Finance Officer School Transport and School Capital

Job Description

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: jryder@thurrock.gov.uk

To view the Job Profile and Person Specification, please follow the link below:

Download Job Profile (PDF Document)

About us

Why Thurrock?

Working at Thurrock Council gives you the opportunity to join an organisation that is changing at pace, one where you can make a real difference to the lives of the people we serve.

Thurrock Council is moving towards a new community leadership approach which involves linking with local partners and communities as we shape our improvement for the years ahead.

This is an exciting time to join us, to shape the future success of our changing organisation and to have a positive influence on our borough.

Our location

Thurrock is located on the north bank of the river Thames. Our urban centres are a vibrant mix of established towns and new young communities, with a diverse and growing population of around 160,000 residents.

We are an emerging cultural and arts centre, home to the production centre for the Royal Opera House and the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills. We have excellent retail and leisure opportunities, including Lakeside Shopping Centre, country parks, forests, and marshes.

Thurrock is just half an hour journey away from the centre of London by train and well connected by road.

Staff benefits

We offer lots of staff benefits, including a generous annual leave entitlement and hybrid working. We champion flexible working and job share applications are welcome.

Further information can be found here Employment benefits | Working for the council | Thurrock Council

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Thurrock Council is committed to equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident Employer, disabled people will be offered an interview where they meet all essential criteria on the person specification.

We serve a diverse community where people are different yet equal. Diversity underpins everything we do.

For further information about Thurrock Council please visit our website: Thurrock Council