Overview
Job Title: Central Finance Assistant
Location: Birmingham, UK
Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent or Temporary (depending on candidate suitability)
Salary: Competitive, based on experience
About the Role
We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Finance Assistant to join our dynamic Central Finance team within a Multi Academy Trust. This is an exciting opportunity to work across a variety of financial processes, supporting both central operations and individual academies. You will play a key role in ensuring the smooth and efficient running of finance functions, contributing to continuous improvement and operational excellence.
Reporting directly to the Senior Finance Assistant, you will collaborate with colleagues across the Trust to maintain accurate financial records, support month-end processes, and assist with a wide range of finance-related tasks.
Key Responsibilities
* Supporting the purchase requisition process across the Trust and academies, ensuring compliance with finance policies and accurate coding, approval, and processing of orders.
* Managing academy credit card payments, including reconciliation and data uploads to the General Ledger.
* Administering monthly employee expense claims, ensuring policy compliance and accurate ledger uploads.
* Raising sales invoices for sports, lettings, and education income, and assisting with debtor management and credit control.
* Creating and managing school trips in systems such as School Money, Bromcom, and My Child At School, and setting up trip cost centres in Iplicit.
* Liaising with Finance Business Partners to support month-end processes and address payroll reconciliation queries.
* Monitoring cash levels within designated academies and ensuring timely banking of funds.
* Collating student bursary payments and forwarding them to the Purchase Ledger Team.
* Supporting Trust-level finance activities including income recording, bank reconciliations, supplier account reconciliation, and head office recharges.
* Assisting with bank transaction processing and balance sheet reconciliations, including VAT accounts.
* Escalating finance-related issues promptly to ensure smooth academy operations.
* Undertaking other finance duties as reasonably required by the Trust or line manager.
Person Specification
We are looking for someone who:
* Has experience in finance or accounting, ideally within an educational or multi-site organisation.
* Demonstrates strong attention to detail and a commitment to financial accuracy.
* Is highly organised, able to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
* Possesses excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
* Is a proactive team player with a problem-solving mindset.
* Has a good understanding of financial systems and Microsoft Excel.
* Is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
What We Offer
* A collaborative and supportive working environment.
* Opportunities for professional development and career progression.
* Competitive salary and benefits package.
* The chance to make a meaningful impact across multiple academies.
We particularly welcome applications from underrepresented groups, including those based on ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and transgender identity.
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