Finance Officer

Vacancy Summary

FINANCE OFFICER

Band 6 – 8 (linked grade criteria): £19,171 - £26,317 pa * (April 2020 pay award still to be awarded)

1 x 37 Hours per week

Established

Based at Britannia House, Bradford

Vacancy Information

Local Government Finance is facing unprecedented change both dealing with austerity measures and dealing with reforms to the local government finance landscape, including the Government’s implementation of its National Funding Formula for schools and the academies program. This is a great opportunity to make a real contribution by supporting the Council and Schools in meeting these challenges.

We currently require a Finance Officer to work in the Council’s School Funding Team.

The post holder will:

• Support School Funding Team in the delivery of an excellent service to customers, communicating in an informed confident, polite and understanding manner with all clients and customers showing professionalism and high standards of integrity.
• Undertake detailed analysis of budget and monitoring reports submitted to the Council by maintained schools and following up all issues.
• Undertake the reconciliation and posting on the Council’s ledger of bank reconciliation returns submitted by maintained schools, including additional reconciliations required at financial year end.
• Ensure maintained schools adhere to the Council's protocols where deficit balances and excess surplus balances are reported.
• Oversee the closure of accounts for maintained schools that have converted to academy status.
• Support the reconciliation and closure of maintained school accounts at financial year end.
• Produce information reports from the Council’s on a monthly basis for issue to maintained schools.
• Be responsible for additional Council processes relating to maintained schools, academies and other education settings, such as VAT reporting and reconciliation.
• Be responsible for additional project-style work that is typically initiated by changes in national government policies or Council policies.
• Participate in the delivery of training to school staff (Governors, Business Managers, Head  Teachers).
• Provide advice and guidance to maintained schools (via our ‘helpdesk’) on a range of matters, including funding, grants and Council / Education Schools Funding Agency / Department for Education policies relating to financial accounting and procurement in maintained schools.

We are looking for an excellent team player, and an outstanding communicator, who will relish a challenge, provide creative solutions and assist in the effective performance of this busy but friendly team.

You should be a part qualified AAT or have an equivalent qualification and be willing to continue training in order to achieve full membership of  AAT or a similar qualification. You should also have at least 2 year’s experience of working in a finance environment.

For further information regarding this post please contact:

Andrew Redding, Business Adviser – School Funding Team on (01274) 432678    or email andrew.redding@bradford.gov.uk

Dawn Haigh – Principal Finance Officer (Schools) on (01274) 433775 or email dawn.haigh@bradford.gov.uk

To apply please go to: https://bradford.engageats.co.uk/

Closing date: Midnight,  Monday 19 October 2020