Finance

Grade 4: - £20,092 - £22,254 per annum
Open-Ended/Permanent - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 26-May-2022, 6:59:00 AM

OUR CHARACTERISTICS: We are a globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, in a unique and historic setting.

OUR VALUES: We are inspiring, challenging, innovative, responsible and enabling.

Durham University

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.

The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

It is expected that all staff within the University:

• Contribute to our learning culture by engaging in mentoring, training and coaching.
• Positively contribute to fostering a collegial environment; as well as demonstrating commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Have due regard to Health and Safety requirements appropriate to grade and role.

Family key attributes

Roles in this family provide a comprehensive service and deliver the efficient administration and governance of the University.

Overall family purpos

• Deliver direct and indirect services to stakeholders.
• Provide advice and answer queries as part of an enquiry-desk/help-desk function.
• Respond to and manage requests for information and resources.
• Deliver services to meet regulatory requirements and procedures.
• Plan and deliver a joined-up approach to University business and people services.
• Align business processes and services to meet operational and strategic policy objectives. 
• Deliver business processes to ensure effective management, governance and the economic viability of the University.
• Encourage, collaborate and participate in the development of productive cross-institution relationships and working.
• Provide excellent professional services that meet strategic and operational goals and business needs.
• Carry out monitoring, analysis, development and planning to design new services and service updates for continuous improvement whilst meeting changes in regulations.
• Engage with specialist professionals, consultants, and suppliers to exchange knowledge and facilitate partnership working.
• Work collaboratively and network across the University with staff in other families to ensure a smooth, timely and high-quality delivery of service.
• Align and deliver programmes and activities to meet operational and strategic objectives to enhance the stakeholder experience.
• Engage and encourage participation with external professionals, schools, alumni and donors.

Link to key strategic plan

• An economically sustainable approach to delivering Professional Services across the University;
• A joined-up approach to University professional services, regardless of location or line management;
• A culture and practice of continuous improvement;
• Design services that meet business need;
• A stakeholder-focused orientation, offering satisfying careers to all staff;
• Support and facilitate programmes that offer intellectual challenge, cohesiveness and a strong sense of progression;
• Ensure that an increasingly diverse workforce is treated equally, fairly and with respect, and that all staff are demonstrably valued and actively engaged.

The Department and role purpose

Financial Services represents the larger part of the Finance Department and includes all the processing and compliance functions including e.g. accounts payable, student services, treasury services and credit control.

Reporting to the Treasury Services Assistant Manager, this is a business facing function supporting the organisation as a whole and at all levels with respect to treasury services:

• Ensure that all amounts received and paid are accounted for accurately and reconciled to the bank account on a timely basis.
• Liaise with the bank as required where there are queries.
• Operate the online banking facility to execute bank transactions e.g. CHAPs and non GBP payments.
• Operate the direct debit facility for donations.
• Answer queries arising from a variety of stakeholders.
• Any other duties required in the context of treasury services

Overall work efficiently and effectively as part of the treasury services team to provide a high quality service

The Administrator will have responsibility for administrative support to the Head of Department and Treasury Services Assistant Manager. The main aspects of the role are to provide and oversee a professional and effective front of house service  which reflects positively the work of the service and facilitates ease of access for all service users and to contribute to all administrative support functions across a complex, busy and multi-faceted support service. The Administrator will contribute to the processing of financial information to and from the Head of Department and Finance staff and contribute to the development of systems and process to further benefit service developments.

Core responsibilities:

• Provide a responsive and proactive support service for stakeholders.
• Focus on checking stakeholder requirements to ensure the delivery of excellence with the frontline stakeholder experience.
• Respond to service users answering and recording standard queries and bookings for activities and/or events.
• Contribute to the planning of team activities, work and deadlines to ensure the smooth running and timeliness of service.
• Solve day-to-day routine problems and source background information within the role.
• Record data and information accurately and provide reports as required to team members and more experienced staff.
• Operate a booking and enquiry service and process requests finding solutions or escalating queries where necessary.
• Flexible in approach to accommodate the needs of team members and/or service users.
• Assist team members to organise, plan and prepare for events, meetings and activities.
• Liaise with internal and external suppliers, contractors and professional specialists to pass on information.
• Apply professional and regulatory procedures and processes and use of systems.
• Liaise and collaborate with staff in other areas of the organisation to ensure a seamless, smooth and efficient service.
• Resolve queries and requests for information and advice and escalate more specialist and complex queries or issues to more experienced team members.

Role responsibilities:

• Work with team members to ensure the smooth running of administrative processes to support people and business activities with respect to treasury services.
• Apply standard professional and recognised regulatory procedures e.g. PCI DSS and fraud prevention, to process, check and reconcile anomalies within data and information sets.
• Compile, record, store and archive data and information to ensure the accuracy and safety of information e.g. for bank reconciliation purposes.
• Liaise with representatives from other service areas, professional organisations and agencies where necessary to obtain information of all transactions.
• Use standard office-based digital systems, tools and equipment to carry out data recording, communications and networking.
• Provide service and support for networks, committees and meetings, to draft and distribute documents and communications in standard professional formats.
• Process and update key business documentation.
• Liaise with internal and external suppliers and specialists with the organisation, planning and delivery of services, activities and events.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Recruiting to this post

In order to be considered for interview, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above (including those listed in the section ‘Realising Your Potential Approach’).

In some cases, the recruiting panel may also consider the desirable criteria, so we recommend you evidence all criteria in your application.

Please note that some criteria will only be considered at interview stage.

How to apply

We prefer to receive applications online.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

What you are required to submit

1. A CV;
2. A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above;

Please ensure that you submit all documentation listed above or your application cannot proceed to the next stage.

Contact details 

For further information please contact: Caron Gregory email c.t.gregory@durham.ac.uk

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

The essential criteria for this role are:

1. Excellent oral and written communication skills.
2. Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office 365.
3. Five GCSE’s at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent experience).
4. Demonstrable ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.
5. Experience of working on the front line with service delivery, and the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines without compromising on quality.
6. Evidence of personal development to maintain skills.
7. Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
8. Relevant administrative experience in a busy office environment.
9. Experience of working in a team.
10. Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve straightforward issues.

The desirable criteria for this role are:

1. Experience of working in a Higher Education environment

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.