Finance & HR Officer

Confidential; Greater London; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential in the United Kingdom is seeking an organised HR Finance Officer to provide HR and financial administration support within a busy school environment. This fixed-term, term-time role offers a salary of £38,068 per annum and is on-site.

The post supports budget preparation, recruitment processes, DBS checks, payroll changes, and safeguarding commitments, with potential for continuation beyond August 2027.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3 or higher in Business, Finance or HR, or equivalent experience.
• Professional qualifications such as AAT or CIPD would be advantageous.
• Previous HR or finance admin experience, preferably in education or public sector.
• Good working knowledge of SIMS, Arbor or FMS and MS Office.
• Strong numerical, administrative and organisational skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to handle sensitive information with confidentiality and professionalism.
• Confident communication with school leaders, staff and external contacts.
• Commitment to safeguarding and child welfare.

Responsibilities

• Assist with annual school budget preparation and monitoring expenditures.
• Process purchase orders, invoices and expense claims per procedures.
• Manage income collection for dinners, trips and wraparound care via online payments.
• Carry out monthly bank reconciliations and maintain financial records.
• Assist with financial returns for local authority, trust or governing body.
• Coordinate recruitment: adverts, applications, interviews, offers and documentation.
• Maintain the Single Central Record and complete pre-employment checks (DBS/references).
• Collate payroll changes and monitor staff absence; respond to HR queries.

Skills

Numeracy accuracy

Organisational skills

Confidentiality

Communication

Recruitment coordination

Education

NVQ Level 3 in Business/Finance/HR or equivalent

AAT or CIPD qualification advantage

Tools

SIMS

Arbor

FMS

MS Office

Job description

HR & Finance Officer

• Salary: £38,068 per annum
• Location: On-site in a primary school setting
• Job Type: Full-time, fixed-term contract until 31/08/2027, term time only
• Hours: 35 hours per week

We are seeking an organised and detail-focused HR Finance Officer to provide high-quality human resources and financial administration support within a busy primary school environment. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced HR Finance Officer to support school leadership through effective financial processes, compliant HR administration, and a strong commitment to safeguarding. The contract is fixed term until 31/08/2027, with the role to be reviewed and potentially made permanent.

Day-to-day of the role

• Support the preparation of the annual school budget, monitor expenditure, and highlight any variances.
• Process purchase orders, invoices, and expense claims in line with school financial procedures.
• Manage income collection for items such as dinner money, school trips, and wraparound care through online payment systems.
• Carry out monthly bank reconciliations and maintain accurate records on financial management systems.
• Assist with the preparation of financial returns for the local authority, trust, or governing body.
• Coordinate recruitment activity, including placing adverts, managing applications, arranging interviews, and preparing offer documentation.
• Maintain the Single Central Record and complete all required pre-employment checks, including DBS and references.
• Collate monthly payroll changes, monitor staff absence records, and respond to routine HR policy and contract queries.

Required skills & qualifications

• NVQ Level 3 or above in Business, Finance, HR, or equivalent practical experience.
• Professional qualifications such as AAT, CIPD or similar would be advantageous.
• Previous experience in an HR or finance administration role, ideally within education or the public sector.
• Good working knowledge of school systems such as SIMS, Arbor or FMS, along with MS Office applications.
• Strong numerical, administrative, and organisational skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to handle sensitive information with complete confidentiality and professionalism.
• Confident communication skills and the ability to work effectively with school leaders, staff, and external contacts.
• Clear commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Benefits

• Term-time only working pattern.
• Fixed-term opportunity until 31/08/2027 with potential to become permanent following review.
• Salary of £38,068 per annum.
• Opportunity to play a key role in supporting both finance and HR operations in a school setting.