Finance Assistant (m|f|x) Oxford

A registered charity and one of the 39 constituent colleges of Oxford University, All Souls is renowned globally for its support of world class academic research, as well as intellectual engagement with the wider world.

We have a proud history too. Founded by King Henry VI and Henry Chichele, the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1438, to commemorate the victims of the Hundred Years’ War, our past Fellows include some prominent figures, including Sir Christopher Wren, William Blackstone, William Gladstone, Lord Curzon and Lawrence of Arabia.

Today, nearly 600 years later, we are unique
among Oxford colleges due to our distinct focus
on supporting research and building connections between academia and public life. We have no undergraduate members but instead support a diverse community of academics ranging from those just starting their careers, mid-career postdoctoral researchers and those at the very top of their respective fields. Fellowships at All Souls are highly sought after and extremely competitive, with candidates undergoing a rigorous selection process.

The primary focus of the College is on promoting pure and applied research, as well as intellectual engagement with a wider world, with Fellows engaging in an array of academic disciplines, including history, literature, philosophy, law and science. We provide an intellectually stimulating environment where Fellows have the freedom to pursue their research interests independently while benefitting from interdisciplinary collaboration. While in the contemporary academic landscape, the College remains a beacon of excellence, attracting top scholars from around the globe.

With a rich history, distinguished Fellowship and unwavering commitment to academic rigour,
the College continues to inspire and shape the minds of future generations of thinkers and leaders, making it a great place to work. As well as wonderful historical surroundings, our staff enjoy excellent benefits, including ongoing training and development. Together, they help to ensure the College remains a symbol of enduring scholarly tradition and innovation.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Tasks

As a Finance Assistant, you’ll be playing a vital support role. As well
as processing payments and issuing remittance advice, we will rely
on you to ensure supplier records are accurate and up-to-date, review supplier statements, deal with suppliers’ queries and file paperwork electronically in a tidy and logical manner. Coding supplier invoices will be an important aspect of the job too, as will obtaining authority for payments, maintaining accurate records of utilities’ costs for a number of College properties and ensuring partial recovery of input VAT is calculated and recorded correctly. Crucially, you will need to establish and maintain good working relationships with other departments within the College and be willing to provide holiday and sickness cover within the team when required.

Profile / Your qualification / Your personality

To succeed, you will need some relevant finance experience, coupled with the ability to prioritise work to meet deadlines plus a willingness to assume personal responsibility and work with minimal supervision. A good understanding of accounting principles, internal controls

and common accounting procedures is key, as is familiarity with electronic banking (the College uses Bankline) and proficiency using computerised accounts at an SME level, e.g. Sage, Xero, QuickBooks, Oracle, as well as Microsoft Office, including Excel (spreadsheets, pivot tables and graphs), Word and Outlook.

Highly analytical, with excellent accuracy and attention to detail, you have a proven ability to conduct investigations and analyse data to support the effective control of expenditure. What’s more, you have good spoken English, strong interpersonal and written communication skills (the post involves email, telephone and face-to-face contact both internally and externally) and the confidence to explain and adhere to accounting procedures, for example when processing expense claims. Above all, you are reliable, flexible and have the initiative to adapt to changing needs and processes.

That awaits you

When you join All Souls College, you don’t just get to enjoy a competitive salary while working in historic surroundings.

• A contributory pension scheme
• Private Healthcare
• Meals while on duty
• An employee assistance programme
• Bus ticket loan
• Free eye tests
• Discounted fitness memberships
• A generous holiday allowance
• Cycle to work scheme
• A staff team building day
• Ford fund
• An annual staff outing
• Staff and Fellows’ social events

We also provide a comprehensive range of benefits, as well as ongoing training and development for every employee.

Application

Applications for the Finance Assistant role should be submitted by email to staff.appointments@all-souls.ox.ac.uk by 5.00pm on 23 June 2024 and should include:

A covering letter
Please ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience match the selection criteria listed in the job description as this will be used for shortlisting for this role.

A CV including current salary details and contact details of two referees.
Please complete the online Equal Opportunities monitoring form (optional) this will not be seen by those involved in the selection process and will play no part in the selection process, but the information provided enables the College to monitor the success of its equality policy.

Please amend the following: If you would like an informal discussion about the post before applying, please contact the Finance Manager, Laura Okoli finance.manager@all-souls.ox.ac.uk 01865 289140.

Interviews will take place at All Souls College on Wednesday 3rd July.

Any offer of appointment will be subject to the receipt of satisfactory references and successful completion of the pre-employment checks including documentary evidence of eligibility to work in the UK.

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Location

Wellington Square, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 2JD, GB