Business Finance Officer (Client Transport)

Overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a Business Finance Officer to join our busy, well-established and friendly Client Transport team. The work of our team plays a crucial role in ensuring that children and adults across Buckinghamshire have access to safe, reliable and high-quality transport to schools, colleges and other establishments.

In this role, you’ll help ensure the efficient and effective management of Client Transport finance activity—providing financial support to budget holders, liaising with the Council’s Finance service, and ensuring activity is delivered accurately and in line with corporate financial procedures.

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. 

The Client Transport Team delivers transport for approximately 7,500 school children and 300 adult social care clients daily. The role of the Business Finance Officer is to ensure the efficient processing of operator invoices, along with other Client Transport financial duties as part of this busy team.

We aim to provide front-line services with an efficient, value-for-money business process administration and project support service. We pride ourselves on being resilient and adaptable to change, whilst understanding the processes, policies and values held by the council. 

About the role

As Business Finance Officer, you’ll provide specialist finance support across Client Transport, ensuring accurate processing, strong financial control, and excellent customer and stakeholder service.

Key responsibilities:

• Manage all financial transactions for Client Transport cost centres using the SAP Finance System, ensuring processes and procedures are followed.
• Lead on the accurate production and reconciliation of monthly local bus contract payment schedules, including calculating mileage penalty deductions.
• Ensure accurate and timely completion of monthly, quarterly and annual payments to suppliers and recharges to third parties.
• Plan and maintain milestone schedules detailing transport payments and income throughout the year, liaising with suppliers to ensure milestones are met.
• Act as a key point of contact for bus operators, suppliers and stakeholders regarding transport financial transactions—resolving or escalating issues as appropriate.
• Monitor income and expenditure against budgets, including commitments and limit orders, and report variances as necessary.
• Respond to queries and complaints, resolving complex issues relating to contract payments, performance data and third-party recharges.
• Prepare and collate statistics and outturn figures across Client Transport finance areas.
• Support month-end and year-end activity, including closing Client Transport accounts and debtor/creditor procedures.
• Support the Client Transport Manager, Finance Manager and Business Manager in the preparation and analysis of reports.
• Keep up to date with relevant guidance/legislation and share knowledge to support colleagues’ development.

About you

For further information please see the attached job summary.

Other information

For further information on this role please see the attached job summary.

Working arrangements: We currently work a hybrid system. 

Closing date: 8/4/26

Interview date: 16/4/26

Interview-type: In person

If you would like to have an informal conversation with the recruiting manager, please contact: [email protected]

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

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

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.

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.

About the Business Unit

Our Communities directorate works across the county to deliver a number of the key customer-facing services that our residents, businesses and visitors rely on every day. 

This directorate includes a wide range of services, including:

• collecting and disposing of waste and recycling
• maintaining our roads and Rights of Way network and parking
• ensuring the delivery of school transport, and supporting sustainable travel including public bus services and School Crossing Patrollers
• managing Country Parks
• leisure facilities, museums, theatres and libraries, as well as developing our Cultural Strategy
• Licensing, Environmental Health and Trading Standards
• Cemeteries and Crematoria

The customer is central to how we develop and deliver all of these services, which help promote our rich and vibrant culture and special environment. 

We are looking for enthusiastic, ambitious and committed individuals to join our team and help us to continue to make Buckinghamshire a great place to live, work and visit. This is an exciting time for us as we bring together the services previously run by five separate councils before Buckinghamshire Council was created. Whilst making major changes to contracts affecting residents across Bucks, we continue to focus on delivering great customer service. You will join us on our journey of continuous improvement - whether that’s through developing strategies and ways of working or delivering services on the ground, every person in Communities is a valued member of the team.

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/