School Admin & Finance Support Officer

Dorset Council is committed to improving outcomes for children and young people in education across Dorset. We are looking for a motivated and dedicated School Administration & Finance Support Officer (SAFSO) to join our dynamic team. The SAFSO service is one of Children's Services traded services and offers a support service to maintained schools and academies that use bespoke products for finance and management information systems (MIS). The role is hybrid and involves working in the office in Dorchester, visiting schools in Dorset and working from home. The service provides a helpline, answering queries by telephone and email. The team delivers training on the MIS and finance systems to school staff, either in a classroom environment or on-line. Written technical guidance is provided on the supported systems. The service is valued for a personalised and individual approach to enable school staff to use their MIS and finance systems in the most efficient and effective way. No day is the same and may involve answering helpline calls, developing or delivering training, or visiting a school in person. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are needed in all aspects of the role. The helpline is always busy and remote access is used to ensure queries are answered promptly and effectively. Training school staff is an important aspect of the role. By designing clear user-friendly training materials and delivering training in a variety of ways, we look to enable school staff to be confident to perform their roles well. We are a caring and supportive team and will provide full training to the successful applicant., This is a part time role at 21 hours per week. The hours should be worked over 3 days, but alternative working patterns (e.g. term time) can be discussed. Flexible hybrid working is available, but there is a requirement to work either in the office or at a school site at least 2 days per week. This post requires significant travel. You must have a vehicle (or transport we deem suitable) available for use as needed. The postholder will be expected to undertake travelling to schools and training centres as deemed necessary. This post requires you to have access to sensitive information. It will be subject to a Basic Criminal Records Check. See our . See our .

• the skills, knowledge and competency required to provide support on financial procedures, school administration and core business applications
• a responsive, positive and agile approach to problem solving; both reactive to demand and pro-active in forecasting need
• commitment to exceptional customer service and meeting business needs
• effective and well developed communication and presentation skills; eg tact, diplomacy, objectivity, balance and a confident encouraging approach, at all levels
• the ability to balance demands with priorities and derive real benefits for the traded service
• understanding of how ICT systems can enable professional colleagues to deliver quality services and improved outcomes for children and young people in schools
• a proactive approach to maintaining and developing own training and knowledge in relation to the role
• commitment to continuous learning and improvement to respond to changing demands nationally and locally
Experience with school systems and working in a school office is highly desirable but not essential.

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
• receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress
We are 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 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.