Apprentice Finance and Accounting Technician - University Mathematical Institute

Summary

An exciting opportunity to join the University of Oxford as an Accounting Apprentice within the world‑leading Mathematical Institute. The role involves a variety of finance duties, including processing transactions, assisting with month‑end tasks, and general finance administration.

Wage: £26,686 per year (Apprentice Grade 1A).

Hours:

Monday‑Friday, 9:00 am‑5:00 pm, 36 hours 30 minutes per week. Fixed‑term contract for 2 years.

Accounts or Finance Assistant (Level 2).

Start date:

Tuesday 1 September 2026.
Duration: 13 months practical training plus 3 months End Point Assessment.
Delivery: work‑based training with the employer, day release during term time (approximately 1 day a week at Abingdon or Witney Campus), off‑the‑job training counts for at least 6 hours a week.

• Carry out general office duties, including managing emails and calendars, filing, and handling finance enquiries via email, face‑to‑face, and over the phone or MS Teams.
• Use the university’s finance system, Oracle, to enter confidential financial data, raise purchase orders daily, and assist with data entry into internal databases and spreadsheets.
• Prepare financial documentation such as general ledger journals with a full audit trail. Also draft and update information on the finance pages of the website and help prepare training material.
• Learn and support the petty cash process and the process for raising internal and external sales invoices according to university procedures.
• Maintain accurate physical and electronic finance records, ensuring they are complete and up‑to‑date.
• Assist with month‑end reporting and review purchase‑order reports.
• Support the delivery of projects across the finance team, liaising with colleagues across the department.
• Provide basic advice on financial policies and procedures where appropriate, raising more complex cases to the Finance Officer (General Ledger).
• Develop a full understanding of university financial regulations to contribute to continuous improvement of finance activities.
• Help organise materials and venues for finance meetings or events, including training sessions.

• Record transactional data using standard tools and processes.
• Identify transactional issues such as discrepancies and reconcile data.
• Recognise routine errors and relay them for escalation.
• Plan and review accounting and finance tasks.
• Communicate with stakeholders, delivering accurate and timely results using appropriate language and media.
• Use finance and accounting software to input and manage data.
• Handle data and digital technology in line with cybersecurity and data‑security requirements.

• GCSE in English and Maths, grade A*‑C/9‑4 or equivalent.

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Administrative skills
• Analytical skills
• Team working
• Initiative
• Interest in accounting career
• Committed to AAT study
• Can follow procedure
• Able to work accurately
• Good time management
• Aptitude for the skills taught

• 38 days paid holiday, generous pension schemes, travel discounts, and professional development opportunities.
• Free entry to Botanic Gardens and university colleges, and discounts at university museums.

• Over 80% of apprentices continue with the university in a role aligned with their training.

Abingdon and Witney College
Jane Phipps
apprentic
01235 216216