Finance Officer in a School - Chigwell

Key Purpose: The key purposes of the role will be to organise the pay roll of staff and deal with all aspects of accounts and banking. The role requires confidentiality when dealing with the Headmaster, the Board of Governors and members of staff.

A busy and friendly school are looking for a confident, organised and committed individual to become their Finance Officer. The Finance Officer will undertake a variety of duties with the key areas being to manage the payroll, parent fees and invoicing and to ensure the financial strategy of the school is implemented effectively.

Reporting to the Headmaster and the Board of Governors, the successful candidate will ensure that all records meet legal and tax requirements and will assist with managing the cash flow and capital development of the business.

The Finance Officer of will demonstrate strong technical accounting skills and be a team player who is always flexible and able to maintain a professional appearance and manner. High levels of written and oral communication skills and excellent attention to detail are key.

Experience in working within a school setting is an advantage but not a necessity. The ability to deal with sensitive information with the utmost discretion, and to maintain confidentiality always, is a pre-requisite.

Key duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Payroll:

• To process the monthly payroll and pensions.
• To process Teachers' Pensions and auto enrolment obligations.
• To keep fully up to date with legislation changes, pension updates, and to be fully compliant with all regulations.
• To work as online/ bank and credit card administrator for the School's finance.

Accounts:

• Prepare termly management accounts for the Treasurer and Board of Governors.
• Prepare budgets and annual accounts for the school and liaise with auditors.
• Prepare termly fee invoices to parents and to deal with fee billing queries and payments.
• Liaison with key suppliers for ongoing contracts - catering, insurance, light and heat, leases etc.

Skills & Attributes:

• Experience of working within the Education Sector is an advantage but not essential.
• To be fully knowledgeable of Sage Accounts and Payroll, Word and Excel.
• Ability to work individually and as part of a team within a busy environment.
• Proven ability to meet targets and deadlines.
• Professional and friendly with a flexible approach to work.
• Must be reliable and trustworthy, with an eye for detail.
• Fully understanding of the importance of confidentiality and handing of sensitive data.