Finance Officer

Overview

Are you a detail-driven finance professional with a passion for making a difference? Do you have excellent organisational skills, financial expertise and are able to use your own initiative when required to achieve agreed outcomes? Are you able to analyse and investigate when things don’t look quite right?

Join our Adult Learning Finance & Admin team, where your financial expertise will directly support educational opportunities for adults across the county. This is your chance to play a vital role in a service that empowers communities and transforms lives.

We operate on a hybrid/flexible working model, with 2 days working in the office and 3 days working at home. The main office location for this role is the Adult Learning Centre in Amersham.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.  

Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected– only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

About the role

As a Finance Officer, you will be at the heart of our Adult Learning finance and admin operations. Reporting to the Finance Manager, you will support the effective management of budgets, payroll, and HR processes for tutors and casual staff. Your responsibilities will include:

• Monitoring income and expenditure, identifying variances, and supporting the budget-setting & monitoring processes.
• Processing invoices, purchase orders, petty cash, and journals using SAP and Kofax.
• Monitoring grant payments and reconciling income across multiple platforms.
• Leading the payroll process for tutors and casual staff, including recruitment, onboarding, and contract management.
• Acting as a key point of contact for financial and HR queries from staff and external partners.

You will also contribute to continuous improvement by recommending process enhancements and ensuring compliance with financial regulations.

About you

We are looking for someone who is:

• Experienced in financial administration, ideally with a strong grasp of payroll and HR processes.
• Analytical with the ability to interpret financial data, perform reconciliations, understand and help to manage budgets, with good attention to detail.
• Organised and able to prioritise workloads, meet deadlines, and maintain accurate records.
• IT Literate, with intermediate Excel skills and relevant experience using SAP.
• A great communicator, confident in dealing with internal teams, external partners, and casual staff.
• Qualified to at least AAT Level 3 or with significant relevant finance experience. An accounting/payroll/HR qualification or working towards one would be desirable.

You will thrive in a collaborative environment, be solution-focused, and uphold the values of being proud, ambitious, collaborative, and trustworthy.

Other information

If you would like to find out more about this role, please contact Yvonne Lim at [email protected]

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 7th September 2025

Interview date: w/c 1st September

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/