Schools Finance Officer (Cumbria Lead)

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced school finance professional to join the Capita Entrust team as a School Finance Officer in Cumbria. The role involves working both onsite within schools and Multi Academy Trusts, assisting with budget monitoring and quarterly returns, and providing remote support from home when not onsite.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in finance support within a school environment, possess excellent communication skills, and be able to build rapport with stakeholders at all levels. In return, you will be part of a friendly and supportive team dedicated to helping schools operate efficiently and effectively.

As part of our commitment to building an inclusive and diverse workforce, we would particularly welcome applications from people who are from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds.

Job Description

What you’ll be doing:

1. Work collaboratively with colleagues within Entrust and Cumbria County Council.
2. Deliver service to schools, academies, local authorities, and any other customers.
3. Assist in developing and delivering training, one to one or in small groups.
4. Communicate in a clear and professional manner with our customers in writing, face to face, on the phone, or by electronic means.
5. Have a sound working knowledge of risk management good practice and comply with any identified and relevant operating procedures.
6. Establish and maintain positive professional relationships with customers and colleagues, making a positive contribution to the business, and promoting the wider interests of Entrust.
7. Maintain, encourage, and enforce high standards of operational excellence for the team.

What we’re looking for:

1. A proven track record in schools finance.
2. Local to the Cumbria area with access to own transport.
3. IT literate – primarily MS Office.
4. Positive and proactive approach to work.

About Capita Education:

Capita works in partnership with schools, academy trusts, and local authorities to provide specialist expertise, ensuring every child and young person receives a good education, is in a safe and healthy environment, and is given expert guidance to realize their full potential.

At Capita, we provide traditional back-office support services such as HR to schools and multi-academy trusts. We also have a specialized education and skills support organization, Entrust.

Entrust is a joint venture company between Staffordshire County Council and Capita and has supported educational establishments across England to improve outcomes since 2013.

As an education and skills support services organization, we’re all about excellence in education, creating better outcomes, and making things easier for our customers. It’s central to everything we do.

What’s in it for you?

1. A competitive basic salary of £30,000.
2. 23 days’ holiday (rising to 27) with the opportunity to buy extra leave.
3. Hybrid role with travel across Cumbria (fully expensed).
4. The opportunity to take a paid day out of the office, volunteering for our charity partners or a cause of your choice.
5. Auto-enrolment to our company pension, life assurance, a cycle2work scheme, 15 weeks’ fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, paternity pay of two weeks…and plenty more.
6. Voluntary benefits designed to suit your lifestyle – from discounts on retail and socializing, to health & wellbeing, travel, and technology.
7. Access to our Employee Network Groups, which represent every strand of diversity and allow colleagues to connect and learn from each other on an open, inclusive platform.
8. You’ll get the chance to follow your chosen career path anywhere in Capita. You’ll be joining a network of experienced, innovative, and dedicated individuals across multiple disciplines and sectors. There are countless opportunities to learn new skills and develop in your career, and we’ll provide the support you need to do just that. Our purpose is to create a better outcome for you.

What we hope you’ll do next:

Choose ‘Apply now’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you.

At Capita, we’re committed to providing an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment process and working environment for everyone. We want everyone to have the best chance of succeeding as they move through their application and start their career with us. We are an equal opportunity and Disability Confident employer, and we want to hear from you if you’d like to discuss any adjustments you might need during your recruitment process. Please email reasonableadjustments@capita.com or call 07784 237318 and we’ll get back to you to discuss.

For more information about equal opportunities and the types of adjustments we can offer, please visit the Capita Careers website.