Summary
FSD Academy Ltd is looking for an organised, trustworthy and motivated Finance Assistant Apprentice to support the financial administration of a diverse group of education, property, community and construction businesses. The apprentice will gain practical experience across multiple companies while working towards a Level 3 AAT qualification
What you will do at work
Sales and purchase invoices
- Create, check and send accurate customer invoices for all supported companies.
- Enter supplier invoices and credit notes into QuickBooks.
- Ensure invoices are allocated to the correct company, project and expense category.
- Maintain organised digital records of invoices, receipts and supporting documentation.
- Monitor outstanding customer invoices and assist with credit-control activity.
Bookkeeping and financial records
- Keep each company’s QuickBooks records accurate and up to date.
- Enter and correctly categorise day-to-day financial transactions.
- Maintain clear and separate accounting records for each company.
- Identify missing information, duplicated transactions or potential errors and raise these with the appropriate manager.
Bank reconciliations and payments
- Complete regular bank and credit-card reconciliations.
- Investigate and report any differences or unidentified transactions.
- Prepare supplier, contractor and subcontractor payment schedules.
- Assist with making payments following the required director approval process.
- Ensure appropriate invoices and supporting documentation are in place before payments are processed.
Payroll and staff wages
- Collect and check staff timesheets, overtime records and payroll information.
- Create and maintain staff hourly-wage and timesheet spreadsheets.
- Prepare accurate payroll information for submission to the external accountant.
- Support the processing of payments to employees, contractors and subcontractors.
- Maintain secure and confidential payroll records.
- Assist with subcontractor and Construction Industry Scheme record-keeping where applicable.
Expenses
- Check staff and director expense claims against receipts and company procedures.
- Enter approved expenses into the appropriate accounting system.
- Ensure receipts and expense evidence are stored accurately.
- Raise any missing information or unusual claims with the relevant director.
Monthly reporting and analysis
- Assist with the preparation of monthly financial management reports for the directors.
- Produce standard reports including profit-and-loss statements, balance sheets and aged-debtor and aged-creditor reports.
- Help maintain basic cash-flow reports and financial trackers.
- Compare actual income and expenditure against budgets where required.
- Present financial information clearly using spreadsheets and accounting reports.
Financial templates and systems
- Create and maintain useful finance templates, including wage spreadsheets, payment trackers, invoice logs and cash-flow forecasts.
- Support improvements to financial processes and administrative systems.
- Ensure templates are accurate, easy to use and consistently maintained across the businesses.
Year-end and accountant support
- Organise invoices, receipts, bank statements and other records ahead of year-end accounts or audits.
- Respond to information requests from the external accountant with appropriate approval.
- Assist with resolving bookkeeping queries and correcting records.
- Help ensure financial documentation is complete, accurate and accessible.
- Undertake other reasonable finance and administrative duties appropriate to the apprenticeship.
Training
The Level 3 Assistant Accountant apprenticeship standard includes 6 AAT exams, in addition to the Synoptic Assessment as part of the End-Point Assessment (EPA) process.
The knowledge units will be delivered at the EMA training hub in Derby, or online (depending on apprentices’ location) through day release.
AAT Modules are as follows:
- Introduction to Bookkeeping (Level 2 Unit)
- Principles of Bookkeeping (Level 2 Unit)
- Management Accounting Techniques
- Financial Accounting: Preparing Financial Statements
- Business Awareness
- Tax Processes for Business
Requirements and skills
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Presentation skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Team working
- Initiative
Qualifications
- GCSE 5 GCSEs including maths and english (4/C) – essential
About this employer
FSD Academy Ltd provides alternative education and specialist support for children and young people. Its affiliated organisations include FSD Pathways Ltd and FSD FC CIC, which support the wider operation of the Mowmacre Sports & Education Campus.
Porta Build Group Ltd operates within the construction, portable-building and cabin-restoration sectors. It manages customer projects, trade contractors, materials, supplier accounts and construction-related financial administration.
This combined role provides the apprentice with valuable experience across education, property, community operations and construction.
SAFEGUARDING
Because the role is based within an education and community setting, the successful candidate will be expected to support FSD Academy Ltd’s commitment to safeguarding children and young people. Appointment will be subject to appropriate identity, reference, right-to-work and safeguarding checks, including a DBS check where required.
EQUALITY AND INCLUSION
FSD Academy Ltd is committed to providing equal opportunities and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds. Recruitment decisions will be based on suitability for the position and the apprenticeship programme.
After this apprenticeship
Opportunity for a full-time position within the team upon completion of the apprenticeship programme.