victoria or Manchester Ancoats

We are the National College for Digital Skills, established in 2016 as the first new Further Education College in England since 1993. Our mission is:  to educate and empower the next generation of diverse digital talent, and our values of Rigour, Resilience, Creativity, Curiosity and Collaboration sit at the heart of what we do and how we go about our work. We seek to harness tech as a positive tool for social mobility and improve the gender and ethnic diversity of the tech workforce.

We are a small, specialist college with c.500 students and apprentices on roll at present but with plans now well underway to grow to 850+ learners by December 2025 across our two fantastic new city centre hub campuses in London (Pimlico) and Manchester (Ancoats).

We stand apart from other Colleges due to:

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment of computer science and related subjects
• Our fantastic progression outcomes for our learners
• The breadth and depth of our industry partnerships
• Our focus on outreach and learner diversity, especially those from more disadvantaged backgrounds
• Our high support, high expectations culture for staff and learners

We received ‘Good’, with Outstanding features, in our first Ofsted inspection in October 2018 and again in March 2023.

Job Purpose

The post holder will work cross-functionally to provide front-line administrative and transactional systems support to the People team and the Finance team. Within the HR/People elements of the role, the focus will be on day-to-day systems and process queries, recruitment, HR system support to Ada’s staff, compliance and general HR administration. This will require the post holder to have strong communication skills, strong attention to detail, and have the ability to manage and prioritise their workload.

To be successful in the role the post holder will:

• Have excellent organisation skills with the ability to structure processes and set up efficient systems to support Ada’s continued growth;
• Be consistent and accurate and have a keen eye for detail;
• Have experience in and be committed to following careful procedures to protect the sensitive personal data involved in this role;
• Have excellent numerical skills and good knowledge of Excel;
• Learn quickly, be adaptable, flexible and able to work in the ever-changing context of a growing organisation;
• Be able to take the initiative and demonstrate a creative problem-solving approach;
• Have well-developed interpersonal skills, working well independently and as part of a small team, and collaborating well with colleagues in person and remotely.

Role Responsibilities: (*full information is in the accompanying Job Description)

Finance Support: 60%

Support the Assistant Finance Manager in updating the Purchase Ledger:

• Ensure that purchase requisitions are received and processed on the accounting system in a timely manner,
• Ensure that all expenditure is recorded against the relevant nominal code and cost account, and that the correct VAT code is used,
• Ensure all suppliers’ invoices are attached to purchase requisitions on ApprovalMax
• Prepare mid and end of the month BACS payment run and ensure that suppliers are paid within payment terms,
• Receive and check all statements from suppliers,
• Investigate and action any issues that arise with regards to creditors,
• Regular review and maintenance of the outstanding purchase order and goods received notes report,

Other finance duties:

• Support Assistant Finance Manager in preparation of the pay runs;
• Monitoring finance account inbox and dealing with staff, students and supplier queries to ensure they are quickly and properly resolved;
• Support staff in following the financial policies and procedures, such as: filling out charge card tracker, purchase orders, setting up new supplier;
• Support the Finance team in setting up a Fixed Asset Register and making sure it is kept up to date on a regular basis;
• Support the Finance Team with any other queries that may arise.

HR Support:

Recruitment

• To work with the HR Manager to draft adverts for posts being advertised, ensuring that they are well-written and engaging.
• To obtain quotes for advertising on various job boards and recruitment media channels in a timely and accurate fashion ensuring the best possible exposure for vacancies
• To coordinate interview/selection logistics including room bookings, diary management, scheduling and preparation of relevant materials and sending invites to candidates
• To support the HR Manager with the administration processes around onboarding and offboarding of staff including consultants, mentors, volunteers and governors.

Systems & Compliance

• To be the main point of contact for all HR system queries and to action all first-level system transactions, escalating more complex transactions to the Head of People & Talent or the HR Manager.
• To support with the updating of the Single Central Record for all staff, volunteers, consultants, agency workers and governors
• Under the direction of the Head of People, issue relevant letters to staff in relation to Employee Relations (ER) matters ensuring that timelines are strictly followed, meetings arranged, notes/minutes taken and all paperwork, including checklists, is fully completed.
• To support the People team with all HR policies, processes and projects as required.

Other Requirements:

• Passion for working with young people and adults to help improve their life chances
• A commitment to on-going personal development
• A willingness to work flexibly and where necessary outside of normal working hours
• Suitable to work with young people and vulnerable adults in accordance with Government guidelines for safeguarding.

Variation to this Job Description

This is a description of the job as it is at present, and is current at date of issue. The duties and responsibilities described above are not exhaustive and additional assignments, duties or responsibilities may be required of this position.

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and young people and we expect all staff to share this commitment. Any job offer will be conditional on various, appropriate, pre-employment checks including a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check and Barred List Check, having the legal right to work in the UK and having satisfactory overseas criminal records checks, if deemed necessary, and supportive references.

Equal opportunities

Ada. National College for Digital Skills recognises that equality of opportunity and the recognition and promotion of diversity are integral to its strengths.

Applicants with disabilities

Ada. National College for Digital Skills is keen to increase the number of disabled people it employs. We therefore encourage applications from individuals with a disability who are able to carry out the duties of the post. If you have special needs in relation to your application please write to us.