School Finance Officer at Lancashire County Council

Preston, England, United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

09 Sep, 26

Salary

36363.0

Posted On

11 Jun, 26

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Budget Monitoring, Financial Reconciliations, Financial Management, Communication Skills, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Accounting, Audit, Stakeholder Management, Data Analysis

Industry

Government Administration

Description

Salary £32,061-£36,363 | 37 hours per week | Full Time, Fixed term contract | Hybrid | County Hall, Preston We are currently recruiting for a fixed term maternity cover for the post of Schools Finance Officer within the Financial Management: Development and Schools Finance Team. This role provides a unique opportunity to contribute and support traded functions of the Schools Finance Team. As the Schools Finance Officer, you will: * Provide traded support to Lancashire schools, this will include receiving an allocation of schools to support with financial management, including budget monitoring, reconciliations, communicating with school bursars and senior leadership teams to support and challenge to ensure a balanced budget is maintained. * Be required at times to travel to schools across the county to deliver our services. * Be part of a large and supportive team, supporting over 500 schools and academies within Lancashire. * Support statutory functions including, but not restricted to, year end and associated processes; processing of grant allocations/funding payments to schools; preparation of DfE returns e.g. Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) return; and academy conversions. * About you: * A minimum of 5 GCSE's or equivalent maths and English grade A - C (grades 9 - 4 on the new grade scale) * At least two year's experience in accounting/audit/financial related work * You'll have great communication skills with the ability to advise and present information to more senior staff and customers. * You will be able to work well in a team but also have the ability to work without close supervision * Have the ability to use Microsoft Office, in particular Excel and Word and can adapt to working with new financial systems. * You are self-motivated, organised, and have the ability to deal with complex issues constructively and work accurately whilst under pressure. * Have a driving licence and car. This is an essential car user post and travelling to schools will be required. Closing date: 29th June 2026 Reasons to join us? * We offer flexible working opportunities. * The ability to travel to a variety of schools and meet with different traded customers. * Great annual leave entitlement of 26 days per financial year, which increases with length of service. You will also be entitled to 8 bank holidays, 2 additional statutory bank holidays during the Christmas period and you also have the option of purchasing additional leave each year. * Our staff discount scheme in partnership with Vivup, allowing you to access a range of discounts with UK retailers. * Great career development This is a fantastic opportunity to join the Schools Finance Team in a unique and varied role and see the positive impact of your work on the team, schools and academies within Lancashire. If you would like to discuss the role further, please contact Alison Standring on 01772 537970 or email alison.standring@lancashire.gov.uk [alison.standring@lancashire.gov.uk] You will be required to provide a car for use in connection with the duties of this post and must be insured for business use. However, we may consider you if you cannot drive because of a disability. The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'. Further information can be found on the 'Our Recruitment Process' tab. Please ensure you have uploaded and attached your supporting statement to evidence how you meet the criteria for this role. The panel may be unable to shortlist you for interview without this evidence. Job description and Person Specification [Https://Lancashire.gov.uk/media/971625/g7-job-description-and-person-specification.pdf] We encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out on this exciting opportunity. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications. Interview are provisionally planned to take place on the Thursday 9th July and / or Friday 10th July 2026.

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Responsibilities

Provide financial management support to Lancashire schools, including budget monitoring and reconciliations to ensure balanced budgets. Support statutory functions such as year-end processes, grant allocations, and DfE returns.