Vacancies

As part of the Finance and Funding Team, the post holder will support the management of an efficient and effective Finance Function in Glasgow Kelvin College. 

Specifically, the post holder will supervise and manage staff carrying out the sales and purchasing functions and establish and supervise processes and procedures which ensure the College has a responsive and efficient Finance Function. This will include ensuring that all procedures are adhered to, that the College collects all income it is due, that payments are made timeously to staff and suppliers, that all Student Funds are distributed timeously and in accordance with the issued guidelines, that stakeholder requirements are met in a timeous manner, and appropriate controls and segregation of duties are maintained. 

The post remit will also include support in preparation of the annual budget, management accounting, budget monitoring, financial reporting, annual accounts and support for all aspects of transaction processing within the College.

Key Responsibilities

Staff Management/Training

• manage the Finance and Funding Assistants working in sales and purchasing within the Finance Function;
• develop the skills of managed staff through identification of training and development needs within the College’s Professional Development Review process;
• identify and implement continuous improvements to all of the services provided by the Finance Function; 

Management Accounts

• assist in preparation of, and consultation with budget holders on, the management accounts and annual budget for Glasgow Kelvin College and reporting to the Financial Control Committee and Audit and Risk Committee;
• assist in the preparation of regular financial forecasts, financial resource returns and other financial planning information and returns which may be required by stakeholders such as the Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator;
• assist in the preparation of new project and programme costings;
• assist in the development and implementation of robust management accounting processes and procedures which meet the information needs of the Board of Management, its Standing Committees the College’s Strategic Managers and the Scottish Funding Council;
• Prepare ad hoc financial reports or complete project work in pursuit of the financial objectives of the College as requested by the Senior Accountant and Head of Finance; and Deputise for the Senior Accountant and Head of Finance as and when required. 
   

Annual Accounts/Audit

• assist in preparation of the College annual accounts and facilitation of the annual audit in compliance with current professional accounting standards;
• assist with both internal and external audits providing management response and implementing recommendations made by auditors as appropriate; 
   

Systems

• support the Systems & Management Accountant as an expert user of the College’s electronic finance system and provide assistance and training to staff in its operation;
• support the Systems & Management Accountant as a contact and administrator for all Finance related systems;
• assist with the development of an integrated system and process which ensure that fees due from learners, employers and partners which arise as a consequence of learner enrolments are administered and collected in a timely and efficient manner;  
• work with other colleagues in the review of methods and the introduction of new equipment / technology, advising the Head of Finance on areas of best practice and innovation;   

Processes/Procedures

• review, develop and implement efficient, effective and consistent Financial documentation, policies and procedures across the College including MyKelvin and the College website/intranet, ensuring segregation of duties and the maintenance of financial control systems at the College;
• liaise with Scottish Funding Council in relation to policies and procedures and contribute to internal and external meetings;
• provide advice, guidance and assistance to colleagues throughout the College in respect of financial policies and procedures, fees and payment of fees; 
• identify and implement continuous improvements to all of the services provided by the Finance Team;
• keep abreast of legislation and regulations around finance and the impact on College processes, including but not limited to Annual Accounts, Fee Waiver Policy, General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), Cyber Security Awareness, Protecting Card Holder Data (PCI). contribute to Finance Team Planning processes; conduct Health and Safety Inspections of Finance areas; 

Other 

• manage the College’s debt collection processes and communications with the Debt Collection Agency;  
• ensure payments to suppliers are made timeously and oversee the operation of the purchase ledger;
• oversee the operation of the College’s bank accounts and be the main point of contact in respect of the College’s banking arrangements;
• complete annual PCI (Protecting Cardholder Data) in collaboration with ICT colleagues; 

General

• keep abreast of current developments which may be relevant to the College’s activity and future direction;
• have an understanding of and comply with College policies and procedures;
• promote and advance Equality and Diversity in all aspects of College operations;
• provide leadership to staff, where appropriate to the role, encouraging training and development to ensure all achieve their full potential;
• assist with self-evaluation activities for their area in accordance with College procedures; 
• respect the confidentiality of matters relating to learners and staff;
• understand your role and obligations in complying with the requirements of the regulatory framework for the College, both as a service provider and an employer, in particular the Data Protection Act, the UK General Data Protection Regulations and the Freedom of Information Act; 
• report any accidental or unlawful loss of personal data in accordance with the College Data Protection Policy;
• ensure the Health and Safety of staff and students in all aspects of College activity by exercising a duty of care for personal health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions;  
• carry out any other duty commensurate with the post as required by the Senior Finance Manager, the Head of Finance or the Vice Principals; and
• comply with all role specific training and all compulsory training provided by the College, for example Health and Safety, equality and diversity, etc. 

The duties of this post will be reviewed periodically and may, in consequence, be modified to meet new requirements and the exigencies of the service.

While all of the Finance and Funding Assistant Grade 3 Staff have the same Job Description, the main focus of this role is on Purchase Ledger experience.

As part of the Finance Team the post-holder will support the work of the whole team by operating the College’s electronic finance systems and assisting in:

Administration of the College’s sales ledger to ensure income is collected timeously and that College procedures are adhered to.
Administration of the College’s purchase ledger to ensure goods and services are ordered and paid for in line with College procedures.
Administration and processing funding applications for support funds available according to students’ eligibilities and Scottish Funding Council/SAAS Policies.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Transactions, Ledgers and Payment Processing

• Administer and maintain the College’s purchase and sales ledgers.
• Raise Sales invoices for fees and other income timeously and ensure compliance with College procedures.
• Raise purchase orders and match delivery notes and invoices to purchase orders raised within or out with the Finance Section ensuring compliance with College and Procurement procedures.
• Chase purchase orders awaiting authorisation by Budget Holders.
• Process credit notes against sales/purchase invoices raised.
• Prepare creditors/student banking information and make regular BACS payments to suppliers/students and process direct debit collections from students.
• Maintain appropriate audit trails and paperwork to substantiate income and expenditure and assist with the annual audit process.
• Provide relevant management information as required.

Fee Administration, Income Collection and Debt Management

• Operate the College’s fee waiver procedures to ensure fee waiver forms are collected and are correctly completed.
• Pursue outstanding / unpaid invoices with learners and customers in line with the College’s debt collection procedure.
• Arrange and monitor payment plans with students in respect of fee income within the terms of the College’s policies and procedures.

Student Support Funds Administration

• Assist in the daily administration of Student Support Funds and assist learners in the completion of the online application form (CAMS).
• Assess residential eligibility for every student support fund application received and peer checking of awards and reassessments.
• Monitor and record learner attendance and engagement data in order to facilitate student support fund payments.
• Ensure that the learner receives the optimum award, taking into account the student’s wider circumstances eg Care Experienced;
• Signpost learners to Advice and Guidance, Department of Work and Pensions, Citizens Advice where appropriate.
• Participate in pre-entry guidance interviews as necessary

Reconciliation, Data Accuracy and Compliance

• Assist with the reconciliation of ledger accounts, student/supplier records and liaise with key stakeholders to investigate any differences.
• Know and effectively apply Policies and Procedures prepared by the College and the Scottish Funding Council (Student Support Funds Policies, Fee Waiver, Procurement Policies and Financial Regulations).

Customer Service, Travel Processing and Stakeholder Support

• Process and book staff/student travel requests in collaboration with the Travel Management Company in line with the College’s Travel Procedures.
• Respond to queries and requests for advice from budget holders and other college staff/students in respect of the ordering of goods and services, processing of tuition fees and the administration of Student Support Funds.

Teamwork, Flexibility and Cross Cover

• Be able to provide cover for the other Finance Assistant roles within the team as required.
• Work actively as part of the Finance Team.
• The duties of this post will be reviewed periodically and may, in consequence, be modified to meet new requirements and the exigencies of the service.

General

• Keep abreast of current developments which may be relevant to the College’s activity and future direction.
• Have an understanding of and comply with College policies and procedures.
• Promote and advance Equality and Diversity in all aspects of College operations.
• Promote the ethos and values of the College and the standard to which staff and students demonstrate these in all areas of College life.
• Provide leadership to staff, where appropriate to the role, encouraging training and development to ensure all achieve their full potential.
• Assist with self-evaluation activities for their area in accordance with College procedures.
• Respect the confidentiality of matters relating to learners and staff
• Understand your role and obligations in complying with the requirements of the regulatory framework for the College, both as a service provider and an employer, in particular the Data Protection Act, the UK General Data Protection Regulations and the Freedom of Information Act.
• Report any accidental or unlawful loss of personal data in accordance with the College Data Protection Policy.
• Ensure the Health and Safety of staff and students in all aspects of College activity by exercising a duty of care for personal health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions.
• Comply with all role specific training and all compulsory training provided by the College, for example Health and Safety, equality and diversity, etc.
• Carry out any other duty commensurate with the post as required by the Vice Principal or the Principal.

The duties of this post will be reviewed periodically and may, in consequence, be modified to meet new requirements and the exigencies of the service.