Nursery Finance Officer

Role: Nursery Finance Officer 

Contract: Permanent - Can be full time or 4 days per week

This would be discussed at the initial conversation.

Location: Liverpool Office 

Starting Salary: £25,000 - £30,000 per annum 

Team: Finance 

Opportunity Overview

Join our dynamic finance team as a Nursery Finance Officer, where you'll play an essential role in supporting our nursery operations. This position is critical to our commitment to delivering high-quality service and accurate financial support to parents, staff, and stakeholders. If you're ready to make an impact, this is the perfect role for you.

Why This Role is Important

As a Nursery Finance Officer, you will be the primary resource for Nursery Managers seeking guidance on financial matters related to fees, debt management, and grant funding. This role is fundamental in ensuring that parents receive precise and timely billing and that all customer interactions are handled with the utmost professionalism and care.

Your Role & Contributions

Working closely with Nursery Managers in Liverpool, you’ll act as a key advisor on all aspects of billing, grant funding, and debt resolution. Your responsibilities include navigating our Nursery Management System to manage inquiries from both managers and parents, ensuring that the data is meticulously maintained and up to date.

Core Responsibilities

Data Management: Maintain accurate billing data, focusing on Local Authority (LA) Grant Parameters, Student Finance, Tax-Free Childcare, and 30-hour code entries.

Grant Reconciliation: Cross-reference and reconcile grant claims submitted to Local Authorities against internal records.

Cash Allocation: Address unallocated cash within the system, ensuring it is managed accurately.

Monthly Billing Preparation: Identify and resolve unbilled sessions prior to the monthly billing cycle.

Debt Collection: Assist nurseries with debt collection efforts, escalating cases to specialists when needed.

Billing Inquiries: Respond promptly to billing-related questions from nursery managers and payers, proactively working to prevent outstanding invoices.

Fee & Deposit Processing: Process refunds and deposits with accuracy and timeliness, maintaining clear financial records.

Stakeholder Engagement: Develop strong relationships with key stakeholders, ensuring a high level of service to nursery teams.

Collaborative Teamwork: Work in tandem with the fee collection team to share account details and provide support.

Training & Development: Share expertise, fostering a collaborative learning environment within the nursery and finance teams.

What Success Looks Like

Achieving success in this role means ensuring accurate, on-time fee distribution to parents, and securing grant claims without losing out on any funding opportunities. You’ll resolve disputes with agility and maintain open communication with all stakeholders, reinforcing a strong and positive reputation across the nursery community.

What We’re Looking For

• At least 2 years of experience in a financial support role, ideally in a multi-location setting.
• Familiarity with Local Authority Early Years Funding and the early years education sector.
• Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to build effective relationships.
• Exceptional attention to detail and analytical abilities.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Proactive and deadline-oriented, with solid time-management capabilities.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage at all levels of the organisation.