Housing Needs and Homelessness Finance Officer

Overview

Hillingdon's Housing Needs and Homelessness service provides essential support to residents requiring temporary accommodation and financial assistance. The Temporary Accommodation Team manages high-volume financial transactions, ensuring accurate payments, strong financial controls and compliance with statutory and audit requirements. The Housing Needs and Homelessness Finance Officer will provide dedicated financial administration support for all Temporary Accommodation placements. You will process invoices, raise purchase requisitions, create and manage Purchase Orders, reconcile data, and ensure timely and accurate payments to accommodation providers.

This role is central to maintaining financial integrity, supporting budget management and ensuring compliance with Financial Regulations and audit standards.

• Process high volumes of Temporary Accommodation invoices within agreed payment terms.
• Raise purchase requisitions and create Purchase Orders in line with financial controls.
• Receipt goods/services to enable timely supplier payments.
• Match invoices to approved placements and contractual rates.
• Verify approvals in line with TA Spend Control governance.
• Support year-end processes including accruals and reconciliation of liabilities.
• Monitor and close outstanding POs where appropriate.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies, over payments and duplicate payments.
• Liaise with accommodation providers to resolve payment queries.
• Maintain accurate financial records to support audit requirements.
• Produce management information reports on spend, commitments and payment performance.
• Assist with reconciliations between placement records and finance system data.
• Maintain supplier and creditor accounts, ensuring accuracy and compliance with money-laundering checks.
• Complete BACS runs and assist with payment interfaces and bank statement reconciliations.
• Provide constructive challenge and identify financial risks.
• Support colleagues with system access, processes and financial procedures.

• Good standard of education (GCSE Maths & English Grade C or above).
• Experience working within a financial environment in a large organisation.
• Strong Excel skills and experience with financial reconciliations.
• Accurate data entry and strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work with discretion, tact and adherence to data protection.
• Strong analytical skills to identify errors and anomalies.
• Ability to work independently and use initiative.
• Confident using IT systems and able to learn new systems quickly.
• Ability to build effective working relationships and challenge appropriately.
• Experience in housing or creditors ledger work desirable.