Finance Officer

We’re looking for two finance officers to join our Financial and Commercial Services team on two-year fixed-term backfill contracts. Both posts are identical and sit at Grade 7, with a clear progression route to Grade 9 on achieving full AAT membership and demonstrating the full range of skills for the role.

These roles combine two core areas of work: financial systems and bank reconciliation. Day to day you’ll be working with the Council’s financial systems to maintain accurate records and support colleagues, while also reconciling bank accounts, investigating discrepancies and keeping everything balanced and up to date.

You’ll be part of a busy finance team, working to tight deadlines – particularly around the accounts cycle – and building good working relationships across the organisation.

What you’ll be doing

• Reconciling the Council’s bank accounts accurately and to agreed timescales
• Investigating and resolving discrepancies in a timely way
• Working with the Council’s financial systems day-to-day, including ledgers such as AR, AP and GL
• Maintaining accurate financial records for designated services or activities
• Producing financial reports and information for managers and colleagues
• Supporting managers with budgets, forecasts and monitoring
• Managing your workload to meet deadlines, reprioritising when needed
• Contributing to process improvements and team development

• Working towards AAT membership, or an equivalent qualification
• Evidence of learning and CPD across finance tasks and processes
• Experience of providing financial reports and support to managers or colleagues
• Good working knowledge of financial systems and spreadsheets, including ledgers (AR, AP, GL)
• Understanding of financial management principles
• Able to communicate financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues
• Well-organised, with the ability to prioritise and manage your own workload

This is a fixed term contract, for two years.

At Dorset Council we value flexible working. This is a hybrid role with much of the work able to be done remotely, with occasional travel to County Hall, Dorchester, and other locations as required.

For an informal conversation about the role please contact Sarah Thomas, [email protected]

At Dorset Council, it's not just about the work we do, it's about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video:

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We:

• provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents
• work in partnership to make a real difference
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You will:

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
• have access to a range of benefits and support
• receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us.

Find out more about how to apply.