General Assistant Accountant

University of Derby; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

38 days holiday

Wellbeing benefits

Staff discounts

Onsite gym discount

Cycle to work

Flexible working

Development opportunities

Job summary

The University of Derby seeks a finance professional to support key financial processes across the University. You will assist with month-end and year-end close, budgeting, forecasting, reconciliations, and management accounting, ensuring timely reporting of payroll costings for forecasts.

You will champion best practice, participate in cloud Finance system upgrades, and help maintain robust financial controls and compliance.

Qualifications

• General accounting experience including accounts receivable or payable.
• Experience with month-end and year-end processes.
• Ability to use online finance tools to generate detailed costings and reports.

Responsibilities

• Prepare month-end and year-end close submissions and reconciliations.
• Prepare payroll journals and costings for forecasting models.
• Support budgeting, forecasting and management accounting activities.

Skills

General accounting

Accounts receivable

Accounts payable

Excel

Education

GCSE Maths & English

AAT qualification

Tools

Oracle Cloud Finance

Job description

The Finance team plays a crucial role in enabling the University to deliver on its strategic aims. This involves managing and maximising the University’s financial resources while providing expert financial advice and support to the wider University community. Our responsibilities encompass a wide range of essential functions, including providing strategic business partnering, delivering value from supplier relationships, managing effective working capital and cashflow and providing key financial support for our students. Additionally, we oversee all aspects of payroll and pensions management, and deliver comprehensive support for financial systems, tax compliance, and audit needs. Through these activities, we provide assurance to the University community around the financial health and efficiency of the University, supporting its mission and operations.

About the Role

We are seeking a finance professional to support the delivery of key financial processes across the University. This role plays a vital part in the preparation of month and year-end accounts, budgeting, forecasting, reconciliations, and management accounting activities. Working closely with other areas in finance to ensure accurate and timely monthly period close, preparation of accruals, ensuring Funding Council income is properly recognized and reconciled. The role requires preparation of payroll journals to general ledger, and liaison with team members to ensure accurate reporting of monthly payroll costings used for Forecasting models.

The role requires contribution to continuous improvement by championing best practice and digital solutions. There will be involvement in scheduled testing of our cloud based Finance system upgrades, and ongoing management of system controls around Budgets, General Ledger coding and hierarchy updates, helping to ensure robust financial control and compliance. There are also reconciliations to prepare for Financial Auditors.

Anticipated interview date 30/11/26.

About You

You will have experience in general accounting, including accounts receivable and/or payable. With an understanding of month-end and year-end accounting processes, you will have worked with a Finance system to pre-agreed deadlines. Attention to detail and accuracy in all areas, including Excel spreadsheets, to record and produce reconciliations for Management review.

You have strong communication and customer service skills, building positive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders and explaining financial information clearly to non-finance staff. A collaborative team player, you enjoy contributing to a high-performing environment, adapting to change and identifying opportunities to improve processes and efficiency.

You will have GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent experience) and either hold an AAT qualification, have equivalent experience, or be willing to work towards AAT through an apprenticeship route.

Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)

Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme

Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers

Discounted onsite gym

Cycle to Work scheme

A flexible working environment

A commitment to personal and professional development

Key Contact

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Laura Mahal, Core Team Leader via [e-mail]

For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via [e-mail]

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

Please visit our website for more information.

Essential CriteriaQualificationsGCSE Maths and English Language at Grade C or above or equivalent experienceAAT or equivalent relevant work experience, or willingness to achieve this qualification through the apprenticeship route within an agreed timeframeExperienceGeneral Accounting experience including accounts receivables or payablesSkills, knowledge & abilitiesA good knowledge of the key financial and business systems in an organisationAbility to use on-line Finance tools to generate detailed costings reports, or creating and running ad hoc reports, or use of varied digital solutions in a Finance environmentDemonstrable IT skills including Excel skillsStrong communication skills, ability to build positive relationshipsReconciliation and financial reporting skillsAbility to consistently achieve deadlines and timetables to a high-quality standardAbility to teamwork within and beyond the immediate team, adopt a quality service ethos and contribute collegiately to the achievement of team goalsThe desire to be part of a high performing teamAbility to adapt positively to changeAccuracy and attention to detailStrong customer focus, including responding to email and MS Teams queries and issues.Ability to identify improvements in systems and processes to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of the UniversityAbility to communicate finance issues to non finance staffBusiness requirementsWillingness to provide support at University events from time to time e.g., Graduation, Clearing and Open Days, (some of these events occur outside of normal working hours, such as evenings and weekends)Able to recognise the need and be willing to work outside of normal hours at times as relevant to achieving service delivery, targets and deadlines, including evenings and weekends when occasion demandsDesirable CriteriaExperienceExperience of working within the Higher Education SectorSkills, knowledge and abilitiesUse of Oracle Cloud Finance system