Finance Officer

Durham County Council; North East; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

27 days annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Job summary

DurhamLearn is seeking a Finance Officer to support financial administration, budget monitoring and purchasing activities to deliver high-quality learning opportunities across County Durham.

You will contribute to the smooth operation by maintaining financial records, processing transactions and assisting with reporting. The role offers hybrid working and opportunities to develop financial reporting and monitoring skills within a supportive team.

Qualifications

• You will be qualified to Level 3 in a financial or business-related qualification or demonstrate equivalent relevant experience.
• You will have experience in supporting budget monitoring processes and maintaining financial records.
• You will produce financial reports and management information and analyse data to create accurate reports.
• You will show strong numerical and analytical skills with excellent attention to detail and the ability to prioritise workloads and deadlines.
• Refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria.

Responsibilities

• Support the ordering of goods and services and process financial transactions.
• Maintain accurate financial records and assist with budget monitoring activities.
• Help produce financial reports and management information and monitor funded programmes.
• Support reporting requirements linked to externally funded programmes and funding claims.
• Identify improvements in financial monitoring and record-keeping systems and assist with admin/HR tasks.

Skills

Financial administration

Budget monitoring

Financial reporting

Data analysis

Attention to detail

Prioritising workloads

Collaborative working

Education

Level 3 in financial or business qualification

Tools

Spreadsheet/Excel

Job description

We are seeking a Finance Officer to join DurhamLearn, where you will play a key role in supporting the financial administration, budget monitoring and purchasing activities that help deliver high-quality learning opportunities across County Durham.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with experience in financial administration and budget monitoring who enjoys working collaboratively, maintaining accurate records and producing financial information that supports effective decision-making.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

DurhamLearn is part of the Education and Skills Service and provides a wide range of learning opportunities to support residents across County Durham.

As a Finance Officer, you will contribute to the smooth and effective operation of the service through a combination of financial and administrative responsibilities.

You will support the ordering of goods and services, process financial transactions, maintain accurate financial records and assist with budget monitoring activities. You will help produce financial reports and management information, prepare funding claims and monitoring returns, and support reporting requirements linked to externally funded programmes.

Working closely with colleagues across DurhamLearn, corporate services and external suppliers, you will develop and maintain effective working relationships while ensuring that financial processes are completed accurately and within required timescales. You will also help to identify improvements in financial monitoring and record-keeping systems and assist with a range of administrative and HR-related tasks that support service delivery.

We encourage you to contact Judith Metcalf via email at [e-mail] to arrange an informal discussion about the role.

WHAT WILL I NEED?

You will be qualified to Level 3 in a financial or business-related qualification or be able to demonstrate equivalent relevant experience in financial administration and budget monitoring.

You will have experience of supporting budget monitoring processes and maintaining financial records. As well as experience in assisting in the production of financial reports and management information and analysing data and producing accurate reports.

You will also demonstrate strong numerical and analytical skills with excellent attention to detail and the ability to prioritise workloads, work to deadlines and maintain high standards of accuracy.

Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held on 1st October 2026.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website.

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

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