Finance Admin Officer

About the role

Shrivenham Parish Council is looking for a practical, accurate and community-minded Finance Admin Officer to manage the day-to-day administration of the Council’s finances and the accounts for the Viscountess Barrington Trust.

This is a varied finance role within a complex arrangement: the Council is the sole managing trustee of the Trust, so the successful candidate will need to understand, or be able to learn quickly, the different financial controls and reporting requirements that apply to local government and charity/trust accounts.

The role would suit someone with hands-on finance experience who is ready for a broader challenge. You might have managed finance administration in a small organisation, worked in local government or a trust/charity setting, or built accounts payable/receivable experience and be ready to take the next step.

We are not looking for a CFO; we are looking for someone organised, reliable and confident working with financial processes, controls and records.

What you’ll be doing

You will be involved in a wide range of finance activity across both the Parish Council and the Viscountess Barrington Trust, under the guidance of the Clerk/Responsible Finance Officer (RFO), keeping the day-to-day finances running smoothly while supporting good governance and compliance.

The work is varied because the Council and Trust have different financial controls, reporting expectations and audit requirements, and the Finance Admin Officer will ensure that records, approvals and reporting are kept clearly separated and well managed.

• Maintaining accurate finance records and accounting systems for both the Council and the Trust, ensuring transactions are recorded against the correct entity, budget and cost area
• Processing supplier invoices, receipts, payments and payment schedules, with appropriate checks, approvals and supporting documentation
• Completing regular bank reconciliations, VAT returns and routine finance reporting, including identifying and resolving discrepancies
• Supporting budget monitoring, cashflow visibility and financial information for Council, Trust and committee meetings
• Preparing year-end accounts, audit information and statutory/local government returns, including AGAR-related requirements, with the support of the Clerk/RFO
• Supporting compliance with Council Financial Regulations and the Trust’s financial governance requirements
• Working closely with the Parish Clerk/RFO to provide clear, timely and practical finance information for councillors, trustees, auditors, suppliers and residents where appropriate

Who we’re looking for

Our ideal candidate will have finance experience in local government and/or trusts, with an understanding of why finance controls, reporting and governance differ across the two sectors.

Just as importantly, we welcome applications from candidates with strong practical finance experience who are ready to grow into this type of role.

You do not need to meet every point to apply. If you have solid finance experience, a careful and practical approach, and the motivation to learn the local council and trust aspects of the role, we would be pleased to hear from you. Guidance and training will be provided where needed.

Salary from £31,000 FTE (to be pro-rated based on part time hours)

Pay: From £31,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• On-site parking

Work Location: In person