Administration & Finance Assistant

Salary: £25,249 with progression to £26,707 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 19 February 2026

Are you organised, proactive, and ready to make a real impact behind the scenes? We have an exciting opportunity to join Hospitality & Commercial Services as an Administration & Finance Assistant. This is a key role within a friendly, supportive commercial team at a University that values colleague development and invests in training.

You will play an essential part in the smooth running of back-office systems covering sales, customer service, purchasing, and finance. Working closely with Food & Beverage Managers, you’ll help deliver conferences, events, and retail services efficiently and professionally.

We’re looking for someone detail focused, enthusiastic, and eager to contribute to a collaborative team environment. Experience in hospitality or catering, particularly dealing with bookings, customer queries, and providing excellent customer service, is highly desirable. You should thrive on keeping things organised, supporting colleagues, and ensuring processes run smoothly.

This is a full-time, permanent position (37 hours per week), with the opportunity for blended working once your training and induction are complete.

Please submit your online application with a CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should provide a detailed supporting statement showing how you meet the essential criteria below, with clear examples from your experience.

Please note that there will be a skills test as part of the interview process.

• To coordinate, receive, process and administer all bookings via the Kinetics catering and events software for all event catering services to ensure financial control and exceptional customer service, timely payments and a robust audit trail
• To advise customers of choices appropriate to their events and up sell to maximise income where appropriate, using own judgement when to pass complex enquiries onto a Food & Beverage Manager
• To update the Kinetics catering system with correct prices and menus via the configuration part of this software as well as responding to requests for special items and prices
• To handle all customer issues and complaints, resolving the situation where appropriate and possible, passing on to a relevant manager should additional involvement or resolution be required
• To assist in the development of improvements to the customer ordering system and terms and conditions of the business as part of regular operational reviews
• To assist in the processing of all charges for HCS both to internal departments and external customers, ensuring that University Financial Regulations are adhered to
• Using the University computerised financial system (SAP) to raise sales invoices ensuring all VAT regulations are adhered to and that income is coded to correct cost centres
• To assist in the P2P procedure by being an Expert Buyer for the system providing purchase orders for itemised goods for HCS and to confirm receipt when delivered
• To assist in the updating and maintaining of the Saffron Stock Control system as directed by the Admin & Finance Team Leader
• To respond to queries and deal with bookings from the conference office
• To follow established ordering procedures with regard to stationery office supplies to ensure adequate resources are available to meet work requirements
• Process overtime and respond to queries from HCS colleagues
• Administer the absence process ensuring that information is recorded accurately
• Support HCS recruitment processes by using the University E-Recruitment system and working with the Management Team to organise the interviews, ensuring all administrative processes are completed to deadlines
• Ensure all Health & Safety documentation is updated and reviewed on a regular basis and filed correctly
• Provide meeting support where needed, including minute-taking and the management and distribution of supporting documentation
• Support the Service’s…