Finance Officer

Location: South London

Salary: £32,000–£36,000 salary equivalent, depending on experience

Contract: Full-time, temporary initially, with the opportunity to apply for the permanent position

Start date: Immediate

Working pattern: On-site, five days per week

We are looking for a confident and capable Finance Officer to join the finance team at an independent school in South London.

This is a junior-level but varied position requiring a proactive finance all-rounder. The role extends beyond accounts payable and will involve purchase orders, sales orders, reconciliations, budget monitoring and general school accounting.

Key responsibilities:

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• Raising and processing purchase orders, ensuring correct coding to accounts and budgets
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• Raising sales orders and processing income
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• Processing purchase and sales invoices
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• Supporting accounts payable and receivable functions
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• Completing bank, supplier and control account reconciliations
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• Monitoring budgets and investigating variances
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• Maintaining accurate records within the school’s finance system
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• Responding to queries from staff, suppliers and stakeholders
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• Assisting with payment runs, expenses and credit control
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• Supporting month-end processes, reporting and wider finance tasks as required
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About you

We are looking for someone who:

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• Experience in a varied finance or accounts role
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• Strong understanding of purchase orders, sales orders, coding and budget allocation
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• Practical reconciliation experience across accounts payable and receivable
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• Confident using accounting software (school systems desirable)
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• Numerate, accurate, and proficient in Microsoft Excel
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• Able to investigate discrepancies and correctly allocate transactions
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• Clear and professional communicator with both finance and non-finance colleagues
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• Proactive, confident and able to take ownership of workload
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• Available to start immediately and work on-site five days per week
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This role would suit someone at an early stage of their finance career who already has solid transactional accounting experience and is ready to take on a broader, hands-on position.

Safeguarding requirements

The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Applicants must have an appropriate enhanced DBS certificate, preferably registered with the DBS Update Service. The successful candidate will also be subject to the school’s safer recruitment and pre-employment checks.

To apply, please submit your CV and a brief covering statement outlining your relevant experience and immediate availability.

Application deadline: Friday 7th August

Interviews: Applications will be reviewed as they are received, so early applications are encouraged.