Finance Officer School Transport and School Capital
| Posting date: | 05 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £33,531 to £38,058 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 19 March 2026 |
| Location: | Thurrock, Essex, RM17 6SL |
| Company: | Thurrock Council |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | 2855_1772709971 |
Summary
Finance Officer - School Transport and School Capital
Salary: £33,531 - £38,052 per annum
Grade: D
Fixed Term Contract up to 12 months (or Internal Secondment)
37 Hours per Week
We are seeking a Finance Officer for School Transport and School Capital to join the Education Support Service Team. The role will support the Head of Service and School Admissions Transport Manager with the monitoring of the Home to School Transport and School Capital budget throughout the year. This will include supporting the monthly forecast reporting of the financial position.
The Finance Officer will be required to monitor, process and reconcile all payments relating to school transport and school capital.
The Officer will be the first point of contact for all payment queries for all stakeholders.
The interview will include a Microsoft Excel test.
About the Role
The main responsibilities of the role are:
- Manage and process all Home to School Transport payments to families, ensuring timely payments to prevent disruption to children's education.
- Maintain accurate financial records for all payments, invoices, and transactions.
- Ensure payments exceeding the Council's financial threshold are submitted to the appropriate approval panel.
- Verify school attendance records before authorising ongoing payments to prevent under‑ or over‑payment.
- Raise purchase orders and process invoices for school transport and school capital grants as required.
- Monitor all financial transactions, ensuring regular reconciliation and timely journal submissions to Corporate Finance.
- Manage and monitor invoices and purchase orders, checking accuracy and resolving discrepancies with providers.
- Provide financial support to the service, including monthly forecasting and budget monitoring for Home to School Transport.
- Produce monthly financial reports relating to school basic need funding, capital grants, and Section 106 funds.
- Monitor Department for Education basic need and capital allocation grants.
- Act as a key point of contact for financial queries from transport operators, schools, and parents via correspondence and telephone.
What We're Looking For
We're looking for someone who has:
- Accountancy experience
- Excellent Microsoft Excel skills
- The ability analyse data
- To communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholder including members of the public.
Essential qualifications:
- Maths GCSE at level C or above or GCSE equivalent
- English GCSE level C or above or GCSE equivalent
DBS Check: A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required for this post at a basic level.
Benefits of Working with Us
At Thurrock Council, we value our employees and offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:
- Generous annual leave entitlement
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Flexible and hybrid working opportunities (where applicable)
- Ongoing training and professional development
- Employee assistance programme and wellbeing support
- Staff discounts and local offers
- A supportive and inclusive working environment
Important Dates
Closing Date (Redeployment Only): 5th March 2026
Closing Date (Internal & External): 15th March 2026
Interview Date: To Be Confirmed
Additional Information
If you have any questions or require additional information about the role or interview process, please contact:
Jo Ryder - School Admissions and Transport Manager
Email:
To view the Job Profile and Person Specification, please follow the link below:
Download Job Profile (PDF Document)
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