Support the financial heartbeat of one of the UK's leading Academy Trusts

At Co-op Academies Trust, we're on a mission to provide exceptional education for every child. With 38 academies across the North and Midlands and ambitious plans for the future, keeping our central operations seamless is vital to our success. We’re looking for a proactive and detail-oriented Treasury Assistant to join our central finance team.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a finance professional who enjoys working to tight deadlines and improving processes. Acting as a key pillar in our Central Finance Department, you'll work under the guidance of our Treasury Manager to keep our cash management, banking platforms, and reconciliations running like clockwork. If you are highly professional, take initiative, and want a role where your integrity makes a real impact, we want to hear from you.

What you'll be doing

No two days are the same, and your precision will keep our financial operations perfectly balanced. Working closely with central teams and our wider academy network, you will:

1. Support the timely completion of accurate bank reconciliations across the entire Trust.
2. Post cashbook journals and ensure all banking transactions are meticulously recorded.
3. Allocate income received to the correct accounts, actively investigating any unidentified receipts.
4. Investigate and resolve complex banking discrepancies quickly and efficiently.
5. Administer online banking platforms, managing user access and system maintenance.
6. Manage Trust credit cards in strict alignment with internal policy guidelines.
7. Process Faster Payments safely and securely, ensuring full compliance with internal control frameworks.
8. Act as a key contact for banking-related queries, providing clear guidance to the wider finance team.
9. Collaborate closely with the Treasury Accountant to support daily cash management activities.

What we're looking for

We’re looking for someone with an analytical mind, superb numerical skills, and an unwavering commitment to accuracy.

You will have:

1. Solid experience working within a busy finance or accounts environment.
2. Proven experience handling bank reconciliations and cashbook processing.
3. Strong numerical and analytical skills with an exceptional eye for detail.
4. The ability to organize and prioritize your own workload, especially during high-pressure times like month-end.
5. Confidence utilising finance systems and Google Sheets.
6. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to handle confidential data with total integrity.
7. GCSEs (or equivalent) including Maths and English at Grade C/4 or above.

It would be great if you also have:

1. An AAT qualification (or be actively working towards it).
2. Prior training or experience specifically in treasury management and banking systems (e.g., Faster Payments, BACS).
3. Experience working within a school Trust or the public sector finance environment.
4. An understanding of internal control frameworks and segregation of duties.

Why us?

All our values are based upon the values of the Co-op Group, which will inform our behaviours.

Self-help: We do not expect to be spoon fed – we will try to do things for ourselves in the right way and at the right time.

Self-responsibility: Everyone should act in a responsible way around the academy site and in the local community. We take responsibility for our own learning; we want to become independent learners.

Equality: We are proud to be part of a very multicultural academy, with students from all over the world; it is important that we treat each other with respect and accept that others may be different from ourselves. We should all have equal chances to succeed.

Equity: We want to look for the best in each other. Rewarding others fairly to encourage all types of achievement.

Democracy: We will contribute our ideas to make the academy a success.

Solidarity: We can achieve more by working together, rather than as individuals.

Our Values

Being part of the Co-operative Group, we are both guided and driven by the Co-op values which are embedded in everything that we do within our Academy - We strive to demonstrate the following ethical values in everything we do - they are our ‘Ways of Being’:

Succeed together

Do what matters most

Be yourself, always

Show you care

So, if you believe in our values, we would love to hear from you! 

We offer a wide range of benefits and rewards to recognise the part you play in our success:

Benefits include:

1. You’ll get being a Co-op member, you’ll get a Co-op colleague discount card. This gives you a 10% discount in our Co-op Food stores.
2. 31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)
3. A collaborative and supportive team environment
4. Co-operative flexible benefits (discounted line rental and broadband package, family care advice and cycle to work scheme)
5. Discounted gym membership and leisure activities which includes discounts on Merlin Entertainments (Sea Life, Legoland etc), Virgin Experience Days, SuperBreak and many more!
6. Co-operative Credit Union: save directly from your salary and receive a competitive dividend. Borrowers can benefit from very competitive interest rates & terms (in comparison with other high street lenders)

And More! 

For more information about the Co-op Academies Trust, please visit: www.coopacademies.co.uk

The Trust is also committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage or civil partnerships.