Debt Controller
Orchard Hill College Academy Trust, Sutton, SM1 1DA11 days remaining to apply
Start date details
As soon as possible
Closing date
10 December 2025 at 11:59pm
Date listed
28 November 2025
Job details
Job role
- Administration, HR, data and finance
- Other support roles
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Part time: Part-time, 22.5 hours per week, with a flexible schedule to be discussed during the interview.
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- Grade PO2 – Actual £26,725 - £28,591.25 (FTE £42,760 - £45,746)
What skills and experience we're looking for
We are looking for a Debt Controller to join our central finance team. In this role, you will be responsible for managing and recovering outstanding debts, working closely with Local Authorities on funding arrangements and pupil-related income such as EHCP support, alternative provision, top-up funding, as well as other income streams including lettings and farm activities. The ideal candidate will be proactive, detail-oriented, and confident in building strong relationships with stakeholders to ensure timely collections, maintain accurate records, and support the Trust’s overall financial stability and compliance.
Key Responsibilities:
- Debt Management and Income Collection - Proactively manage the Trust-wide debtor ledger, implement consistent credit control processes, maintain accurate records, and escalate high-risk or persistent debts with recommended actions.
- Local Authority Liaison - Serve as the main contact for Local Authority finance and SEND teams, monitor expected funding streams (EHCP top-ups, alternative provision, grants, SLAs), and reconcile allocations against pupil-level data.
- Invoicing and Reconciliations - Ensure accurate, timely invoicing, reconcile aged debt reports, and investigate and resolve discrepancies with internal and external stakeholders.
- Reporting and Compliance - Produce regular reports on debtor balances, collection performance, and aged debt trends; ensure all debt recovery activities comply with Financial Regulations, GDPR, and accounting standards.
- Internal Collaboration and Process Improvement - Work closely with academy and central finance teams to support reconciliations, cashflow, audits, and guidance on income processes, contributing to system and process improvements.
Key Requirements:
- Experience in credit control or debt management, preferably within education, public sector, or multi-site organisations.
- Strong knowledge of accounting principles and financial processes, including invoicing, reconciliations, and reporting.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to liaise confidently with Local Authorities, school staff, and internal teams.
- Highly organised with strong attention to detail, able to manage multiple accounts, monitor aged debt, and escalate issues appropriately.
- Proactive and analytical mindset, with the ability to identify trends, recommend improvements, and support process and system enhancements.
- Willingness to travel to academies and Local Authority offices on occasion if required.
What the school offers its staff
OHC&AT is an exciting, forward-thinking organisation, and we offer many benefits to attract and keep our staff, contributing towards maintaining and improving wellbeing, and encouraging our required behaviours, achievements, values, and skills. Below is just a selection of the benefits available to our employees:
Rewards & Benefits:
- Pathways for progression within the trust, ensuring you can grow and thrive in a supportive and inclusive environment.
- Pension Scheme - you will be enrolled in either the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) or the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS), both offering life cover and financial protection for your family.
- Salary Sacrifice Schemes (Cycle Scheme and Home Electronics Scheme)
- Employee Wellbeing - We support employee wellbeing with access to counselling, mental health support, generous leave, flexible working, and enhanced parental leave including Employee Assistance Programme, MyGym Discounts, Corporate Eyecare Scheme
- Employee Discounts (Blue Light Card, Costco Membership, Discounts for Teachers, and more)
- Other (Season Ticket Loan and Employee Referral Scheme)
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.
Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.
Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Applying for the job
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on school website (opens in new tab)Upload additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Orchard Hill College Academy Trust
- Type
- Multi-academy trust
- Email address
- MollyKing@orchardhill.ac.uk
Orchard Hill College (the College) and Orchard Hill College Academy Trust (the Trust) together form Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust (OHC&AT), a family of specialist education providers for pupils and students from nursery to further education across London, Surrey, Sussex and Berkshire. As an Outstanding provider (Ofsted 2019) and Academy sponsor, Orchard Hill College has a strong track record for making a positive impact within the local communities it serves.
Pupils and students within the OHC&AT family have a wide range of learning abilities and additional needs including autistic spectrum disorder; speech, language and communication difficulties; social, emotional and mental health; profound and multiple disabilities; and physical disabilities including multi-sensory impairment and complex health needs.
Our ambition is to contribute further to improving the education offer for all pupils and students in our communities, including those with SEND. The College offers specialist educational programmes for students aged 16 and over in College centres and satellite provision in London and the South. The Academy Trust enables us to build on and extend scope of our work in these geographical areas, so that Academy pupils can also benefit from our expertise and access a greater range of opportunities arising from our strong community and stakeholder networks.
Supporting our College and Academies, OHC&AT also operates a range of services and support including Quality and Standards, Learning Support and Business Support.
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