Harris Federation Hiring for Finance Officer Job at London, England Full Time

We are looking for a dedicated and detail-orientated individual to join Harris Westminster and Harris Clapham Sixth Forms.

These two schools are jointly run by an Executive Principal and share costs, and hence share finance staff. The finance team consists of a Finance Business Partner, Finance Officer and Finance Assistant. The site at which you are predominantly based would be flexible for the right candidate.

About Us

Harris Westminster combines the energy of brilliant young people from across London’s diverse neighbourhoods, the strength of Westminster School in teaching academically able students, and the Harris Federation’s experience and expertise in running outstanding maintained sector schools. This sixth form is a unique collaboration between two champions of UK Education; the Harris Federation and Westminster School. It is over-subscribed, academically selective and has incredible diversity in its student cohort with no ethnic group exceeding 20% and 40% of students having received Pupil Premium. 70% of HWSF students go on to study at Russell Group universities and we have one of the largest Oxbridge cohorts of any school (state or private). 34 students from the 2021 cohort gained places and 80+ have interviews in to join them in 2022. We are looking for an outstanding individual to join and support this exciting, scholarly, and vibrant community.

Academy Ethos

Ambition. Perseverance. Legacy. Kindness. Scholarship.

Harris Westminster students expect great things of themselves; they aim high and meet their targets, gaining places on the most competitive university course and apprenticeships, and from those courses into elite careers. They work hard to reach their ambitions and learn that setbacks are reasons to review strategy and try again rather than give up. They aim to make their mark on the world for the long term and learn that they can have a positive and lasting impact. Students from different backgrounds, cultures, and lifestyles work together and listen to each other to understand more deeply how these differences affect our experiences, to overcome prejudices and create a more equal society. During their time at the school they develop a love of learning and acquire the habits of enquiry, knowledge acquisition, and scholarship.

Main Areas of Responsibility

The purpose of your role will be to assist the Finance Business Partner in the day to day running of the Finance Departments, supporting the Senior Management Team with other administrative duties as required. Working across both sites, you will:

• Line manage the academy Finance Assistant
• Order goods and services on behalf of academy staff
• Raise purchase requests through Federation financial systems (Concur)
• Transmit purchase orders
• Process invoices from suppliers
• Ensure approval processes are followed for purchase orders and invoices.
• Monitor and maintain purchase orders and invoices through Federation financial systems
• Verify unsubmitted invoices
• Transfer invoices to PSF for payment
• Maintain journals on PSF
• Review, pay and keep records of staff expense claims
• Maintain creditor ledgers
• Process supplier payments via BACS
• Make emergency payments when necessary
• Oversee use of the academy credit card
• Manage bank payments including deposits, records and bank reconciliations
• Manage the academy cheque book
• Manage and keep records of academy income through lettings, donations or inter-academy transactions
• Maintain the fixed assets register
• Maintain the contracts register
• Liaise with academy budget holders
• Assist Finance Business Partner in monthly Balance Sheet Reconciliations
• Manage Cashless Catering Systems (with Catering Dept)
• Engage with all audit and control reviews, preparing papers and records as required

Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will have:

• Finance experience in purchase ledger processing and budget management
• High quality ICT skills including accounting software, Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Ability to use and adapt other ICT packages to promote effective administration, organisation, communication and management
• Ability to prioritise and set personal targets, including managing different workloads and workflows
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to change and increases in academy size.
• Appreciation of issues of confidentiality
• Ability to work as team player and to foster good working relationships with a variety of different people in the academies
• Good telephone manner, email etiquette and presentation of professional image
• Good organisational and interpersonal skills which indicate a warm, efficient and hospitable manner to all
• Numeracy and literacy (at least C in English and Maths GCSE or equivalent)
• Desire and capacity for further professional development
• Ability to set challenging targets within a supportive framework for performance management
• Ability to work accurately under pressure and meet deadlines

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact us via e-mail, or call to arrange a conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. You will need this when completing your application.

Please note: we may hold interviews as and when applications are received and we reserve the right to offer to a candidate prior to the closing date. We only accept applications submitted online via our careers website and which are completed before the closing deadline. With this in mind, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible and advise you check the job information as per the listing on our careers site.

Rewards & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level to senior leadership.

We look for talented individuals who share our vision for creating exceptional places of learning, and are committed to ensuring that every child in London has access to the best possible education.

In addition to the opportunities for career progression, training and development, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.

Job Reference: HF01752-HWSF