Student Finance Assistant

St Edmund's College, University of Cambridge; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Daily food allowance

Free car parking

25 days holiday

Restaurant discounts

LinkedIn Learning

Business Disability Forum access

Job summary

St Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge, invites applications for a Student Finance Assistant to join the Finance Team in Cambridge.

Reporting to the Student Finance Officer, you will handle transactional finance work, student billing and account enquiries, with a readiness to support colleagues during busy periods. The role offers a permanent, full‑time contract (36.5 hours per week, Mon–Fri) with flexible start times and up to two days per week on site or work from home subject to needs.

Qualifications

• Experience in administrative or financial roles.
• GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Maths, or relevant experience.
• Strong IT skills, particularly Microsoft Excel.
• Excellent attention to detail and high levels of accuracy.
• Ability to organise and prioritise workloads to meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Process student receipts and payments under the guidance of the Student Finance Officer.
• Prepare and process credit notes and payments for student accounts, including catering credits and room deposits.
• Undertake credit control activities for students and fellows, reporting on outstanding debts.
• Manage a designated cohort of student accounts, acting as the first point of contact for finance-related queries and issuing payment confirmations.
• Maintain accurate student meal accounts, responding to enquiries and processing transactions for informal and formal dining.
• Update meal card accounts with catering credit transactions each term.
• Collect and distribute incoming Finance Team post.
• Provide cover for colleagues during periods of absence or peak workloads.
• Ensure processes are documented and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to share best practice and ensure policy compliance.
• Contribute to the general upkeep of the College environment, reporting issues and helping to keep the site litter-free.

Skills

Numerate

Attention to detail

Excel

Communication

Education

GCSE English & Maths

Job description

Location: Cambridge, St Edmund’s College

Contract type: Permanent, Full‑time (36.5 hours per week Monday to Friday)

We are seeking an organised, numerate and customer‑focused Student Finance Assistant to join our small and friendly Finance Team. Reporting to the Student Finance Officer, you will support the delivery of an efficient and accurate finance service, combining transactional finance work with the administration of student billing and account enquiries.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working with people, takes pride in accuracy, and thrives in a busy, service‑oriented environment with lots of different types of stakeholder.

Working patterns

This role offers flexibility in daily start and finish times within agreed parameters. Core working hours generally fall between 07:30 and 19:00, and specific patterns can be discussed and confirmed with the successful candidate. During the initial training period, the post‑holder will be expected to be fully onsite to support learning and induction. Following this, the role can accommodate up to two days per week working from home, subject to operational needs and ongoing review.

Job Responsibilities

• Process student receipts and payments under the guidance of the Student Finance Officer.
• Prepare and process credit notes and payments for student accounts, including catering credits and room deposits.
• Undertake credit control activities for students and fellows, reporting on outstanding debts.
• Manage a designated cohort of student accounts, acting as the first point of contact for finance‑related queries and issuing payment confirmations.
• Maintain accurate student meal accounts, responding to enquiries and processing transactions for informal and formal dining.
• Update meal card accounts with catering credit transactions each term.
• Collect and distribute incoming Finance Team post.
• Provide cover for colleagues during periods of absence or peak workloads.
• Ensure processes are documented and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to share best practice and ensure policy compliance.
• Contribute to the general upkeep of the College environment, reporting issues and helping to keep the site litter‑free.

The Ideal Candidate

You will be someone who is comfortable working with numbers, enjoys helping others, and can balance accuracy with efficiency. You will be proactive, supportive, and able to work well within a small team.

• Experience in administrative or financial roles.
• GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Maths, or relevant experience.
• Strong IT skills, particularly Microsoft Excel.
• Excellent attention to detail and high levels of accuracy.
• Ability to organise and prioritise workloads to meet deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Professional approach to handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Ability to learn new software systems (training provided).
• Works well within a small team, motivating and supporting colleagues.
• Proactive approach with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrates College values: open‑mindedness, integrity and inclusivity.
• Experience working in finance in a higher‑education environment.
• Familiarity with student billing or credit control processes.

Benefits

• Working daily allowance for food and drinks*.
• Free car parking (where available).
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (increasing with length of service).
• Discounts at restaurants, shops & more.
• Access to LinkedIn Learning & Business Disability Forum.

*On days when the college canteen is open

We warmly welcome applications from candidates of all demographic backgrounds, including gender, race, disability, neurodiversity, religion, age, sex and sexual identity.