Finance Officer (FINJ26) in St Helens

All staff must make a positive contribution to the Catholic ethos of the College, the College Equality & Diversity Policy, the pursuit of excellence and the highest standards of quality in all aspects of College life, and their own professional development, in accordance with the needs of the College.

The person appointed would be expected to:

• Preparation and production of monthly budget reports for Budget Holders
• Support the development of digital AI reporting systems
• Checking for accuracy, completeness and validity of coding prior to reports distribution
• Assist in the preparation and production of regular activity reports as and when required
• Carry out ledger analysis
• Credit card payments
• Booking transport and accommodation for staff
• Reconciliation of Barclaycard account on a monthly basis
• Analysis of capital accounts and maintenance of college asset register
• Assist in the monitoring of pay budgets
• Authorisation of devolved purchase orders
• One off BACS payments to suppliers/individuals
• Production of ad hoc information and reports from Symmetry
• Monitor and control of bank account on a daily basis, ensuring bank upload procedures and transfers between accounts are accurately maintained
• Reconciliation of system bank statement to Barclays Business Master statement
• Respond to ad hoc queries from budget holders/spenders
• Debtors ledger maintenance and overseeing aged debtors
• Parentmail system maintenance: trips, registration, payments, refunds etc
• Liaison with auditors, bankers, the LSC and other professionals as and when required
• To attend meetings and complete mandatory training in accordance with the college's meeting/training schedule
• To assist at the college's Open Evenings / Consultation Evenings
• Each member of the College will take reasonable care for the health and safety of himself/herself and persons who may be affected by his/her omissions at work
• To undertake any other duties as may be assigned commensurate with the grade and overall responsibility level of the post and as changing circumstances may require

Contract and Salary Information:

• Closing date: 9.00 am on Monday 9th February 2026 (we reserve the right to close this vacancy before this date)
• Start date: As soon as possible
• Contract: Established, 36 hours per week, all year round
• Salary: Point 15 to 17 - £32,199 to £34,253 per annum depending on experience

Carmel College is a leading Catholic sixth form college located in St. Helens, Merseyside, specialising in Level 3 education. With a diverse student body of over 2,000, the college offers a comprehensive range of academic and vocational qualifications, catering for A Level and BTEC students, GCSE Maths and English Language resits, and a Level 4 Art Foundation course in partnership with the University of the Arts, London. The college also offers a wide variety of Foundation Degree courses at Level 5 in collaboration with The University of Liverpool. Furthermore, Carmel College maintains a well established Foundation Learning provision, offering Entry Level and Level 1 qualifications. The college attracts students from over 100 schools across the region, with approximately 50% of students hailing from the St Helens and Knowsley boroughs, and the remainder coming from the wider Merseyside area.

Carmel College is committed to providing a nurturing and academically rigorous environment, guiding students toward success in higher education and beyond. As a respected member of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, the Maple Group (comprising 13 high performing sixth form colleges), and the Association of Catholic Sixth Form Colleges, Carmel College works collaboratively within its sector to deliver outstanding educational experiences. The college also partners with key organisations such as the Archdiocese of Liverpool School Improvement Trust to foster academic growth and community engagement. Carmel College is proud to maintain formal partnerships with The University of Liverpool and University of the Arts, London, enhancing the educational pathways available to its students.

Our success lies in the fact that we recruit and retain excellent people who work exceptionally hard, driven by the Vision, Mission and shared values which underpin everything we do at the college. At the heart of the Vision, Mission and shared values is the commitment to providing an outstanding sixth form education for our young people in a caring, Christian environment, one which makes a positive difference for these young people, improving their life chances and their life opportunities.

In December 2024, the College was inspected and judged by Ofsted to be providing an Outstanding sixth form education for our young people. The college was also judged Outstanding in its denominational inspection carried out by the Archdiocese of Liverpool in February 2020. We are incredibly proud to be an Outstanding college, providing an excellent sixth form education for our students, one which is reflected in the exceptional results they achieve and the exciting destinations to which they progress. Yet, as a proactive governing body and staff, we remain ever mindful of the need to challenge ourselves to strive for continuous improvement, to ensure that we always provide the very best sixth form education for the young people in the local community we serve.

We seek applicants with the vision, integrity and understanding of the Vision, Mission and values of a ‘Catholic College for the Community’, who will continue to drive our College forward. Our ideal candidate will be committed to building a future college that is vibrant, inclusive and provides a caring, Christian environment. We are looking for someone who will put staff and students at the centre of the work of the College, a College which prides itself on academic excellence and on delivering an outstanding sixth form college experience for young people.