Finance Officer

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists is a membership organisation and the voice of the profession, with 4,500 members in the UK and overseas. Our role is to champion the specialty, set standards of training and practice, and influence change to make a difference to the lives of patients with eye conditions. 

Job Purpose

You’ll support the day-to-day running of the charity’s finance function—ensuring income and expenditure are processed accurately, reconciliations are completed on time, strong controls are maintained, and colleagues receive responsive support. You’ll also act as the key finance contact for payroll administration delivered via an external provider (providing inputs, checking outputs, and ensuring accurate postings into Xero). 

Key Responsibilities

1) Accounts payable (supplier invoices & payments)

• Process supplier invoices end-to-end: query resolution, correct coding (including VAT), approvals, posting to Xero, and maintaining an audit trail.
• Prepare and run supplier payment batches in line with controls and delegated authorities.
• Maintain supplier records and support efficient, professional supplier query handling.

2) Expenses & corporate cards (Payhawk) and posting to Xero

2) Expenses & corporate cards (Payhawk) and posting to Xero

• Administer Payhawkexpenses and card transactions: ensure receipts are submitted, policy rules are followed, and transactions are coded accurately.
• Configure and maintain Payhawk mappings (chart of accounts, VAT rates, tracking categories) to support clean exports into Xero.
• Export approved expenses/payments to Xero and support reconciliation between Payhawk activity, Xero postings, and bank/feeds.

3) Income processing and reconciliations (including donations)

• Raise sales invoices (where required), allocate receipts, and support routine credit control as appropriate.
• Reconcile income from bank, donation platforms, and other sources; ensure accurate allocation to the correct funds/projects (including restricted funding where relevant).
• Support Gift Aid record-keeping and processes (where applicable).

4) Payroll support (external payroll provider)

• Act as the key liaison with the external payroll provider to deliver monthly payrollaccurately and on schedule.
• Collate and submit monthly inputs by agreed cut-offs (e.g., starters/leavers, salary changes, contractual changes, statutory leave, pension changes and other agreed adjustments).
• Review payroll reports for accuracy and reasonableness (e.g., gross-to-net checks, variance checks vs prior month, starters/leavers reflected correctly).
• Coordinate payroll approvals internally and confirm release of payroll payments in line with controls.
• Ensure payroll-related payments (e.g., pensions and statutory deductions as applicable) are scheduled/processed accurately and on time.
• Post payroll journals into Xero, maintain supporting documentation, and reconcile payroll control accounts.
• Respond to staff payroll queries sensitively and confidentially, escalating complex items to the provider or Finance Manager as appropriate.

5) Month-end support & reporting

• Support month-end processes (journals, accruals/prepayments, reconciliations) and help produce routine finance reports (e.g., budget monitoring, cash, aged creditors/debtors).
• Assist with audit preparation and information requests; maintain clear documentation and controls.

6) Continuous improvement, controls and compliance

• Help improve finance processes (especially around expenses, coding consistency, and reconciliation routines).
• Contribute to maintaining robust financial controls and good practice across the organisation.

The list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties as appropriate.  The post holder is expected to comply with all policies and procedures of the College and their variations.  

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Experience in a finance operations role covering transactional processing and reconciliations.
• Practical knowledge of Xeroand confidence completing bank reconciliations and day-to-day postings.
• Strong working knowledge of Excel (comfortable with data checks and reconciliations).
• Excellent attention to detail, ability to meet deadlines, and sound judgement with confidential information.
• Clear communication skills and confidence working with non-finance colleagues.
• Experience supporting payroll delivered by an external provider (inputs, checks, journals, reconciliations) and/or acting as a payroll liaison.
• Experience with Payhawk(or similar spend/expense platform) and exporting/syncing to Xero.
• Charity finance experience (e.g., restricted funds, Gift Aid awareness, donor/grant reporting).
• Familiarity with consolidations (Trading Subsidiary)
• AAT qualified (Level 3/4) or qualified by experience.
  

Interviews will take place w/c 30 March

Benefits & Values

Staff benefits

We offer a friendly and supportive working environment and make sure our employees are well looked after with a great benefits package, which includes:

Work life balance and family friendly benefits

• Hybrid working: two days in the office (one of which is Thursday), and three from home
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing to 30 days with length of service (plus bank holidays and office closure between Christmas and New Year)
• One day of paid leave to move house
• Enhanced parental leave

Planning for your future

• Employer pension contributions up to a maximum of 12%.

Career development

• All staff are offered opportunities for learning and development, in addition to a comprehensive e-learning package
• Study loans

Travel

• Season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme

Wellbeing

• Summer Fridays (staff can finish 90 minutes early from mid-July to the end of August
• Enhanced Employee Assistance Programme (with access to free counselling sessions)
• Health Cash Plan

Inclusion and diversity statement

The College is committed to encouraging inclusion, equity and diversity among our staff, and eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation by complying with the Equality Act 2010. We want a working environment where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued. To do this, we will proactively tackle discrimination and disadvantage and ensure that no individual or group is directly or indirectly discriminated against for any reason. We expect all employees to champion and live our values through their work at every opportunity.