Apprentice Finance Assistant - University of Oxford- Finance Division

  • Company: University of Oxford
  • Location: Oxford, OX2 6DP
  • Type: Apprenticeship
  • Salary: £26,686.00 per year
  • Sector: Legal, finance and accounting
  • Ref: NAS-2000027448
  • Application Deadline Date: 13/05/2026
  • Start Date: 10/08/2026
  • Positions Available: 2
  • Working Week: Monday- Friday usually 9.00am- 5.00pm You will have a fixed term contract of employment with the University of Oxford for 3 years.

Brief Description

An excellent opportunity for the right candidate to gain first-hand experience of a variety of roles in a busy Finance department and to develop their skills alongside their formal studies for AAT at Level 2, followed by progression to the Level 3 apprenticeship after completion. 

Training to be Provided

Duration:  



  • 13 months practical training period, plus 3 months for End Point Assessment 


Delivery model: 



  • Work-based training with your employer 

  • Day release during term time (approximately 1 day a week at either Abingdon or Witney Campus) 

  • Off the job training will count for at least 6 hours a week of an apprentice’s time at work 


Qualifications included: 



  • AAT Level 2 Foundation Certificate in Accounting 

  • Level 2 Accountants or Finance Assistant Apprenticeship 


End Point Assessment: 



  • In-tray test 

  • Portfolio 

  • Structured Interview 

Future Prospects


  • Over 80% of our apprentices continue with us in the role they have been trained for after their apprenticeship and that is just the start of their career

Vacancy Detail

You will work as an Apprentice Finance Assistant.  You will complete a Level 2 Finance Assistant Apprenticeship which is within the finance and accounting sector. (Please note that on successful completion, the apprentice will be expected to progress to the Level 3 Assistant Accountant Apprenticeship so the employment contract is for 3 years to cover both levels). 


College attendance and successful completion of these studies is an essential requirement of this Apprenticeship. 
 
This is an excellent opportunity for the right candidate to gain first-hand experience of a variety of roles in a busy Finance department and to develop their skills alongside their formal studies for AAT. The role will offer the opportunity to move between teams at set periods and can be tailored to match a candidate’s area of interest or study after consultation with your line manager. 
 
Responsibilities (This section tries to give you a feel of what your day-to-day activities at work will be. This is just the basics, there will be more as your training progresses) 
 
The role will be allocated to specific teams over the 3 years and for fixed periods after discussion with your line manager. 
 
During the course of your apprenticeship, you will develop within the various Finance teams, so that you will be able to undertake a wide range of the duties of the post:  



  • Learn to check and sort the incoming mail for the Finance team including date stamping

  • Learn the initial review of documents received to ensure that they are mathematically correct, sufficiently authorised and conform to regulatory requirements

  • Develop skills in the inputting to the Oracle Financials system of authorised invoices, receipts, claims and the matching of invoice records

  • Learn to reconcile items received into the Bank Account with transactions input into the Oracle system

  • With the support of colleagues, learn the processes for filing documents

  • Learn to prepare and send documents for imaging

  • Learn to work with suppliers to check correct entry of bank account details, email addresses and respond to their queries

  • Learn to provide guidance to staff in departments, regarding invoices, expenses and payments processes. Managing with departments those expense claims that it is necessary to query or return

  • Develop skills in the receiving and checking of banking deposits from departments; the reimbursing of departmental Petty Cash floats and the daily balancing and reconciliation of cash as well as preparing cash and cheques for banking

  • With support, allocate income received into the University Bank Account and investigate unidentified payments received into the University Bank Account, where necessary liaising with sponsors, donors and customers of the University

  • Learn to support departments in the use of the University’s Online Store facility


In the execution of these roles and responsibilities the post holder will at all times:



  • Abide by local and University rules and codes of practice with regard to Health and Safety

  • Work with discretion and confidentiality when dealing with personal data or information


This job description should be regarded only as a guide to the duties required and is not intended to be definitive. The Job Description does not form part of the contract.  

Other Information

BEFORE APPLYING FOR THIS ROLE, PLEASE VISIT THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD JOBS PAGE AND READ THE FULL ADVERT AND ACCOMPANYING JOB DESCRIPTION AS THIS PROVIDES DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE ROLE - JOB REFERENCE -185491 


Any new person applying for apprenticeship roles where Abingdon and Witney College deliver the training will be required to complete a series of initial assessments and eligibility checks prior to start. As a new Apprenticeship applicant, you will only have to undergo this process once. If you would like to talk to us about the assessments, please call us on 01235 216216. Qualification checks: By applying for this vacancy, you are giving Abingdon and Witney College permission to undertake a Learner Record Service check on your previous qualifications. We make every effort to ensure that applicants from non-traditional academic backgrounds or those who may not have the formal GCSE entry requirements can access apprenticeships where possible.

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