Finance Officer (3904 )

Westmorland & Furness Council; Barrow-in-Furness; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Furness Education Trust is seeking a Finance Officer to join the busy Central Finance Services Team in Barrow-in-Furness. The role supports day-to-day operations and contributes to accurate financial reporting across the trust.

The successful candidate will have a financial qualification or relevant experience, strong Excel skills, and the ability to meet tight deadlines while maintaining high professional standards.

Qualifications

• Financial qualification or equivalent experience.
• Experience in a busy finance office with tight deadlines.
• Knowledge of trial balance, ledgers, cash flow and VAT administration.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication.
• Experience in payments collection and debt management.
• Ability to present the Trust professionally to external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Purchase order processing invoices and supplier statements reconciliations.
• Resolve invoice queries/disputes.
• Provide budget holders with updates of their financial position, monitor spend and variances.
• Posting cashbook receipts and payment from manual cash book daily.
• Ensure purchasing procedures are followed and liaise with suppliers to obtain value for money.
• Cashbook vouchers – payments made by direct debit / standing order.
• Monitor debtor and creditor balances and chasing up payments.
• Support preparation of quarterly VAT returns.
• Produce analyses and reports as requested by the Finance Manager.
• Monthly payroll processes and payroll costing journals.
• Reconciling control accounts.
• Preparing and entering journals.
• Monitoring and communicating department spend and variances.
• Provide information to internal/external auditors as required.
• Manage petty cash, employee expenses and company credit card expenses.
• Manage own workload to ensure monthly financial reporting process is achieved.

Skills

AAT Level 3+

Busy finance office

VAT administration

Debt collection

Communication skills

Financial reporting

Education

AAT Level 3

Tools

Excel

Job description

• Job type:Administration and Business Operations
• Contract:Permanent
• Work pattern:Full-time
• Salary:Please see below
• Closing date for applications: Thursday 15 October 2026
• Employer:Furness Education Trust

Finance Officer – required for November 2026
Job Reference Code: FET 035/2506
Salary: NJC Scale 13-17 £30,023 to £32,046
Full Time (37 hours per week), full year
Mon – Thurs 8am – 4pm, Fri 8am – 3.30pm

Due to internal Trust movement, we have an exciting opportunity for a Finance Officer to join our busy Central Finance Services Team. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting the day-to-day operations within the Trust.

Furness Education Trust is a multi-academy trust based in Barrow in Furness, Cumbria serving the Furness Community, located near the centre of the historic shipbuilding town and close to the southern boundary of the Lake District National Park. Currently comprised of seven academies including Furness Academy, Walney Academy and five primary, the Trust aims to develop best practice in each school across the whole Trust, by collaborating and working together to give the best of everything to every child. Furness Education Trust is a growing Trust and we are seeking new staff to join our team to provide the same high quality learning experience that has brought Furness Academy its rising popularity.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

• Purchase order processing invoices and supplier statements reconciliations
• Resolve invoice queries/disputes
• Provide budget holders with updates of their financial position, monitor spend and variances
• Posting cashbook receipts and payment from manual cash book daily
• Ensure purchasing procedures are followed and liaise with suppliers to obtain value for money
• Cashbook vouchers – payments made by direct debit / standing order
• Monitor debtor and creditor balances and chasing up payments
• Support preparation of quarterly VAT returns
• Produce analyses and reports as requested by the Finance Manager
• Monthly payroll processes and payroll costing journals
• Reconciling control accounts
• Preparing and entering journals
• Monitoring and communicating department spend and variances
• Provide information to internal/external auditors as required
• Manage petty cash, employee expenses and company credit card expenses
• Manage own workload to ensure monthly financial reporting process is achieved

Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

• Financial qualification eg AAT Level 3 or higher or relevant experience
• Experience in busy finance office and ability to meet tight deadlines
• Knowledge of financial procedures and practices supporting the preparation of the trial balance including running sales and purchase ledgers, cash flow management, and VAT administration
• Advanced level Excel
• Excellent written and oral communication skills,
• Experience in collection of payments and debt management
• Ability to present the Trust professionally to all external stakeholders

Furness Education Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its students. All applicants are subject to the requirements of the Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education guidelines. This will include checks with past employers and the need for the successful applicant to hold or undergo a suitable enhanced DBS disclosure. This is a permanent post.