View Vacancy -- Finance Assistant - MLC 2631
Open Date
03/06/2025, 14:30
Close Date
17/06/2025, 23:55
Research Institute
MRC Mary Lyon Centre
Research Institute / Unit Information
The Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell (MLC) is located in an expanding science and innovation campus in Oxfordshire and is an internationally renowned centre at the forefront of genetics research. As the hub of the new National Mouse Genetics Network, the specialist facilities and capabilities of the MLC support a number of research groups across the UK to accelerate our understanding of human diseases, such as cancer, developmental disorders and neurodegeneration.
UK Research and Innovation is a new entity that brings together nine partners to create an independent organisation with a strong voice for research and innovation, more information can be found at www.ukri.org
Band
MRC - 6
Location
Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire
Salary
£24,961 - £26,715 per annum, dependent on skills and experience
Contract Type
Fixed Term
Job Type
Administration & Management
Full Time / Part Time
Full or Part Time options
Contract Length
Three months
Job Description
Overall Purpose:
To proactively provide accounting support to the Finance Team at the Medical Research Council units at Harwell (MRC Harwell) by performing tasks, which include invoice on-hold queries, sundry invoice processing, adjustment journal preparation and entry onto the Oracle accounting system. This role will also assist with the preparation of budget plans within the constraints of corporate deadlines.
To provide administrative support to the MRC Harwell Head of Finance and other team members.
Main Duties/Key Responsibilities:
* Invoices on-hold - investigate and resolve a variety of queries from the weekly report from Head Office, liaising with requisitioners, Divisional Administrators, suppliers and UK Shared Business Services (UKSBS)
* Invoices on-hold queries include invalid purchase orders (POs), freight and price variance issues and receipting queries
* Monitor the GRNI monthly reports and ensure entries are reviewed and cleared down timely
* Reviewing the Open PO report and clear down entries as necessary
* Responsible for the processing of the overtime sheets on a monthly basis, ensuring entries are in accordance with UKRI-MRC policy
* Make the necessary adjustment journals for costs incorrectly allocated to ensure projects and department costs reflect actual output
* Review the overtime reports from UKSBS and ensure they match with the payroll report and what was submitted
* Gather and review timesheets in readiness for the Assistant Management Accountant to journal the necessary costs to projects and cost centres where appropriate
* Assist the Finance team in raising sales invoices where necessary
* Assist in monitoring the Anonymus invoicing weekly and making any adjustments as required
* Assisting the Finance team in monitoring sales POs and liaising with department heads on when to raise invoices
* Keep the sales invoicing logs up to date
* Ensure copy of CRISPR invoices are stored correctly in readiness for the quarterly royalty payment review
* Assist the Finance team in managing Salesforce and raising POs for customers as per instructions from department heads
* Help with monitoring aged debts and chasing for payment when necessary
* Assist the Head of Finance with the administration of the Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) process
* Ensure logs are kept up to date, liaising with departments when their end date becomes due and awaiting next steps
* Ensure that all manual invoices are paid in a timely manner
* Understand and be able to advise on credit card usage
* Provide holiday cover for credit card transactions requested by scientists
* Assist Finance staff credit card holders by scanning local usage evidence
* Assist the Finance Team in monitoring the finance inbox and dealing with queries in a timely manner and raising concerns where necessary
* Ensure regular and on time payment of utility invoices
* Prepare transaction reports and create adjustment journals for incorrectly coded UK Travel and Subsistence costs
* Assist the Assistant Management Accountant with the collection of data for Accruals and Prepayments
* Prepare adjustment journals for movement of costs and post to the Oracle accounting system
* Assist the Finance team with the monthly asset audit required as per the MRC Asset policy
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training Required:
Essential:
* Educated to A Level standard, with a minimum of A-C GCSE or equivalent in English and maths
Desirable:
* Working towards a bookkeeping or accountancy qualification
Previous Work Experience Required:
Essential:
* Experience of working in an office environment dealing with account queries
* Excellent IT skills with experience of using Microsoft Excel and Word
* Experience of the following accounting procedures:
* Knowledge of balance sheets
* Experience of using an accounting system such as Oracle or Sage etc
* Experience of accurate record keeping and filing with a keen eye for detail
* Experience of working as part of a team
Knowledge and Experience:
Essential:
* Ability to act on own initiative, but also to know when to seek advice
* Good written and verbal communication
* Ability to produce accurate numerical work
* Ability to interact with staff on all levels
Personal skills/Behaviours/Qualities:
Essential:
* Professional, approachable and consistent
* Good organisational skills, with flexibility to prioritise and re-prioritise as the need arises
* Demonstrates commitment to learning new skills and knowledge to enable continuous improvement
Desirable:
* General interest in the work conducted at MRC Harwell
Further Information
The post reports to the Head of Finance and works closely with the Finance team.
This role is very varied; there are routine tasks as well as tasks being actioned for all members of the Finance team. There is an expectation that this role will be on site, five days a week.
This role can be part time from 30 hours per week, to full time at 36 hours per week.
The MRC is a unique working environment where scientific researchers and professional support staff can actively partake in world class innovation and collaboration opportunities and their skills and knowledge through accessing a wide catalogue of training & development, including professional registration with the Science Council.
In addition, MRC (part of UKRI) provides its community of employees access to a whole host of useful benefits, including a defined benefit pension scheme and excellent holiday entitlement (30 days plus 2.5 privilege days & 8 bank holidays), family friendly policies (6 months full pay maternity & adoption leave), a range of shopping/travel discounts, access to our Employee Assistant Programme Scheme, Health and Wellbeing Support and a salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. Please follow this link to find out more - Benefits
Our success is dependent upon our ability to embrace diversity and draw on the skills, understanding and experience of all our people. We warmly invite people from diverse backgrounds and heritage, including people who identify as having a disability, to apply for a role that excites them. As "Disability Confident" employers, we guarantee to interview all applicants who have disclosed they have a disability and who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.
UKRI supports research in areas that include animal health, agriculture and food security, and bioscience for health which includes research on animals, genetic modification and stem cell research. Whilst you may not have direct involvement in this type of research, you should consider whether this conflicts with your personal values or beliefs.
We will conduct a full and comprehensive pre-employment check as an essential part of the recruitment process on all individuals that are offered a position with UKRI. This will include a security check and an extreme organisations affiliation check. The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.