Finance Assistant

FINANCE ASSISTANT

JOB DESCRIPTION

GRADE:Grade 4

WORKING PATTERN:35 hours per week (08:00am – 3:30pm), term-time-only plus 10 days in accordance with the needs of the school.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE:Annual leave to be taken in school closure periods

RESPONSIBLE TO:Finance Manager

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB

Under the direction of the Finance Manager provide an efficient, responsive and high quality finance and administrative support to the school.

To work collaboratively with all staff and parents in order to support student well-being and to promote the Keeping Children Safe in Education

MAIN TASKS

Organisation

To assist senior administrative support staff in maintaining an efficient and responsive support and finance service to the school, ensuring expectations of high standards are met.
To assist with student first aid, liaising with parents and staff

Administration

To provide an efficient, accurate word processing and excel support service, carried out to a quality and professional standard
To maintain manual and computerised records and to use IT systems effectively to provide reports and statistics

Finance

To be responsible for the processing and recording of purchaseorders and invoices using the school’s financial management system (FMS6).
To arrange payment of goods/services/courses via BACS and cheque.
To obtain quotes for goods and services ensuring best value.
To ensure parcels received are correctly distributed and rectify any discrepancies therein.
To copy and file paperwork appropriately for auditing purposes.
To log any monies received for funds and trips etc., using the School Cash Office system.
To prepare monies for banking.
To look up and record online payments via Parent Pay.
To process all Petty Cash claims and maintain records.

Responsibilities

To ensure accuracy and confidentiality of all information produced.
To be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, health and safety, security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person as soon as they arise.
To be aware of and support difference and to ensure equal opportunities for all.
Occasionally attend events out of school hours.
To contribute to the overall ethos, work and aims of the school.
To attend and participate in meetings as required.
To participate in training and other learning activities and performance development as required.

To undertake any other duties of an equal nature appropriate to the post as determined by the Headteacher.

Where the postholder is disabled, every effort will be made to supply all necessary aids, adaptations or equipment to allow them to carry out all the duties of the job. If, however, a certain task proves unachievable, job redesign will be fully considered.

FINANCE ASSISTANT

PERSON SPECIFICATION

EXPERIENCE

QUALIFICATIONS/TRAINING

Possess good numeracy and literacy skills
Effective written and verbal communication skills to liaise with a wide range of people at all levels

Ability to plan and prioritise own workload to meet deadlines within fixed timescales.
Accuracy and precision when preparing, maintaining and monitoring financial data and producing relevant information.
Excellent personal and office organisational skills and ability to develop and maintain effective administrative systems.
Willingness to undergo first aid training.
Demonstrable ability to operate various software packages, e.g. Microsoft Word and Excel, SIMS FMS6, School Cash Office and Parent Pay (or other equivalent software).
Have a general knowledge and awareness of the regulatory framework of schools and education
Have the ability to relate well to children and adults
Be able to work constructively as part of a team, understanding school roles and responsibilities and your own position within these.
Have the ability to identify your own training and development needs and cooperate with the means to address these needs.

Tact and diplomacy in all interpersonal relationships with the public, student and colleagues at work.
Self motivation and personal drive to complete tasks to the required timescales and quality standards.
The flexibility to adapt to changing workloads demands and new school challenges.
Personal commitment to ensure that services are equally accessible and appropriate to meet the diverse needs of the service users.
Personal commitment to continuous professional development.
Personal commitment to continuous school improvement.
Personal commitment to the school’s professional standards, including dress code as appropriate.

Be willing to apply for an enhanced disclosure to a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check.