Finance Officer

Babergh District Council and Mid Suffolk District Council; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 31,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional governmental organization in Ipswich seeks a Finance Officer to support its Reconciliations and Accounts Receivable Teams. This role involves various responsibilities, such as ensuring accurate financial reconciliation, managing high-volume transactions, and collaborating within a committed finance team. The successful candidate will enjoy a comprehensive benefits package and the opportunity for flexible and hybrid working arrangements. Applications are welcomed from all backgrounds, and the closing date is 2 January 2026.

Benefits

Generous leave entitlement

Competitive Local Government Pension Scheme

Wellbeing Support and Employee Assistance Programs

Private Health Care Options

Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme

Paid volunteering days

Flexible working arrangements

Learning and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience of working within a busy finance team.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and manage high volumes of transactions.
• Commitment to continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Ensure timely and accurate monthly reconciliation of income and expenditure.
• Post entries into the housing system for Universal Credit.
• Process cheques received by the Councils.
• Handle Emergency Accommodation invoice processing and debt recovery.

Skills

Experience in Accounts Receivables

High-volume transaction management

Proficiency in Finance Software

Strong communication skills

Collaboration in a team

Strong work ethic

Education

AAT or equivalent qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

• Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils
• Address: Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2BX
• Salary: £31,537 - £36,363 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: Full Time, 37 hours per week
• Contract: Fixed Term or Secondment opportunity for 18 Months

This role is open to full time, part time, and job share applications, all of which will be assessed equally.

Join our team

We are looking for a Finance Officer to join our Finance Team. If you share our values and you are motivated to make a difference for our residents, clients, and communities, we would love to hear from you.

About the role

You will support both our Reconciliations and Accounts Receivable Teams with time split equally between the two teams. This is a great opportunity to gain and develop experience in a variety of financial control processes and procedures.

Main responsibilities of the role

• Ensure timely and accurate monthly reconciliation of income and expenditure within our finance systems, with relevant sign off and explanations of variances and how these will be corrected in future periods.
• Posting of entries into the housing system for Universal Credit and allocation of housing benefits.
• Processing of cheques received by the Councils.
• Emergency Accommodation invoice processing, refunds and debt recovery.
• Ad hoc invoicing.
• Setting up Direct Debit mandates.
• Monitoring the Death Register.
• Reviewing exceptions within our transaction matching system Pay360.
• Involvement in process improvement to work more efficiently by reviewing procedures and policies ensuring they are fit for purpose.
• Transaction allocations into our finance system Unit 4 to clear Balance Sheet codes and reduce the number of outstanding items.

About you

We are looking for a hands‑on Finance Officer, with experience of working within a busy finance team.

To be successful, you will demonstrate

• AAT or equivalent qualification is an advantage but not a requirement.
• Experience of Accounts Receivables and Reconciliations.
• Experience of high‑volume transactions and working to tight deadlines.
• An aptitude and experience of Finance Software as well as Microsoft Office.
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate within a team.
• Strong work ethic.
• Commitment to making a difference through continuous improvement.

About us

At Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils we are passionate about building communities that people want to live, work, visit and invest in.

We serve around 200,000 residents across our two districts and are well known for our collaboration and partnership working across public, private and voluntary sectors.

We believe that the heart of Suffolk is an incredibly special place to live and work, with:

• 60 conservation areas
• two National Landscapes
• many picturesque market towns

It is no surprise we are ranked among the top 50 places to live in the UK.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Generous leave entitlement (26 days a year, rising to 31 days after 5 years).
• Competitive Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Wellbeing Support and Employee Assistance Programs.
• Private Health Care Options.
• Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme.
• Paid volunteering days.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements (Business needs permitting).
• Great learning and development opportunities.

For more information, visit our Employee Benefits page.

Our ways of working

We believe work is what we do, not just where we go.

We work in a hybrid way, with a mix of office, home, and remote based working (Business need permitting). Our hybrid working arrangements support flexibility and collaboration, helping our teams to thrive.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, providing opportunity and ambition for all, supporting and enabling our people to deliver the best possible services for our residents.

For more information

For an informal discussion or to learn more about hybrid working for this role, please contact Karen Smith by calling 01473 296304 or emailing [e-mail] or Marie Fletcher by calling 01473 296308 or emailing [e-mail].

Closing date: 5pm, 2 January 2026.

How to apply

Please ensure your:

• application form is fully completed, including employment and education history
• supporting statement clearly addresses how you meet the criteria in the Person Specification

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.