Finance Officer

MOULTON SCHOOL AND SCIENCE COLLEGE

Pound Lane, Moulton, Northampton, NN3 7SD

Hours and weeks negotiable for the right candidate

Salary Range Grade G Point 8-12 (£26,824 - £28,598 FTE)

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dedicated and proactive Finance Officer to join our dynamic team. Working collaboratively alongside a finance colleague, the post holder will manage day-to-day operational aspects of the school’s finance and payroll functions. The role ensures full compliance with statutory financial frameworks, the DfE Academy Trust Handbook (ATH), audit requirements, and internal financial regulations.

Process end-to-end purchasing, including purchase orders, goods receipting, supplier invoice processing, and payment runs through our finance system, Iris

Set up new supplier accounts, maintain existing vendor database records, and carry out mandatory bank account verification checks to prevent fraud

Issue electronic BACS remittance advices to suppliers following payment runs

Manage the digital archiving and retention of all financial records (invoices, POs, bank statements) in line with statutory ESFA/DfE retention schedules and GDPR

Review purchase requisitions against department budget availability before raising official purchase orders, flagging potential overspends to budget holders

Reconcile business credit cards, petty cash, and cashless income streams

Handle day-to-day financial queries from staff, suppliers, and parents regarding payment queries, or cashless system balances

Raise sales invoices across all school income streams

Manage debt collection, pursue outstanding payments, and oversee secure banking procedures for any cash income

Monitor aged debtor reports, issue staged payment reminder letters, escalation persistent arrears to the Business Manager, and prepare bad debt documentation for governor write-off approvals when necessary

Administer finances for school trips and extracurricular events via digital payment platforms

Reconcile trip accounts and coordinate with the Assistant Business Manager for final account closures

Collate, check, and process staff expense claims, overtime, and monthly timesheets

Quality-assure draft payroll variations, resolve queries with external HR/Payroll providers (e.g., EPM), and process authorised payroll journals

When required liaise with pension agencies (Teachers' Pensions and LGPS) regarding employee data and contributions

Receive and assess 16-19 Bursary Fund applications against set criteria for review and approval by the Business Manager

Arrange scheduled bursary payments and maintain accurate audit trails

Assist the Assistant Business Manager with internal/external financial audits, month end and year-end closedown, and statutory returns.

Monitor open purchase orders and commitment accounting to ensure financial commitments are accurately reflected in monthly forecasts and cash flow tracking

Consult the chart of accounts guidance when allocating to nominal codes

Provide advice, system navigation support, and guidance to new Heads of Department and budget holders on how to interpret their monthly financial statements

Prepare transaction sampling files, balance sheet reconciliations, and supporting schedules ahead of internal and external audit visits

Adhere to school safeguarding policies (Keeping Children Safe in Education) and maintain strict data privacy (GDPR).

Undertake any other reasonable duties commensurate with the grade as directed by school leadership

Closing Date: 9am on 21

Septembe…