Finance Officer

We’re supporting a well-established education organisation (a Multi Academy Trust) to appoint a Finance Officer on a contract basis. Working closely with a senior finance lead, you’ll help ensure robust financial controls, accurate month-end reporting, and strong compliance across a group of schools. This is a hands-on role suited to someone who is confident with reconciliations, journals, and management accounts, and who can support stakeholders with finance queries and policy guidance. Key responsibilities Management reporting Produce management accounts for allocated sites/schools. Contribute to reporting of income and expenditure across the organisation. Support financial reporting activities to maintain service levels across the finance function. Budgeting, forecasting & grants Monitor budgets for allocated schools/sites and support reforecasting. Provide guidance to budget holders with queries. Maintain grant spend trackers to ensure reporting aligns with funding terms and conditions. Payroll / VAT Complete payroll reconciliations and ensure budgets are updated accordingly. Support VAT reconciliations/submissions and associated reporting. Team support / process improvement Allocate and oversee day-to-day tasks for a finance support colleague (where applicable), assisting with more complex queries. Support onboarding of new sites (systems implementation, training, and policy understanding). Contribute to ongoing improvement of finance systems and processes. What we’re looking for Essential Proven experience in a finance role with strong reconciliations / month-end capability Confident producing or supporting management accounts Strong Excel skills and comfort working in finance/accounting systems High attention to detail and ability to work to deadlines Clear communication style (able to advise non-finance stakeholders on policy/process)