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Students Accounts Officer

Location: Hybrid – Work from home 2 days and Bournemouth based office 3 days

Salary: £23,000 - £25,000 Per annum + 5% bonus

Are you an experienced professional in customer-facing credit control or customer account management and looking to work in an energetic and exciting company? We have the ideal job for you!

About Kaplan International Pathways

Kaplan International Pathways, a division of Kaplan Inc., offers international students a wide range of flexible study options - from university preparation programmes in the UK, Australia, USA and Japan through to full degree programmes in Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia. Through our academic partnerships with leading universities, our expertise in student recruitment, our exceptional teaching and a focus on customer service and pastoral care, each year we are proud to welcome thousands of students from more than 100 countries onto our programmes. As a commercially successful business which has experienced strong growth in recent years, there are excellent opportunities for long-term career progression.

About the Role

You will be a key member of our finance team with responsibility for administering accurate collection and student account management processes. You will be given responsibility for student debt for a number of our colleges. You will ensure that the student ledger is accurate; outstanding debtor balances are chased on time with repeated follow-ups, if needed; key business partners are kept up to date with debt status and any trends you identify and you will escalate issues and concerns where necessary. The role does require you to be able to travel around the United Kingdom and meet face-to-face with students.

Main responsibilities and functions

• 
  Preparing monthly collections processes within prescribed guidelines. Follow- ups ensure to collect outstanding balances by email, post and telephone
• Issuing copy invoices when required by email or post
• Liaising with relevant Staff and Senior Managers at Colleges to support collection of monies outstanding as required
• Finance meetings with Students during peak enrolment times
• Reviewing accounts for debt and credit write offs in partnership with College Directors
• Updating student accounts where there are agreed changes to a student’s study plan
• Support with processing refunds
• Investigating and clearing of old outstanding balances
• Liaising with internal and external parties to resolve queries as necessary
• Preparing and monitoring payment plans for bill payers (students, parents, agents)
• Fostering and maintaining good business relationships with all stakeholders (internal and external)
• Identifying and recommending process improvements related to own work

About you

Essential:

• 
  Some knowledge of and experience of working with accounting principles
• Ability / desire to work in a high volume, transactions orientated environment
• Ability to demonstrate organizational savvy in getting things done through formal and informal networks
• Team player with flexibility to work additional hours to complete the task if required, or help out other team members
• “Client” focus
• Excellent, polished communication skills (oral and written) with clients and both financial and non-financial staff
• Ability to manage challenging conversations well
• Extremely accurate and detail-focussed
• Intermediate excel skills (including pivot tables, v-look ups and sumifs)

Desirable:

• 
  Language skills
• Accounting experience to be able to demonstrate comfort with numbers
• Specific credit control experience is desirable.
• Strong interest in processes and systems
• Initiative to identify improvements and drive to deliver change
• Foreign languages , in particular Arabic and Spanish, but any additional languages are of interest

Please note that offers of employment are always subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK and satisfactory reference checks. Additionally, as part of our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, certain positions will be subject to enhanced DBS checks.

What we can offer

You will be a key member of our finance team, working within a team of three student account officers who are responsible for collecting debt from students studying at colleges across the UK. You will build strong relationships with colleagues across the business, from admissions to colleges.

You will be based in our Bournemouth College but will form part of the Operational Finance team which sits within our head office finance department. The role will report directly into our Students Accounts Manager.

We also offer:

• 
  A supportive environment in which to grow and develop
• A team of finance specialists to work with and learn from
• Dynamic, international environment
• Career development and training
• Benefits including pension, medical cashback plan, ride2work scheme, and discounts at leading retailers and wellbeing providers, financial wellbeing programme

Application method

Please apply with a CV and covering letter highlighting why you believe you are suitable for this role, via our online form / email address

Please note, the vacancy will be closed when we have received a suitable volume of applications. We would encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity.

At Kaplan International, we are committed to working in a diverse organisation and strive to provide equality of opportunity for all. We encourage and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or identity, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnership. If as a disabled applicant (as defined under the Equality Act 2010) you would like to request that your application is considered under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) please let us know using this form

As part of our commitment to safeguarding, successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Applicants must be able to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK.

For international students who have the rights to stay in the UK following graduation, we welcome application under the Graduate Route visa.