Finance Assistant – P2P & Banking Reconciliation (Anywhere) in Chelmsford

Finance Assistant - Banking, Controls & Reconciliation

Fixed Term, Full Time £25,081 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Closing Date: Sunday 25th May 2026 at 11.59pm

Fixed Term Contract / Secondment opportunity for a period of 12 months.

Credit control and not an accountancy focused role. Customer interaction by phone / email is the primary function so good communication skills are essential. Anywhere Worker role with expectation to attend County Hall, Chelmsford one day per week, with set team day being a Tuesday.

The Opportunity

Purchase to Pay (P2P) and Income aims to provide a comprehensive financial transactional and support service, maximising new and innovative technology to provide excellent customer service using a multi-skilled workforce. The Finance Assistant supports the Purchase to Pay (P2P) and Income teams to deliver the business plan for financial transactions. With a working knowledge of financial processes and systems across P2P and Income, ensuring data or income is input accurately, timely and within policy and legislation standards. Experienced in working as a team member across a flexible and multi-skilled workforce, delivering excellent customer service to a variety of functions by maintaining financial transactions and data within local systems. Recognising and supporting changes in technology to streamline the customer experience.

Accountabilities

• Contribute to the delivery of the business plan for financial transactions, in support of the wider organisational vision.
• Responsible for processing and managing financial transactions, following defined business processes, inputting, and interpreting data to ensure quality, consistency, accuracy, timeliness, and high performance.
• Responsible for delivering all activities to meet defined deadlines, proactively reporting any risks or issues for early resolution.
• Provides support and guidance to internal and external customers in a professional manner, in line with Financial processes, ensuring that policy and legislation are met.
• Carry out basic reporting for P2P and Income and external customers, which contributes to the management of organisational performance, maximises income and ensures compliance with Financial Regulations and ECC Policies.
• Work flexibly and collaboratively across P2P and Income to deliver finance support.
• Recommend process improvements and redesign to achieve best practice and organisational efficiency.
• Contribute to maintaining currency on legislation changes and translating these into local policy and procedure, to identify and review potential changes in technology.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to RQF Level 2 (GCSE) must include English and Mathematics, or equivalent by experience.
• Cash management/allocation experience would be desirable but not mandatory.
• Experience in handling cheques, banking and admin activity would be desirable.
• Commitment to continued personal development within a working environment.
• Some knowledge of P2P/Income systems and demonstrable accounts payable, accounts receivable, purchase to pay and e-invoicing experience would be desirable.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Aptitude and willingness to work flexibly in multi-skilled Operational Teams.
• Level of good competency using Microsoft office packages including Outlook, Word and Excel.
• Ability to interpret varied information for supporting continuous improvements in service delivery.
• Ability to build effective working relationships with internal and external customers, suppliers and partners.

Equal Opportunity

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We are committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We are also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying. Upon securing your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.