Senior Finance Assistant

£34,660 - £36,943 per annum

Contract: Permanent N/A

Working hours: 36 hours per week

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This full-time, permanent position has a starting salary of £34,660 per annum based on a 36-hour working week.

We are excited to be recruiting a new Senior Finance Assistant to join our fantastic Children's Finance team based at Victoria Gate in Woking.

Our team offers a a combination of office and home working depending on business needs. We will ensure that you receive a full induction and training, with regular guidance, support and performance conversations with your Senior Finance Team Leader. We want you to feel confident and capable in your role.

• 26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service (pro rata for part-time hours)
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

Our Business Support Finance team is offering a great opportunity for someone looking to develop their career in a supportive finance environment. If you have excellent customer service skills, strong organisation, and some experience in administration and finance – we would love to hear from you!

The Children's Finance team provide co-ordinated and comprehensive financial support throughout the Directorate in accordance with Council and Directorate financial procedures. We are a transactional finance team who work collaboratively with team members to provide a high-quality and efficient finance service.

As a Senior Finance Assistant, you will play a key role in providing technical finance expertise within Children’s Services, supporting the efficient and accurate delivery of financial processes across the service.

Your key responsibilities as a Senior Finance Assistant will include:

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your CV and personal statement will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

• Acting as a bridge between day-to-day processing and management oversight, you will take ownership of more complex areas such as reclaims, VAT, audits, uplift processes, reporting, and quality assurance
• Supporting the smooth running of the finance function by monitoring reports through systems such as Aperture and Tableau
• Maintaining robust financial controls, ensuring work is completed accurately, consistently, and in line with Council procedures, audit standards, and statutory requirements
• Providing guidance and support to colleagues, helping to strengthen team knowledge, improve consistency, and promote high-quality customer service for internal and external stakeholders
• Contributing to service improvements and supporting effective team activity when required
• Helping to ensure Children’s Services receives reliable, responsive, and professional finance support that contributes to better outcomes for children and families

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey. 

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. Please contact Chris Harper (chris.harper@surreycc.gov.uk) or Colin Davis (C.Davis@surreycc.gov.uk) by e-mail.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 22/11/2026 with interviews planned to follow shortly after.

A Basic DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check will be required for this role.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation and will move to new authorities in April 2027. This role is currently employed by Surrey County Council and will remain so until then. If you are employed by Surrey County Council on 1 April 2027, your employment will transfer under TUPE arrangements to one of the new councils, with your current terms and conditions protected. The provisional allocation for this post is West Surrey Council, subject to final confirmation through the wider transition process later this year. Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum shortlisting criteria as displayed on the advert, we guarantee you an interview.  

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.

• Senior Finance Assistant v.2 - Job Description.pdf - Senior Finance Assistant - Job Description