About the role
We are at the beginning of our journey of shaping what the Passenger Transport Service looks like at West Northants Council, so there is plenty of opportunity to develop processes, and shape our offering so we can provide the best possible service for our customers.
This is an exciting time to join our team! We’re a new local authority, created in April 2021.
We are seeking to recruit a Contract Reconciliation Officer to manage the contracts payment process and financial reporting for over 100 transport operators delivering over 600 individual contracts.
What will you be doing?
Working alongside your colleagues in the Passenger Transport Service you’ll support and lead on the prompt payment of approved Council suppliers and ensure that the invoicing is accurate and timely.
You will be managing a substantial amount of transactional data and be expected produce accurate commitment and forecasting reports to enable the Council to effectively manage the resources it deploys.
You will take the lead in monitoring the payment process of our third party procurement supplier and ensure the data they provide is accurate and reliable.
You will work collaboratively with other parts of the council to ensure the service can meet demand.
About you
You don’t need experience across all aspects of the job as that will form part of your development journey, but you will need to have experience of working in a financial and data driven environment. Accuracy is key and the ability to stay focussed while working in a busy environment will be essential.
You will need to have a solutions driven and adaptable approach to working, thrive in a busy environment and have a positive approach to challenges. You will be able to smoothly manage processes whilst being able use your own initiative to 'think outside of the box’. You’ll use your professional expertise and knowledge to support the delivery of the transport service so that it is efficient and suitable to meet the needs of the service users.
Our benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, these include:
- Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 28 days annual leave per year, 29 days for senior managers (pro rata, depending on how many hours per week you work), plus bank holidays. An additional 5 days, linked to continuous service, and ability to purchase up to 6 weeks additional leave per year.
- Cycle to Work scheme.
- Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health protection.
- Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
- Car Lease scheme
- Payment of professional subscription / membership - If your job description requires that you are registered with or are a member of a professional body, WNC will pay for your professional subscription or membership fees.
- Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
- Ongoing training and development opportunities.
- A variety of flexible working options to support your work/life balance, including full or part time, term time, 9-day fortnight, etc. (subject to business needs).
- Our West Ways of Working – We want our workforce to thrive, and we equip our employees with the right technology to support hybrid and collaborative working, on or off site, depending on the role.
- Making a difference - If you want to use your skills and experience with an organisation that are genuinely invested in making a difference, are committed to improving people's lives, and whose success has a direct impact on the wellbeing of your family, friends and people in your local area, then West Northamptonshire Council is the place for you.
About us
At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.
Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.
Hear more from our Chief Executive, Anna Earnshaw, about what it's like to work at West Northants Council https://youtu.be/lV0EfeUF4aU
We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner
The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.
If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.
West Northants Council, where careers thrive.