Finance Assistant Apprentice

CPFT; Huntingdon; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working arrangements

Job summary

CPFT invites applications for an 18-month Finance Assistant Apprenticeship (Band 2) based at Kingfisher House, Huntingdon. This full-time role, 37.5 hours per week, offers hybrid working with a mix of on-site and remote arrangements and a likely salary of £25,272 per year.

You will support the Finance Directorate with purchase ledger tasks, journals, and supplier queries while gaining practical accounting experience and CPFT values.

Qualifications

• GCSEs including Maths and English or equivalent.
• Experience of working in a team is desirable.
• IT literate with good computer skills.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Assist with purchase ledger tasks and supplier queries.
• Maintain Oracle User Hierarchy and Authorised Signatories Database.
• Prepare and post journals and support audit documentation.
• Raise sales invoices and credits when required.
• Review unpaid invoices and liaise with Management Accountants to ensure timely processing.
• Help maintain the ledger and allocate overheads and recharges.

Skills

IT literacy

Communication

Planning & prioritising

Problem solving

Education

GCSEs Maths & English

Tools

Oracle

Job description

Main area Finance Assistant Grade Band 2 Contract Apprenticeship: 18 months Hours 37.5 hours per week (This is a full-time position working 37.5 hours per week. Flexible working arrangements may be considered in line with service requirements, with a minimum expectation of 2 days per week on-site.) Job ref 310-CORP-8266819

Site Kingfisher House Town Huntingdon Salary £25,272 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 04/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

This role is an 18 month apprenticeship and offers a hybrid working arrangement.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Finance Team within Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust - you will be joining at a time when you can help to redefine the team’s ethos.

For that reason, we are looking for candidates who can already demonstrate embodiment of the Trust’s vales:

Professionalism – including self-development and demonstrating compassion to colleagues

Respect – creating and fostering positive relationships

Innovation – looking for continuous improvement

Dignity – treating colleagues as individuals

Empowerment – building your confidence and independence

You will be part of a team which has gone through significant change over recent months and are therefore looking to rebuild their resilience. We are committed to providing a supportive work environment where employees can work to the best of their abilities. We value professional development and care about health & wellbeing of our staff with many initiatives in place to make us an employer of choice and an organisation than employees are proud to be a part of.

The role will be an integral part of the Finance Directorate providing support to the wider team and providing a reliable and responsive financial support service to ensure the provision of high quality financial advice and information to Service Managers, Senior Managers and other stakeholders.

Main duties of the job

The role will link with NHS Shared Business Services (SBS) to monitor the purchase ledger in respect of chasing invoice approvals and dealing with supplier queries. The role will also be responsible for raising sales invoices, aid Oracle users with procurement queries and supplier set ups.

The job requires the post holder to have effective communication skills, both oral and written. The post holder will also be required to use their own judgement in order to find solutions in their own area but accelerate any issues requiring decisions beyond their responsibility. The post holder will keep up to date with Accounting Standards and other NHS Financial guidance, be aware of the Trust's Standing Financial Instructions.

Working for our organisation

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead fulfilling lives.

Our clinical teams deliver a wide range of NHS services across inpatient, primary care and community settings, including children’s, adult and older people’s mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, and research and development.

To achieve our goals, we recruit high calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities’ employer, we welcome applications from all sections of the community, particularly under represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

All appointments for new employees to CPFT are subject to the successful completion of a probationary period.

Please note we reserve the right to close adverts early should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all roles. If you apply for a post that does not attract sponsorship, your application will be withdrawn from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at https://www.cpft.nhs.uk

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.

Assist in responding to queries in the Finance Queries in box and from budget holders in a timely manner.

Maintain the Oracle User Hierarchy and Authorised Signatories Database.

Prepare and post journals as required and maintain backing papers for audit purposes

Raise sales invoices and credit notes in line with agreed schedule or as required.

To review the Trust’s unpaid invoices report on a weekly basis and liaise with Management Accountants to ensure all invoices are processed within the prompt payment policy.

Support the Finance team in the maintenance of the ledger, undertaking queries and setting up codes as required. This will include clearing the Trust suspense accounts.

To contribute to the accurate allocation of overheads and recharges as necessary.

To contribute to the costing of system transformation projects.

To assist the Financial Accountant in preparing the Trust Annual Accounts and working papers, including the Agreement of Balances exercise.

Support Management Accountants in the financial planning process as required.

To contribute to the development of systems and processes within the Finance Directorate.

To participate in the continuing professional development process.

To organise team meetings.

Maintain filing, in both paper and electronic form, in accordance with Trust policies

Person specification

Education

• Four GCSEs grade 4-9 (A-C equivalent) including Maths and English or equivalent

Experience

• Experience of working in a team

Knowledge & Skills

• IT Literate with good computer skills.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to plan, organise and prioritise own workload in order to achieve deadlines
• Ability to identify problems and recommend solutions

Here at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) we are dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion. We deliver many of the NHS services that are provided outside of hospital and in the community such as physical, mental health and specialist services.

We are a health and social care organisation, offering a wide range of services, including:

• Integrated physical and mental health services for adults and older people;
• Specialist mental health and learning disability services;
• Children’s community services in Peterborough;
• Ground-breaking research

We strongly encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people and members of our ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ communities. For further information about our positive equality, diversity and Inclusion work, please visit https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/equalityanddiversity .

CPFT is looking to build upon its pool of temporary workers with Temporary Staffing Services (TSS). You will be asked at interview if you would be willing to register with TSS. This is an excellent opportunity for those looking to take on additional hours that are flexible around your personal circumstances.

Please be advised that in line with the WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List, 2020 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust currently are unable to accept applications from overseas candidates whose country of residence is classed as a ‘Red List’ country.

Applicants who require entry into the UK will be required to provide a valid police certificate from the relevant authority from each country (except the UK) where the applicant has been present for 12 months or more, 10 years before the date of visa application, while aged 18 or over.

If you are successful at interview you will be subject to pre-employment checks, including a DBS (if appropriate), references and Occupational Health. To ensure a smooth process please bring all identity documents to your interview. A list of required identity documents will be attached to your interview invitation.

All communications will be sent to you via TRAC Systems. By applying for this post you are agreeing to CPFT transferring the information contained in this application to TRAC. If you are made an offer, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.