Finance Apprentice

Finance Apprentice

To help ensure the Finance Team operates efficiently within the College’s Financial Regulations and Procedures, and meet all relevant audit and information requirements

Key Responsibilities

· To help provide comprehensive accounting and administrative support to the Finance Team

· To assist in the matching of purchase orders, processing accounts payable invoices, payments and queries, including credit/purchase card transactions

· To assist in the processing of accounts receivable invoices, receipts allocation and credit control

· To assist in the preparation of Bursary payments to students and other ad hoc payments

· To assist in the processing of student direct debit instalments, and the subsequent update of EBS records, including payments received from the Student Loan Company and employer sponsors reconciliation to the finance system, investigating and correcting any discrepancies

· To assist in effective Treasury Management by helping process college cash allocation and assisting with bank reconciliations

· To provide assistance in payroll payment processing and control account reconciliations

· To assist in balance sheet control account reconciliations and analysis

· To assist in the accurate and timely recording and processing of general ledger transactions such as accruals, prepayments, deferrals, recharges etc

· To assist in monitoring and recording of stock movements

· To assist in the production and development of budget holder reporting ensuring timeliness, relevancy and accuracy

· To assist in the maintenance and development of financial systems, controls, procedures and audit checks as required.

· To provide advice and guidance to all College staff on issues such as financial procedures and budget holder responsibilities and queries.

· To assist in the provision of a finance function to support other College activities e.g. enrolment.

· To ensure that all transactions comply with the College’s Financial Regulations, and are appropriately authorised in line with College procedures and audit requirements.

· To perform other duties within the Finance function as requested

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Qualifications

Essential Criteria

5 GCSE’s grade 5 or above including Maths and English or equivalent

Willing to work towards AAT apprenticeship framework

How Identified: Application

IT Skills

Essential Criteria

Intermediate use of Microsoft applications particularly Excel, Word and Outlook

How Identified: Application / interview

Desirable Criteria

Use of Accounting software and other data bases

How Identified: Application / interview

About Hopwood Hall

STAFF BENEFITS

Career average pension scheme

Free gym membership at our Middleton Campus Sports Arena

Purchase loans for computers and bikes

Staff discount at the College’s Riverside Salon, Sports Arena and Holiday Clubs

On-site nursery (Rochdale Campus)

Credit union for savings, low cost loans and life assurance

Free on-site parking

On-site Dog Kennels (spaces not guaranteed)

An electric and hybrid car salary sacrifice scheme (with charging points on site) 

A cycle to work scheme

Discounted public transport tickets 

Generous holiday entitlement (Teaching staff: 53 days, Business Support staff: 35 days (From 1st August 2026) plus bank holidays

Christmas/New Year closure and the opportunity to buy additional holidays

Two Health and Wellbeing days per year

Subsidised bistro and refectory

We are a Further Education College and University Centre offering a range of full and part time courses employing over 600 staff on our campuses in Rochdale and Middleton situated to the north-east of Manchester. 

We are committed to being a great place to work and have membership status of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter. We are a Living Wage employer and an accredited Disability Confident Employer. Our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion statement is designed to ensure that unfair discrimination does not take place in any part of our recruitment process.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all learners and colleagues and we expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment. The college complies with Safer Recruitment guidance in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education and all successful applicants are required to undertake a DBS check and other pre-recruitment checks in line with our Safer Recruitment policy. It is an offence to apply for a regulated role at the College if you are barred from working with children (or vulnerable adults if in a role where this applies).

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and exemption orders 1975, 2013 and 2020.