Finance Officer - Business Support in Chatham

We are looking for an experienced administrative Business Support Officer to provide support to Childrens Services. This role involves administering, monitoring and maintaining all relevant financial records and information systems (manual and computerised), to ensure information is accurate, accessible and retrievable by others. You will administer processes and procedures using available equipment and ICT packages to meet organisational standards and requirements.

You will need to be able to effectively and efficiently handle large amounts of petty cash and have experience in cash handling, as well as being able to process invoices, and so experience of this and purchase ordering will be required. Due to the nature of cash handling, this role is office based with no opportunity for home working. The successful candidate will need extensive minute taking experience. You will be required to answer telephone calls and offer some flexibility in terms of supporting some of the duties of other business support staff during periods of absence or high volumes of work.

In Return We Offer You:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Generous local government pension scheme package
• Access to wider training and development qualifications
• Flexible working scheme
• Travel plan discounts
• Access to CAREFIRST advice & counselling service
• Employee discount scheme for national and local retailers

The Government has introduced new ways of supporting parents with childcare costs. Further details are available here: Childcare Choices.

Career Progression Frameworks (CPF) have been introduced for all roles at Medway Council. These frameworks provide a mechanism for employees to take ownership of their development within their post and be rewarded accordingly. This means that the salary you will be offered will be at level A unless, based on an assessment against the CPF criteria, you demonstrate that you are meeting the criteria of level B or C. There will be further opportunity once in post to progress from level A to B, and B to C.

When writing your application, it is important to ensure you identify your suitability against the requirements of the job profile, as this information will be used for shortlisting and may contribute to the CPF assessment. Your application may be rejected if the minimum required criteria is not met. Further information relating to the requirements for this role can be found in the CPF Guidance document attached.

The person specification of a job profile is split into three levels:

• Level A details the essential criteria that all applicants must be able to demonstrate through their application and interview.
• Level B details the developed competencies that an individual who is practised in this role would be able to demonstrate and will be a progression of knowledge, experience and skills from level A.
• Level C requires the highest level of competence and applicants would need to fully meet and demonstrate all aspects of the job profile, including qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience.

First Response are seeking to appoint a Business Support Officer. You can demonstrate knowledge, experience and skills to allow you to perform within this role. You will identify, through application, how you meet the elements detailed within the person specification, at either Level A, B or C. You will be supported to develop in your role through induction, probation and a supportive Performance Appraisal and Career Conversation. Through your induction you will be introduced to the Career Progression Framework (CPF), which will help you to identify your areas of strength and any development needs.

Our Organisation: Medway is a unitary authority in the South East of England, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham and more rural areas, including the Hoo Peninsula. Situated in Kent in the South-East of England, the area has plenty of green spaces, excellent facilities and easy access to the national motorway and rail networks, facilitating superb transport links to London. We provide all local Government services for a quarter of a million people, looking after education, environment, social care, housing, planning, business and much more – everything from frontline services such as rubbish collection and events like the Dickens Festival to work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure services in Medway run smoothly and cost effectively.

Working at Medway Council means that you get to be part of this journey working alongside talented, professional colleagues to drive forward change to transform the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.

Important Information: Applicants must be able to demonstrate all criteria at level A which are essential for appointment to the role. Medway Council is not able to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship, so candidates must already possess the right to work in the UK. For further information, and for details of the benefits of working for Medway Council, please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online. Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted. All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email. We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.

Equal Opportunities Commitment Statement: Medway Council is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All appropriately qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or age. For further information please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online. Please visit Mindful Employer for information on how Medway Council put good practices in place to ensure employees and job applicants who declare mental health issues receive the right level of support.

If you require documentation/correspondence in different format such as braille or large print, please contact the Resourcing Team on 01634 332878.