Finance Officer

We're looking for a Finance Officer to join our finance team in Islington!

£30,282.00 per annum, working 35 hours per week. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.

Want to feel like you're part of one team? You'll feel at home here.

Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.

The Finance Officer will be a key member of the Finance Transactions Team and will undertake a varied and interesting range of Purchase ledger and Rents tasks.

Purchase ledger duties will include the processing of invoices, query resolution and the preparation and execution of the weekly payments runs. The role will support the Rents Finance function and will assist with the timely posting of customer payments and adjustments onto the Housing Management system.

Full time role, hybrid working 2 days form Head Office

All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

What you'll do:

Process invoices onto the system, ensuring transactions are accurately recorded and authorised as per current Standing Orders
Scan invoices onto the system or prepare for manual payment
Prepare and post the weekly invoice payment files
Prepare the weekly BACS and manual payment runs
Prepare petty cash reimbursements
Monitor the Purchase ledger mailbox, ensuring that queries and arising actions are dealt with, and invoices are registered on the system in a timely manner
Prepare month end accruals and reconciliations as required
Act as cover for the Rents function in ensuring rent adjustments are posted to Customer accounts in as per the required timescales
Act as cover for the Rents function in ensuring customer payment files including Standing orders, Housing Benefit and Allpay are posted to customer accounts in as per the required timescales
Prepare and post weekly rent interface files, update the bank reconciliation and monitor the Rents mailbox.
Run month end reports and extract information as required.
Work flexibly and co-operatively as part of the team and the Finance Department
This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:

Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage service-user involvement
Approachable and open behaviour
Prefers working as part of a group or team
Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement
Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised
Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments
Is confident with high levels of self-esteem
Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication
Is essentially customer-focused
Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude
Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviours
Is numerate and confident with figures

What you'll bring:

Essential:

Excellent time management skills, with the ability to manage their own workload
Proven customer service skills
Graduate in a Finance related subject
Excellent attention to detail
Ability to cope under pressure
Excellent IT & communication skills

Desirable:

Rent accounting experience
Experience of working in accounts payable
Experience of balance sheet reconciliations
Experience of posting journals and working with a general ledger system

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 120 services, providing support to around 6000 customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness, young people and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:

We focus on Excellence and innovation.
We are Caring and Compassionate.
We are Inclusive and Trusted.
We work in Partnership and are One-Team.
Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.