Finance Officer. LilyLifestyle

Finance Officer (Fees & Billing) – Prestigious Education Organisation – Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Your new company Hays Accountancy & Finance is partnering with a prestigious leading education organisation to recruit a dynamic & experienced Finance Officer to join their accounting team in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. This permanent role will take responsibility for the day-to-day management of fees and income, ensuring billing is accurate and payments are collected efficiently. The position is best suited to a finance professional with credit control and billing experience, who is used to building both internal and external relationships at all levels, and supports process improvement within the finance billings department, reporting directly to the Finance Manager.

Prepare and issue termly fee bills, maintain and reconcile billing accounts, and reconcile payments. Communicate professionally with external stakeholders regarding fees and payments. Resolve billing queries, manage the debt recovery process, monitor outstanding fees, follow up on overdue accounts, and manage payment plans while escalating issues to the Director of Finance. Process monthly direct debit collections, assist with debt reporting to Senior Management, and handle credit control administration.

Support various projects and process/system improvements within the billing/collections processes to ensure a more streamlined accounting function.

Experience in a similar finance role, previous experience of debtor management/credit control processes, and the ability to meet tight deadlines with high accuracy and attention to detail. Previous finance experience, including data management for invoicing, an excellent telephone manner with proven customer‑service skills to communicate professionally with a range of external and internal stakeholders, and strong MS Excel skills. Experience working within the education sector, knowledge of direct debit collections, and familiarity with school finance would be advantageous but not essential.

A team‑player with a proactive attitude to process improvement.

This permanent Finance Officer role offers a salary between £28,000 – £32,000 per annum, depending on experience, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Benefits include flexible start/finish times, a Christmas holiday shutdown, a contributed pension scheme, use of on‑site sport facilities, free daily lunches, and further organisational benefits. This is a great opportunity to join one of Cheltenham’s most prestigious education establishments and add value to the billing and credit control processes within an established finance function.