Finance Officer

The Romsey School; West Boldon; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday and bank holidays

LGPS Pension

Free Enhanced DBS

Onsite parking

Employee Assistance Programme App

Job summary

The Gateway Trust is seeking a Finance Officer to join the central finance team based at The Romsey School. You will support the Finance Director with day-to-day financial administration across the Trust’s schools, including budgeting, monthly management accounts, invoicing, and bank reconciliations.

This hands-on role covers payroll support, VAT returns, asset registers, reporting, audits, and compliance with the Academies Financial Handbook.

Qualifications

• GCSEs in Maths and English (A-C/9-4) or equivalent.
• AAT Level 2 or 3 (or working towards) or equivalent finance experience.
• Experience in a finance or administrative role including data entry and reconciling transactions.
• Good attention to detail, numeracy and proficiency in Microsoft Office.

Responsibilities

• Supporting the Finance Director with budgeting, monthly management accounts and end-of-month reporting.
• Administering purchasing, invoicing and payment arrangements, including coding invoices and raising credit notes.
• Assisting with supplier payment runs via BACS and checking supplier statements.
• Reconciling bank accounts, control accounts and the trial balance on a monthly basis.
• Maintaining the fixed asset register and departmental inventories.
• Supporting the monthly payroll cycle, pension scheme administration and payroll queries.
• Helping with end-of-year processes, audit preparation and liaison with external auditors.
• Providing ad-hoc financial reports and analysis, and helping ensure compliance with the Academies Financial Handbook.

Skills

Numeracy

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Proactive approach

Education

GCSE Maths & English (A-C/9-4)

AAT Level 2 or 3 (or working towards)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Data entry

Access Finance

Job description

Finance Officer The Gateway Trust

Location: The Romsey School, with occasional travel to other Trust schools

Salary: Grade D1 - D5 (£28,696 - £31,572 FTE)

Hours: 37 hours per week (Mon-Thu 8.00am-4.00pm, Fri 8.00am-3.30pm); part-time considered for the right candidate

Weeks per year: 52

The Gateway Trust is looking for an organised and numerate Finance Officer to join our central finance team, based at The Romsey School. You'll work closely with the Finance Director to provide day-to-day financial administration across the Trust's schools — from management accounts and invoicing to bank reconciliations, payroll support and VAT returns. It's a varied, hands-on role at the heart of a Trust that's genuinely invested in the schools and communities it serves.

What you'll be doing:

• Supporting the Finance Director with budgeting, monthly management accounts and end-of-month reporting
• Administering purchasing, invoicing and payment arrangements, including coding invoices and raising credit notes
• Assisting with supplier payment runs via BACS and checking supplier statements
• Reconciling bank accounts, control accounts and the trial balance on a monthly basis
• Maintaining the fixed asset register and departmental inventories
• Supporting the monthly payroll cycle, pension scheme administration and payroll queries
• Helping with end-of-year processes, audit preparation and liaison with external auditors
• Providing ad-hoc financial reports and analysis, and helping ensure compliance with the Academies Financial Handbook

For the full list of duties, please see the job description attached.

What you'll need:

To join the Gateway Trust as a Finance Officer, we are looking for someone who has:

• GCSEs (or equivalent) at Grade A-C/9-4 in Maths and English
• AAT Level 2 or 3 (or working towards), or equivalent finance experience
• Experience in a finance or administrative role, including data entry and reconciling transactions
• Good attention to detail, numeracy and proficiency in Microsoft Office
• A proactive, team-focused approach and the ability to manage a varied workload to deadlines
• Experience of academy/MAT finance, Access Finance or payroll administration is a plus, but not essential

Why join the Gateway Trust:

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• LGPS Pension
• Free Enhanced DBS
• Onsite parking
• A strong focus on staff wellbeing, including a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme App and GP App
• Cycle to work scheme, flu vaccinations and assistance towards eye tests and glasses
• Discounted meals
• Opportunities for further education and professional development

The Gateway Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS Disclosure at Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment.

The Gateway Trust is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.