Post Details
Last Updated:
05/10/11
Faculty/Administrative/Service
Department:
Financial Transactions Team – Transaction Support
Job Title:
Finance Assistant Transaction Support
Job Family & Job Level
Professional Services
Responsible to:
Transaction Support – Team Leader
Responsible for:
n/a
Job Purpose Statement
Responsible for providing specialist Order to Cash and Purchase to Pay support to a large range of internal and
external stakeholders. Through provision of this service, this team contributes to ensuring financial transactions are
accurate and the policies and procedures which underpin these are maintained and accessible to users.
This team is also responsible for the provision of administrative and general office support across the Finance
function.
This team is one of three within Financial Transactions Services, providing a Shared Service for coordination of
financial transactional processes covering both Purchase to Pay (P2P) and Order to Cash (OTC).
Problem Solving, Accountability and Dimensions of the role
The post holder:

Will operate with supervision from the Transaction Support Team Leader in the day-to-day planning,
organising and performance (to an agreed quality standard and specification) of a range of financial
administrative activities. The post holder is expected to demonstrate initiative in the arrangement of their
immediate work priorities, including successfully managing any conflicting demands, possessing a basic
awareness of the options available and being able to make effective and appropriate decisions in order to
meet agreed deadlines and ensure events are dealt with promptly.

Will normally work within well-established documented administrative processes and procedures, as well
as financial regulations, Purchase to Pay and Order to Cash procedures. The post holder must be a
confident communicator as they are required to liaise with University colleagues and external suppliers
and customers (including staff and students) in order to ensure that any issues arising are dealt with
promptly and efficiently to enable transactions to be processed in a timely manner.

Will, within the scope of the role, be presented with a variety of administrative issues, where the most
appropriate course of action will be a matter of choice, influenced by prior exposure or experience. In
other instances work actions are very well defined procedurally and the post holder is able to reference
and apply established policies and procedures, in order to determine a suitable course of action/outcome.
The post holder is required to maintain records of issues and to work with users to ensure resolution is
achieved within reasonable timescales. Although the role is covered by standard instructions and
procedures/regulations, there may on occasion be some latitude to alter the sequence of procedures,
based on varying situations encountered. The post holder may occasionally experience more unusual
queries or issues, where there is no formal guidance or trouble shooting. In these cases or situations
where the issues cannot be resolved in a reasonable timescale, the post holder is required to interpret
past precedents and apply their judgement to determine an appropriate course of action or where
resolution is not straightforward to refer the matter to their line manager for guidance/resolution. The
post holder may be required to suggest improvements or developments to current working practices in
consultation with their manager, in order to ensure the smooth running of the service they provide.
The post holder will be required to be familiar with a range of processes that are within the remit of the Transaction
Support Team, enabling them to take on a variety of tasks as required and to support other members of the team.
These tasks will include, but not be limited to:

Commercial credit and collections.

Maintenance of the University address book

Credit check of customers and suppliers and setting of credit limits

Balance sheet reconciliations

Administrative and office support across the Finance function
Background Information/Relationships
The post holder will provide support to internal and external stakeholders.

Internal stakeholders will include colleagues within Finance, Faculties and other support functions.

External stakeholders will include customers and suppliers.
This job purpose reflects the core activities of the post. As the Department/Faculty and the post-holder develop, there will
inevitably be some changes to the duties for which the post is responsible, and possibly to the emphasis of the post itself. The
University expects that the post-holder will recognise this and will adopt a flexible approach to work. This could include
undertaking relevant training where necessary. Should significant changes to the job purpose become necessary, the postholder will be consulted and the changes reflected in a revised job purpose.
Person Specification This section describes the sum total of knowledge, experience & competence required by the post holder
that is necessary for standard acceptable performance in carrying out this role.
Qualifications and Professional Memberships
Essential/
Desirable
GCSE or equivalent in Maths and English
E
NVQ level 2 or equivalent in Finance or Administration or studying towards AAT
D
Technical Competencies (Experience and Knowledge) This section contains the level of
Essential/
Desirable
Level
1-3
Several years experience in a Finance or Shared Service environment
E
2
Microsoft Office
E
1
Working knowledge of P2P and O2C processes and systems.
E
1
Experience of providing customer service (internal and external)
D
N/A
competency required to carry out the role (please refer to the competency framework for
clarification where needed and the Job Families Booklet).
Special Requirements:
Essential/
Desirable
The Finance Department delivers a financial service to the whole of the organisation, and therefore it
is important to ensure that the University business needs are met, whilst also considering the career
development of its staff. Whilst the post holder may initially focus on a specific transaction support
role, there should be a willingness to be flexible about the support roles allocated to them as such
needs arise.
E
Core Competencies This section contains the level of competency required to carry out this role. (Please refer
Level
1-3
to the competency framework for clarification where needed). N/A (not applicable) should be placed, where the
competency is not a requirement of the grade.
Communication
2
Adaptability / Flexibility
Customer/Client service and support
Planning and Organising
Teamwork
Continuous Improvement
Problem Solving and Decision Making Skills
Leadership / Management
Creative and Analytical Thinking
Influencing, Persuasion and Negotiation Skills
Strategic Thinking
2
2
1
1
1
1
n/a
n/a
1
n/a
Organisational Information
All staff are expected to:
Positively support equality of opportunity and equity of treatment to colleagues and students in accordance with the University of Surrey Equal
Opportunities Policy.
Help maintain a safe working environment by:

Attending training in Health and Safety requirements as necessary, both on appointment and as changes in duties and techniques
demand.

Following local codes of safe working practices and the University of Surrey Health and Safety Policy.

Excellent environmental performance is a strategic objective for the University of Surrey. All staff are encouraged to work to achieve the
aims of our Environmental Policy and promote awareness to colleagues and students.

Undertake such other duties within the scope of the post as may be requested by your Manager.
Head of Finance
Transactions
Student Finance
Team Leader
Student Finance
Advisor x 4
Transaction Support
Team Leader
Transaction Support
Finance Advisors x
3
Finance Assistants
x3
Transaction
Processing Team
Leader
Assistant Team
Leader
Finance Assistants x
6 (L2b)
Finance Assistant
(Cashier) 0.5
Finance Assistant
(Scanning) x 1
Finance Assistant
(Cashier) 0.5 (L2a)
Key Responsibilities
This document is not designed to be a list of all tasks undertaken but an outline record of the main responsibilities (5 to 8
maximum) and should be read in conjunction with the accompanying Job Purpose.
The postholder may be allocated specific responsibilities from the following list, but will be required to be flexible
and take on other tasks that are within the remit of the team:1. Collection of all commercial debt owed to the University and associated administration
2. P2P and O2C related administration including sending invoices, set up of new customers and suppliers and
credit checks
3. Maintenance of an electronic database for customer and suppliers record management
4. Balance sheet reconciliations including bank account reconciliations
5. Provision of administrative support across other teams with the Finance Transactions Team as required.
6. Development and maintenance of the Finance Department website
7. Provision of cover for other members of the team as required.
N.B. The above list is not exhaustive.
Addendum to Finance Assistant – Transaction Support Job Purpose
This document provides additional information relating to specific aspects of the different transaction support roles that a Finance
Assistant may be involved in, particularly providing an outline of the main activities and relationships. The information contained
within this document is not exhaustive and should always be read in conjunction with the accompanying generic Finance Assistant
Job Purpose.
Post specific Information / Relationships
Commercial Collections





Pro-active collection of all commercial debt (non student)
Maintenance of debtor records within Agresso Accounts Receivable
Liaison with CSAS and Faculties regarding sales queries
Referral of debt for legal action, and follow up with legal advisors
Maintenance of query resolution database (Commercial Collections)
Relationships


FP&A Team
Trading Areas
Finance Admin Support

General Office Admin:
o Collecting, sorting and distributing post
o Maintaining the department stationery store and ordering stock as required
o Raising purchase requisitions on AGRESSO as requested by staff
o Booking staff travel and courses / conferences
o Dealing with phone enquiries and referring callers to other staff where appropriate
o Dealing with queries relating to photocopiers / printers / phones etc, liaising with IT
and external suppliers as necessary
o Filing and archiving
o Maintaining finance web pages
o Dealing with health & safety issues, including completion of the H&S Annual Return
on behalf of Finance
o Managing bookings for departmental laptops and finance meeting room

Support for Finance Teams (Outside the Transaction Team)
o Arranging for printing and distribution of monthly management accounts packs
o Assisting with formatting / printing of annual accounts
o Ad-hoc support with word documents / bulk mailings etc

Meetings:
o Arranging meetings, booking rooms and arranging catering, parking permits etc for
senior staff as required
o Taking notes of meetings as required

Ad hoc:
o Assisting with office moves
o Organising staff functions
Relationships




Business Finance Managers
FP&A Team
Transaction Processing Team
Student Finance