Finance and Office Manager

Cardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

An academic institution in Wales is seeking a Finance and Office Manager to oversee the administration and finance of the Media Cymru programme. The role involves monitoring budgets, managing financial processes, and providing administrative support in a dynamic environment. This full-time position (35 hours/week) is fixed-term to 31 December 2026 with a salary range of £33,482 - £36,130 annually. Applications are welcomed in Welsh and English, emphasizing an inclusive workplace.

Qualifications

• High proficiency in financial practices is essential.
• Excellent IT skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Ability to organize and prioritize work under tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Manage the administration and financial processes for the Media Cymru programme.
• Monitor project expenditure against budget.
• Provide professional advice on finance processes and procedures.

Skills

Financial practices

Administration processes

Microsoft Office

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Teamwork

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Oracle Financial Package

Job description

Advert

Finance and Office Manager

The ground-breaking Media Cymru programme is supercharging Cardiff Capital Region’s thriving media sector and developing a global hub for media innovation.

Since 2022, Media Cymru has been working with more than 100 SMEs to drive inclusive, sustainable economic growth through a range of targeted activities. This will establish the Cardiff Capital Region as a global centre for environmentally sustainable and inclusive media innovation. Across five years, we will increase small businesses’ capacity for innovation, invest in digital infrastructure, respond to emerging technologies and address skills needs for the future.

A series of industry-led challenge areas including sustainability, bilingual production, diversity and inclusion, tourism and technology will position the region as a test bed for new content, approaches and formats.

We will achieve this change by working with the cluster to develop new research and development (R&D) facilities and partnerships, which will connect regional and national partners in media production and post-production, technology, universities and national, devolved, regional and local government. This will pioneer new digital formats, practices, content and technologies, in both the media sector and across the Welsh economy.

Led by Cardiff University, Media Cymru brings together 22 media production, broadcast, technology, university and local leadership partners for the first time. The £50m programme is funded through UKRI’s flagship Strength in Places Fund, Cardiff Capital Region, Creative Wales, industry and university partners.

The role will be responsible for the daily activity and delivery of Media Cymru’s finance and administration systems, processes, monitoring and reporting ensuring that partners and programme users receive a high level of service.

The role holder will also be responsible for ensuring the efficient functioning of the Media Cymru office through a range of administrative, financial and managerial tasks.

This post is full time (35 hours per week) and fixed-term to 31 December 2026.

Salary: £33,482 - £36,130 per annum (Grade 5)

It is the University's policy to use the person specification as a tool for shortlisting. Candidates should evidence that they meet all of the essential criteria as well as, where relevant, the desirable. You are required to submit written evidence of how you fulfil each of the Essential Criteria in the Person Specification (and if met Desirable Criteria), using the same order/numbering in which they appear, in the form of a supporting statement. Please save as 'Name_XXXXXBR_Supporting Statement' when uploading your attachment so it can easily be identified.

Date advert posted: Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Closing date: Tuesday, 12 August 2025

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Job Description

• To have responsibility for the administration and financial management of the Media Cymru programme.
• To set up and maintain the programme’s administration and financial processes.
• To set partner deadlines and be responsible for the timely collection and verification of partners' claims and transfer of payments to partners.
• To prepare consolidated claims of the University and partners and ensure that they are processed by the required deadlines, by ensuring that partners are provided with the necessary information, guidance and support required in order for these deadlines to be met.
• To monitor the project’s expenditure against budget.
• Attendance at project meetings involving partners, presenting administration and financial guidance and ensuring that the financial plan of the project is running to schedule.
• Establish working relationships with key contacts, developing appropriate communication links with internal and external partners and stakeholders as required.
• Be responsible for ensuring all internal documentation / procedures and desk top instructions are fit for purpose, up to date and communicated across the team.
• To provide professional advice and guidance on finance processes and procedures to the team and customers, suggesting the most appropriate course of action where appropriate, and ensuring complex and conceptual issues are understood.
• To provide training for the team on internal systems and processes.
• To act as main liaison point between the University and project partners on financial issues, building strong relationships with the project partners and other key stakeholders.
• To keep abreast of the rules and conditions funding and to advise principal investigators and project partners of their obligations.
• To advise on eligibility of all project expenditure, including requirements regarding supporting documentation.
• To provide support to the Media Cymru Senior Management Team providing management information and reporting as required.
• To support procurement exercises conducted by Director of Creative Economy/Programme Manager.
• Ensure that Media Cymru office space is managed effectively.
  
  

General Duties

• Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties
• Abide by University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity
• Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.
  
  

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Expertise/Competence/Skills

• Highly proficient in financial practices.
• Highly proficient in setting up, delivering and monitoring administration processes and practices.
• Excellent IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office package.
• Proven ability in developing systems that support and enable remote and agile working practices.
• Proven ability to organise and prioritise work to tight deadlines.
• Excellent teamwork skills, as well as the ability to work independently.
• Experience of using Oracle Financial Package (including Oracle Projects or similar).
• Experience of providing advice to and interpreting financial information from project colleagues and project partners in a clear & concise manner.
  
  

Qualifications

• A relevant degree or equivalent professional experience / professional qualifications.
  
  

Specific Qualities

• Excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills.
  
  

Desirable Criteria

• To hold or be studying towards a recognised Professional Accounting or Administration qualification.
• Experience of financial administration in a Higher Education or other public sector organisation.
• Understanding of key financial governance issues, such as financial regulations and procedures in a public sector environment.
  
  

Additional Information

The Media Cymru Consortium members are: Alacrity Foundation, BBC, Boom Cymru, Cardiff Capital Region, Cardiff Council, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff University, Channel 4, Dragon DI, Ffilm Cymru Wales, Gorilla TV, Great Point Media, Nimble Dragon, Object Matrix, Rescape Innovation, Rondo Media, S4C, TownSq, University of South Wales, Unquiet Media, Wales Interactive and Welsh Government.

Salary Range Min.

33,482

Salary Range Max.

36,130

Job Category

Business / Strategic Management

Grade

Grade 5