Finance Assistant

Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust; Ashington; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent pension scheme with employer

26 days annual leave + bank holidays

Employee Assistance Programme

Mental health and wellbeing support

Nest childcare provision access

CPD opportunities

Gym membership discounts

Blue Light Card discounts

Job summary

Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust is seeking an experienced Finance Assistant to join the Central Services Finance Team. You will support purchase and sales ledgers, general ledger administration, banking, reconciliations, payments, financial reporting and supplier administration across the Trust’s schools.

You will work closely with colleagues in the Finance Team and report to the Director of Finance, ensuring accurate and timely financial processes and robust financial records.

Qualifications

• An experienced finance professional is sought to support a broad range of financial processes.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities are essential.
• Experience with purchase and sales ledgers, general ledger work, banking, reconciliations and financial reporting is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Processing purchase orders, invoices and credit notes accurately and within deadlines.
• Monitoring the purchase-to-pay system and resolving invoice/order queries.
• Supporting payment runs, including BACS and cheque payments, and issuing remittance advices.
• Raising sales invoices and credit notes, chasing debts and maintaining sales ledgers.
• Completing monthly sales and general ledger reconciliations.
• Producing financial reports and maintaining accurate financial records and management information.
• Providing financial portal administration and supporting system access/training.
• Collaborating with the Finance Team and providing cover and support as required.

Job description

The Trust is seeking an enthusiastic and committed Finance Assistant to join our Central Services Finance Team. Reporting to the Director of Finance, you will provide a key financial support function across the Trust, helping to ensure our financial processes are accurate, efficient and delivered on time. This is a varied role covering a broad range of finance activities. You will be involved in purchase and sales ledger processing, general ledger administration, banking, reconciliations, payments, financial reporting and supplier administration. Main Responsibilities:

• Processing purchase orders, invoices and credit notes accurately and within agreed deadlines.
• Monitoring the purchase-to-pay system and dealing with invoice and order queries.
• Supporting payment runs, including BACS and cheque payments, and issuing remittance advices.
• Raising sales invoices and credit notes, chasing outstanding debts and maintaining accurate sales ledgers.
• Completing monthly sales and general ledger reconciliations.
• Producing financial reports and maintaining accurate financial records and management information.
• Providing financial portal administration and supporting colleagues with system access and training.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues across the Finance Team and providing cover and support when required.

Are you an experienced finance professional looking for your next opportunity?

Do you have excellent attention to detail, strong organisational skills and the ability to keep on top of competing priorities?

• An excellent pension scheme with a generous employer contribution from the Trust.
• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing to 31 days after 5 years service.
• 24/7 access to our Employee Assistance Programme, providing confidential wellbeing and support services.
• Comprehensive mental health and wellbeing support for all staff through Dittolo.
• Access to The Nest, our childcare provision in Ashington and Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, offering both paid and free 30-hour places for eligible families.
• CPD opportunities with support from across the Trust.
• Gym membership discounts, with reduced rates at Sculpt Ashington and Places Leisure.
• Eligibility for a Blue Light Card, giving Trust staff exclusive discounts at major retailers including Apple, JD Sports and TUI.

If you are an experienced finance professional looking for a varied role where your work directly supports our schools and the children and families within the Trust, we would love to hear from you!