Job Description

Regional Finance Officer

Reports to: Finance Manager

Location: East Croydon, South London. Travel may be required across the South London region and to Ark School’s Head Office in White City

Contract: Permanent

Pattern: Full Time (standard hours 9am – 5.30pm)

Closing date: 05/02/2023

Interviews: w/c 06/02/2023

Salary: £24,000-£30,000 (depending on experience)

About the role:

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity where you can be part of a strong team?  Do you have a passion for finance processes and embedding best practice?  Do you have a head for numbers?  If so, this might just be the perfect operations role for you! This is a full-time, permanent role. You’ll report into the Finance Manager and will also work with the relevant Principal and Operations leads at the school(s) you are supporting while working collaboratively with other central teams across the Ark network.

As Regional Finance Officer, your role is an integral part of the schools in the region, responsible for ensuring high standards of financial integrity. Depending upon which school you are supporting, you will manage the daily and monthly financial processes in the school, ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Academy Trust Handbook.  Your duties in each school may vary as you may be required to support the current Finance team(s) in place.

Key Responsibilities

• Working closely with the Finance Manager and Operations leads to ensure the continuing financial stability of the school
• Placing orders, receiving goods and maintaining a professional relationship with suppliers
• Ensuring accurate and timely processing of purchase invoices and other documents using Concur and PS Financials accounting software, reconciling supplier statements, and preparing payment runs for authorisation
• Reconciling schools bank accounts, credit card statements and financial ledgers
• Operating petty cash; receiving, recording and banking monies paid into the school, ensuring all monies outstanding are collected
• Assisting the Finance Manager with the preparation of month end and year end accounts
• Working with the Operations leads to ensure goods and services are processed in compliance with current and relevant procurement legislation, ensuring best value is achieved
• Assist with the administration of school’s ParentPay (or equivalent) system
• Support the Finance Manager in driving forward change and initiatives which promote regularity, propriety, value for money and best standards
• Promote regional working across the South London Finance team by sharing best practice through regular communication and presentation and team meetings

Key Requirements:

• Experience of running effective administrative and financial systems, ideally within a school environment
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially excel, PSF financials and Concur (desirable)
• Strong organisational and time-management skills and the ability to delegate appropriately
• Ability to skilfully manage and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues and other stakeholders

About Ark

We’re an international charity, transforming lives through education. We exist to give every young person, regardless of their background, a great education and real choices in life. In the UK, we’re a network of 39 schools, educating around 28,500 pupils in areas where we can make the biggest difference and we’re recognised as one of the highest achieving academy groups in the country. We want to change the lives of children everywhere, not just in our own schools. So, we create and incubate Ventures designed not only to help pupils in Ark schools, but also to improve education systems.

You’ll be joining a group of like-minded, ambitious individuals who work collaboratively and are all committed to our core mission, that every child has the potential to succeed. Having just celebrated our 20^th anniversary, we are shaping our goals for the next 20 and there has never been a more exciting time to join us.

Benefits

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service and full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• A flexible approach to working with understanding and consideration for work life balance and personal commitments
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to. Depending on your role you may also be entitled to LGPS which is a defined benefit scheme where you contribute a percentage based on how much you earn (as do we) in exchange for a guaranteed amount in your pension pot every year
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests

Interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised.

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people; all successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Ark Schools are committed to attracting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce, with a broad range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. 

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 20,000 - 40,000.

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