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The Opportunity
Sutton is a key outer-London borough rapidly establishing itself as a premier sub-regional hub for life sciences, advanced medical technology, and green infrastructure research. We are seeking a highly analytical, systems-driven Finance Officer to join an innovative University Technical College (UTC). In this pivotal role, you will manage the day-to-day fiscal operations of the college, ensuring that public funds are optimized, accounting controls are rigorously maintained, and the financial infrastructure robustly supports our technical and academic learning faculties.
The School
Operating as a University Technical College (UTC), our institution specializes in high-status technical and scientific education alongside core academic benchmarks. Supported by leading university partners and prominent regional employers, we bridge the gap between classroom theory and industrial application. We implement explicit, highly professional workplace expectations that ensure our campus remains business-like, orderly, and deeply focused. We value professional expertise across both our teaching and operations teams, providing our support faculty with the trust, resources, and authority needed to manage their domains effectively.
The Finance Department & Fiscal Culture
* You will join a highly focused, professional Finance and Operations team where accuracy, compliance, and strategic resource allocation are celebrated.
* The department operates within a modern administrative environment utilizing contemporary school accounting software, integrated procurement databases, and advanced financial monitoring tools.
* Our financial framework explicitly focuses on lean operational efficiency, ensuring that budgets directly maximize student technical provisions, laboratory equipment, and industry-standard resources.
* Staff benefit from clear, standardized financial operating procedures, ensuring month-end routines, ledger reconciliations, and audit preparations are executed smoothly and sustainably.
Core Responsibilities
1. Transaction & Ledger Management: Processing purchase orders, invoices, and expense claims with absolute accuracy, ensuring all entries are correctly allocated against department codes.
2. Reconciliations & Cash Flow: Managing the daily and monthly reconciliation of bank accounts, charge cards, and petty cash, reporting variances immediately to the Finance Director or School Business Manager.
3. Budgetary Monitoring: Producing detailed monthly variance reports for department heads and senior leadership, highlighting trends and identifying potential cost savings early.
4. Income & Invoicing: Administering the college’s income streams, including parent payment portals, lettings invoicing, grants, and specialized technical funding streams.
5. Audit & Compliance Support: Preparing clean financial schedules, payroll data exports, and transaction backing documents ahead of statutory year-end external audits and local authority reviews.
The Successful Candidate We are looking for a methodical, highly capable professional who has a passion for numbers, strong spreadsheet literacy, and the communication skills to explain financial parameters to non-finance staff. Your profile should include:
* Professional Finance Qualification: AAT Level 3 minimum (or equivalent accounting credential), or a proven track record of substantial, high-level financial administration experience—preferably within a school, academy, or public sector setting.
* Advanced Technical Literacy: Exceptional capability with Excel (including VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, and formula syntax) and direct experience operating financial management software.
* Meticulous Accuracy: An uncompromising eye for detail and data integrity, with the ability to maintain strict professional discretion and confidentiality at all times.
* Collaborative Mindset: A proactive team player who enjoys optimizing administrative workflows and contributing positively to the operational success of the college.
Why Join Our Operations Team?
* The unique professional satisfaction of working within a technical, forward-thinking UTC environment where financial planning directly empowers future scientific and engineering talent.
* Continuous professional development (CPD) focusing on advanced school finance systems, public sector procurement regulations, and pathways toward school business management.
* The exceptional lifestyle benefits of Sutton—offering a perfect balance of excellent green spaces, a thriving high street, top-tier local schools, and superb transport links into central London and across Surrey.
* A supportive, business-minded leadership team that respects staff workload, offers stable working hours, and actively values the vital role support staff play in the school's success.
How to Apply
Please submit your current CV to begin the application process.