Treasury Assistant

Support the financial heartbeat of one of the UK's leading Academy Trusts. At Co-op Academies Trust, we aim to provide exceptional education for every child. With 38 academies across the North and Midlands and ambitious plans for the future, keeping our central operations seamless is vital to our success. We are looking for a proactive and detail-oriented Treasury Assistant to join our central finance team. This is a fantastic opportunity for a finance professional who enjoys working to tight deadlines and improving processes.

Acting as a key pillar in our Central Finance Department, you will work under the guidance of our Treasury Manager to keep our cash management, banking platforms, and reconciliations running like clockwork. If you are highly professional, take initiative, and want a role where your integrity makes a real impact, we want to hear from you.

What you’ll be doing:

• Support the timely completion of accurate bank reconciliations across the entire Trust.
• Post cashbook journals and ensure all banking transactions are meticulously recorded.
• Allocate income received to the correct accounts, actively investigating any unidentified receipts.
• Investigate and resolve complex banking discrepancies quickly and efficiently.
• Administer online banking platforms, managing user access and system maintenance.
• Manage Trust credit cards in strict alignment with internal policy guidelines.
• Process Faster Payments safely and securely, ensuring full compliance with internal control frameworks.
• Act as a key contact for banking-related queries, providing clear guidance to the wider finance team.
• Collaborate closely with the Treasury Accountant to support daily cash management activities.

What we’re looking for:

• Someone with an analytical mind, superb numerical skills, and an unwavering commitment to accuracy.
• Solid experience working within a busy finance or accounts environment.
• Proven experience handling bank reconciliations and cashbook processing.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills with an exceptional eye for detail.
• The ability to organize and prioritize your own workload, especially during high-pressure times like month-end.
• Confidence utilising finance systems and Google Sheets.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to handle confidential data with total integrity.
• GCSEs (or equivalent) including Maths and English at Grade C/4 or above.

It would be great if you also have:

• An AAT qualification (or be actively working towards it).
• Prior training or experience specifically in treasury management and banking systems (e.g., Faster Payments, BACS).
• Experience working within a school Trust or the public sector finance environment.
• An understanding of internal control frameworks and segregation of duties.

Why us?

All our values are based upon the values of the Co-op Group, which will inform our behaviours:

• Self-help: We do not expect to be spoon fed - we will try to do things for ourselves in the right way and at the right time.
• Self-responsibility: Everyone should act in a responsible way around the academy site and in the local community.
• Equality: We are proud to be part of a very multicultural academy, with students from all over the world; it is important that we treat each other with respect and accept that others may be different from ourselves.
• Equity: We want to look for the best in each other. Rewarding others fairly to encourage all types of achievement.
• Democracy: We will contribute our ideas to make the academy a success.
• Solidarity: We can achieve more by working together, rather than as individuals.

Our Values:

• Succeed together
• Do what matters most
• Be yourself, always
• Show you care

Benefits:

• You’ll get being a Co-op member, you’ll get a Co-op colleague discount card. This gives you a 10% discount in our Co-op Food stores.
• 31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)
• A collaborative and supportive team environment
• Co-operative flexible benefits (discounted line rental and broadband package, family care advice and cycle to work scheme)
• Discounted gym membership and leisure activities which includes discounts on Merlin Entertainments (Sea Life, Legoland etc), Virgin Experience Days, SuperBreak and many more!
• Co-operative Credit Union: save directly from your salary and receive a competitive dividend. Borrowers can benefit from very competitive interest rates & terms (in comparison with other high street lenders)

For more information about the Co-op Academies Trust, please visit: www.coopacademies.co.uk

The Trust is also committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage or civil partnerships.

Qualifications:

• 5 GCSEs including Maths and English (grade 4-9) or equivalent

Safeguarding Information:

Co-op Academies Trust as an aware employer is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults as its number one priority. This commitment to robust recruitment, selection and induction procedures extends to organisations and services linked to the Trust on its behalf. Co-op Academies Trust is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and young people and expects all its employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced check by the DBS and satisfactory references. All our colleagues are expected to demonstrate a commitment to co-operative values and principles.