Job Description

Providing an efficient and effective customer focused finance and research service within the school of Dentistry, ensuring that the school finances are completed in accordance with University’s financial regulations. Provide an administrative service to the School, engaging and completing a range of routine tasks to meet operational and customer service requirements.

• Deal with a range of enquiries from internal and external customers in a professional manner, establishing their requirements and adapting the standard responses accordingly.
• Collaborate with others in-order to make recommendations for developments of established processes and procedures.
• To act as a point of contact for financial enquiries within the School Finance & Research office and provide a customer focused service, taking account of the needs of the different customers.
• To initiate, receive, check and/or process all orders (ensuring the correct VAT treatments are applied), process invoices and transfer charges relating to School finance.
• To receive and process overseas travel requests, advances and claims, checking their compliance and cost effectiveness, and make all the necessary travel arrangements, if required.
• To raise sales invoices to external stakeholders and liaise with the Finance Division.
• To carry out a range of reconciliations, such as supplier statements, purchase cards, open orders and invoice on hold reporting.
• To be responsible for producing accurate financial reports and input and retrieve ORACLE to budget holders as required.
• Work closely with the Finance team by providing cover for other colleagues, contribute to team meetings, identify new ways of working that improve the service, and look to share best practice across the School.
• To initiate and maintain contact with relevant suppliers and liaise with the Finance Division as required, specifically resolving discrepancies or problems with orders and invoices.
• To be responsible for cheques and cash banking, process cash receipts and initiate cheques payments including administration of petty cash, ensuring compliance with cash handling procedures.
• To develop, evaluate, maintain and supervise all electronic and other data and filing systems.
• To ensure analysis codes and account codes are used is a consistent way.
• To be responsible for producing financial reports to budget holders as required to include accurate reconciliation of Research Grants to be produced for the Principal Investigators. Ensuring the funds are spent in-line with Cardiff University Regulations and the conditions of the external funder.
• To assist in the Post Graduate Open Day – ensuring our new Post Graduate Students have awareness of the services of the Dental Finance Office.
• To assist the Finance and Research Manager in the accurate recording and reconciliation of the School of Dentistry Inventory Database including the Off-site register.
• Ensure all practices within the School are fully compliant with the University’s financial regulations and procedures.
• Establish working relationships with key contacts to help improve service levels.
• Undertake a variety of administrative duties to support the team and department.
• Gather and analyze data to update administrative systems with accurate information, establishing basic trends and patterns in any data submitted.

General Duties

• Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties.
• Abide by University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity
• Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

NVQ 2/GCSE level A-C or equivalent. Significant experience of working in an administrative or office environment. Proficient in using common office IT packages (e.g. MS Office), especially Excel spreadsheets to a high standard. Ability to set up standard administrative systems and procedures. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with a wide range of people. Demonstrate a high level of accuracy and attention to detail. Ability to work as an effective team member, using your own initiative when providing advice and guidance to other team members where necessary. Proven ability to deal with escalated requests for information or service, resolving customer issues where appropriate. Ability to plan, priorities and organize own workload within established time scales. Ability to use initiative in solving problems and responding to queries ensuring compliance with standard procedures and practices. Significant experience of working within a Finance environment and using financial systems, particularly Oracle and Business Objects. Experience of working in a Higher Education environment. Fluency in Welsh, written and oral.