Finance Assistant

We are looking for a dedicated and detail-orientated individual to join Harris Westminster and Harris Clapham Sixth Forms.

These two schools are jointly run by an Executive Principal and share costs, and hence share finance staff. The finance team consists of a Finance Business Partner, Finance Officer and Finance Assistant. The site at which you are predominantly based would be flexible for the right candidate.

Main Areas of Responsibility

The purpose of the role will be to assist the Finance Officer and Finance Business Partner in the day to day running of the Finance Department for HWSF and HCL6F, to manage the travel scheme for eligible students and to assist the Welfare Officer in the day-to-day management of the Bursary scheme and Free School Meals administration, as well as supporting the Senior Management Team with other administrative duties as required. You will:

• Raise purchase requests through Federation financial systems (Concur)
• Ensure approval processes are followed for purchase orders
• Administer the 16-19 bursary (including travel bursary) including approving suitability, checking and processing receipts, and keeping records
• Manage, record and pay petty cash expenses within the academy
• Liaise with academy staff to help manage the finances for trips including helping with budgets, ParentPay, and liaising with students and parents
• Be the first point of contact for any finance related queries for the academy
• Oversee all deliveries into the academy and liaise with appropriate staff for distribution
• Prepare full student data records from Bromcom daily in autumn term, weekly in spring term and half-termly in summer term for ParentPay updates
• Maintain and monitor ParentPay including liaising with parents, staff and students, setting up and closing payments for trips, lanyards, books, exams etc
• Administer bank account data of students for payments and maintain any charges
• Support and maintain FSM data into Bromcom and ParentPay
• Deal with incoming and outgoing finance post
• Administer finances in relation to peripatetic Music tuition and Music subsidies, consumable costs
• Engage with all audit and control reviews, preparing papers and records as required

Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will have:

• Finance experience in purchase ledger processing
• High quality ICT skills including accounting software, Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Ability to use and adapt other ICT packages to promote effective administration, organisation, communication and management
• Ability to prioritise and set personal targets, including managing different workloads and workflows.
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to change and increases in academy size.
• Appreciation of issues of confidentiality
• Ability to work as team player and to foster good working relationships with a variety of different people in Academy
• Good telephone manner, email etiquette and presentation of professional image
• Good organisational and interpersonal skills which indicate a warm, efficient and hospitable manner to all
• Numeracy and Literacy (at least C in English and Maths GCSE or equivalent).
• Desire and capacity for further professional development
• The ability to set challenging targets within a supportive framework for performance management
• Ability to work accurately under pressure and meet deadlines

Rewards & Benefits

In addition to the opportunities for career progression, training and development, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.