Finance Assistant

Oxfam is a global movement of millions of people who share the belief that, in a world rich in resources, poverty isn't inevitable. We respond fast in emergencies, work on long-term projects with communities and campaign for genuine, lasting change. Our volunteers, staff and those we aim to influence are all guided by our values of empowerment, accountability and inclusiveness. 

Our shops 

Oxfam has a network of approximately 500 shops in the UK. Through the sales of donated goods and our ethical range of new products, Sourced by Oxfam, our shops raise millions of pounds each year to fund our crucial work to end the injustice of poverty. The Newcastle Finance Office processes all the income and expenditure for all the shops in the UK. 

Why do we need you? 

Oxfam would not be able to raise crucial funds for Oxfam’s emergency and development work all over the world without our dedicated volunteers, who provide their time and bring multitude of skills. In return, we offer personal development, valuable insight into charity finance and a friendly environment to meet new people. 

What are your key responsibilities? 

You will be assisting with the processing of the income and/or expenditure for all the shops in the UK. 

Income 

• Bank Reconciliation work, including analysing matching and amending items through journal entry as appropriate
• Preparing bank statement and cash book information to load into the bank reconciliation module
• Downloading and allocating internet sales to shops and categories in a format suitable for loading into the accounts
• Gathering information and collating into documents to provide audit trails to support gift aided sales and donations
• Assisting in creating management information reports
• Identifying and expiring credit notes as appropriate
• Checking and entering banking and posting to accounts 

Expenditure 

• Collating bank information to set up standing orders. Checking accuracy of set up by bank. 
• Problem solving and dealing with queries
• Submitting Invoices to Budget Holders for approval
• Checking the accuracy of invoices for payment and ensuring correct authorisation
• Recharging invoice costs to individual departments
• Setting up New Suppliers on the payment system
• Checking statements for missing and overdue invoices
• Cashbook entries and Bank reconciliation 

 Other 

• Assisting with preparing for posting and posting out Paying in Books to the shop network 
• Admin tasks including emailing/phoning suppliers, chasing approvals, updating records etc.

Skills

You do not need previous experience but some or all of the following skills will be useful: 

• Commitment to Oxfam’s values of empowerment, accountability and inclusiveness. 
• Ability to work within Oxfam’s policies
• Interest in Finance and developing financial skills including analysing and interpreting financial data
• High Level of numeracy (essential)
• Good attention to detail (essential)
• Proficiency in Microsoft office, particularly in Excel
• Willingness to learn (essential)
• Currently studying towards a qualification in finance 

Other desirable skills: 

• Ability to work as part of a team and under own initiative 
• Good verbal communication skills
• Good organisational skills 

We are proud of having a diverse volunteer base made up of people from different backgrounds and ages.

The minimum age for this role if 18 years old