Senior Finance Assistant (Schools Funding)

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Description

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

The starting salary for this role is £32,512 per annum, working 36 hours per week.

This is a fixed term contract/ secondment opportunity until 31st March 2026.

Surrey County Council is the largest employer in Surrey. Our organisation is split across a diverse range of directorates and services spanning the entire county. This Senior Finance Assistant position sits within our Education & Lifelong Learning (ELL) Finance Team, working across both the Schools Funding and Schools Finance & Monitoring Teams.

This position is a hybrid role with a requirement to be office based at least 40% of the working week to enable face-to-face collaboration with team colleagues. This could include working from our various offices: Woodhatch Place in Reigate, Quadrant Court in Woking, Fairmount House in Leatherhead or Dakota in Weybridge.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Role

The Council is responsible for the financial management of over 150 maintained schools with revenue and capital budgets totalling over £400m. ELL Finance is responsible for all financial aspects of Surrey's maintained schools and ensuring appropriate action is undertaken to accurately account for and protect the finances of our schools and the county council. The Senior Finance Assistant role works closely with both colleagues from within the team as well as those in our schools and other council services and other local authorities.

In this role you will:

• Liaise, communicate and build relationships with schools, council colleagues and other key stakeholders to promote and maintain strong levels of financial management within Surrey maintained schools

• Carry out financial administration tasks including journals and invoicing.

• Monitor our generic email accounts, ensuring the appropriate response/action is taken

• Administer the timely receipt and upload of statutory finance returns from schools

• Administer aspects of the Council's in-house staff cover scheme and make accurate payments to schools

• Collate the data for charging other local authorities where they place children with special educational needs in Surrey schools (approx. £4m pa)

• Liaise with colleagues in other local authorities to agree charges and issue invoices

• Contribute to the delivery of Directorate and council objectives.

• Be able to manage high workloads and work flexibly within a team

Although this role involves working as part of a team you will be given the tools to work independently and flexibly as the business needs, to allow you to deliver work to a high standard.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be shortlisted to interview your personal statement (max 2 sides of A4) should provide evidence, with examples where relevant, in the following areas:

• Ability to produce accurate reports and statistics

• A good level of ICT skills including Word, Excel and Outlook is essential

• A good understanding and experience of accounting tasks such as journals, invoices and payments

• Experience of managing conflicting demands on your time and resources

• Experience of good communication skills, both written and verbal

• Experience of handling difficult relationships with stakeholders and remaining firm under pressure when appropriate.

Contact details

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

For an informal discussion contact David Green at david.green.ses@surreycc.gov.uk or Sue English at sue.english@surreycc.gov.uk .

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 19th January 2025. Shortlisting will take place in the week commencing 20th January 2025 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Our Values
Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values .

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook also attached provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.

Files to download

• Life at Surrey (PDF)
• Senior Finance Assistant - Job Description (PDF)
• Finance Service - Behaviours, Skills and Knowledge Framework (PDF)

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