Finance Officer Full Time

HARRIS ACADEMY TOTTENHAM

Do you have experience with finance management in either a professional or school capacity? Our thriving academy is looking to appoint a dedicated and resourceful individual as Finance Officer to oversee financial duties across Harris Academy Tottenham.

About Us

At Harris Academy Tottenham, we instil an ethos of hard work, dedication and commitment to learning, through our Academy values. These are:

• To ENDEAVOUR is to strive for your goals, through maintaining the highest expectations of ourselves.
• To ENJOY is to take delight and pleasure in the learning process; To gain a feeling of success through relentless passion and drive.
• To EXCEL is to achieve your full potential, through mastery of concepts and an ambition to be the best you can be.

At Harris Academy Tottenham, we are innovative, open and collaborative. We would like fellow innovators, passionate pedagogists and creative class leaders to join us during this exciting time. With a dedicated SLT team on hand for support and guidance, there are a multitude of CPD opportunities to thrive on. You can expect to be a part of a fantastic team of dedicated teachers and support staff as well as an attentive, supportive work culture.

Our brand-new facilities allow us to continue expanding our curriculum offer, ensuring students experiences are both varied and enriching. The premises has undergone a comprehensive programme of refurbishment, and reached completion in May 2019. Our new Sports Block opened in May 2019, and has fantastic facilities including a Sports Hall, Activity Studio, Multi Use Game Areas.

Having been recognised as ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED in June 2017, we are excited to have new members of staff join us in delivering transformative learning experiences. The inspectors commented that ‘learning is the business of the day’ and that sentiment underpins all that we do. Since then, the school continues to grow and strive for the highest standards.

“At our Academy, children will develop their academic scholarship alongside their character; becoming citizens who are a credit to their local community. We provide an extensive extracurricular programme to allow students to develop as a well-rounded person, ready and prepared to embark upon whichever pathway they desire. That is only possible through the partnership that exists between families and colleagues and partners at the academy. We are incredibly proud of the close relationships that develop between colleagues, parents, governors and pupils, and indeed they are central to all that we do.” Nick Soar, Executive Principal

Main Areas of Responsibility

Your responsibilities will include

• Creating purchase orders
• Obtaining authorisation for, coding and posting purchase invoices
• Checking of all deliveries to the Academy, liaising with site staff as to distribution of order
• Raising cheques / BACS for purchase invoices
• Making payments
• Journal entries on accounting system
• Cash / bank reconciliation and reports
• Collecting money from students for educational visits
• Reconciling the petty cash on a monthly basis
• Reconciliation of academy credit card
• Liaison with cost centre budget holders
• Maintenance of Fixed Asset Register
• Academy banking
• Assisting Finance Business Partner in monthly balance sheet reconciliations
• Dealing with incoming and outgoing finance post
• Administering finances in relation to peripatetic music tuition, music subsidies and Food Technology consumable costs
• Raising sales invoices for lettings
• Banking of cash and cheques
• Supporting the Academy in finding ways to raise capital funding
• Creating a business plan for lettings and liaising with the Executive Principal to action
• Supporting any Academy training events that may raise capital
• Giving financial support for any capital spend projects
• Finding ways in which the Academy can get better value for money, through better procurement or other innovative ideas
• Working with Federation Business Partner and Principal in agreeing priorities for expenditure and monitoring the effectiveness of spending and usage of resources to ensure value for money
• Ensuring all matters regarding Academy insurance are dealt with in line with Federation procedures
• Ensuring the academy’s financial procedures operate in accordance with statutory guidelines, Academies financial regulations and guidelines set out in the academy’s policies and procedures
• Providing statistical information as required by the DCSF, other funding providers and Principal
• Familiarity with all the different funding streams that make up the academy budget and be aware of who has direct responsibility for each one
• Supporting the process of and responding to audit reports and implementation of recommendation
• Reading and understanding the Academies Financial handbook and check the Academies compliance reporting any concerns to the Finance Business Partner and the Principal
• Overseeing all contracts, register at the Academy, ensuring all information is kept up to date
• Monitoring financial and quality issues relating to academy meals contract
• Managing payroll, liaising with EPM as required
• Working with Federation Estates Managers, Projects Team and procurement to check best value for money when the Academy is considering new contracts or services
• Working with FBP when contracts are due for renewal and ascertain value for money and quality of service are in line with expectations
• Communicating any concerns regarding contracts with suppliers as required
• Supporting in any tendering process

Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will have:

• Qualifications to A level or equivalent
• Knowledge of school finance systems
• Knowledge of a variety of financial recording systems
• Knowledge of the budget setting process
• Understanding of the role and function of external audit
• At least three years’ experience working in a finance department
• Experience of working within financial controls
• Experience of assisting with budget setting and budget management

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. This will be helpful for you when completing your application, and throughout the recruitment process.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.

Professional Development & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan including access to a virtual GP, electric car scheme, 26 days’ annual leave (plus bank holidays) for staff who work across the full year, and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.