Bursar/Assistant Bursar or School Finance Assistant in Kingston upon Thames

Our client is seeking an enthusiastic and proactive individual to join their growing team. Working in a busy but dynamic environment, you will be responsible for delivering exceptional financial support to a Bursar within an Independent school environment. You will be responsible for delivering effective financial management across the school. The Finance Officer will ensure accurate financial processing, robust internal controls, clear reporting, and excellent financial service to parents, staff and suppliers. The role encompasses day-to-day accounting operations, budget monitoring, fee billing, and wider administrative financial tasks essential to the smooth running of the school.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial Operations & Accounting: Handle daily financial tasks like purchase orders, invoicing, receipts, payments, and supplier communication. Prepare termly management accounts, year-end financial accounts, and support audits. Perform monthly reconciliations for bank accounts, petty cash, and control accounts. Process journals and maintain accurate financial records. Create cash flow forecasts and monitor liquidity. Manage the fixed asset register and depreciation schedule. Ensure VAT compliance and management.
• Budgeting & Financial Monitoring: Help prepare the annual budget and long-term financial plans. Monitor budgets and provide analyses and variance reports. Advise budget holders on financial procedures and management.
• Income, Fees & Credit Control: Generate termly fee invoices and bill for additional charges (e.g., trips, clubs, wraparound care). Process payments and update the sales ledger. Monitor debts, handle credit control, and liaise with parents. Manage trip finances, including tracking receipts, expenses, and reconciliation.
• Procurement & Best Value: Process and verify purchase orders to ensure cost efficiency. Assist with supplier reviews, utility monitoring, and contract renewals. Ensure compliance with financial regulations and procurement rules.
• Systems Administration: Maintain accurate, secure, and confidential accounting systems. Administer payment platforms and reconcile transactions. Support system upgrades and process improvements.

Key Skills required:

• AAT Level 3 qualification or equivalent, or significant financial administration experience (Essential).
• Experience in school finance or similar environments with multi-stream income and complex ledgers (Essential).
• Proficiency in purchase/sales ledger management, credit control, and bank reconciliation (Essential).
• Experience in preparing management accounts and supporting budget monitoring (Essential).
• Advanced skills in computerised finance systems and Microsoft Excel (Essential).
• Experience in preparing VAT returns (Essential).
• Familiarity with administering ParentPay or similar payment platforms (Desirable).
• Experience in independent school finance, particularly fee billing (Desirable).

You must be eligible to work in the UK full-time without restriction. If you feel you have the relevant skills and experience, please apply to Evolve Recruitment, Kingston upon Thames for further information. Due to the high volume of applications, we may not be able to respond to all candidates. If you have not heard from us within five working days, please assume that on this occasion your application has not been successful.