Work with us

*Actual job title: Finance Supervisor

(21 hours Fixed Term until January 2028)

£26,265 starting salary per annum (pro rata)

Pension, 30 days annual leave + public holidays (pro rata)

We are looking for a self-motivated individual that enjoys a challenge and an agile working environment

The role is highly flexible, with working days open to discussion and agreement based on the needs of both the individual and the organisation. We are happy to consider different working patterns and schedules to find an arrangement that works well for everyone.

The Post

The Finance Supervisor is responsible for supporting, facilitating and developing the Union’s Finance function including maintaining financial controls and ensuring compliance with policies and procedures.

The successful candidate will manage the charity’s day-to-day financial transactions, ensuring all records are processed quickly and accurately. Additionally, you will build strong cross-departmental relationships to provide financial advice and support across the organisation.

Finance Supervisor duties will include, but not limited to:

• Ledger & Transaction Processing: Manage sales and purchase ledgers, ensuring accurate general ledger coding, correct VAT treatment, and systematic matching of invoices to Purchase Orders (POs).
• Credit Card Ledger Control: Reconcile credit card transactions through the purchase ledger by matching statement lines directly to Purchase orders whilst verifying VAT receipts/invoices
• Revenue Recording: Manually record daily Online and Point of Sale (POS) data ensuring accurate ledger entry
• Reconciliations & Expenses: Processing all expense claims and conduct monthly petty cash reconciliations
• Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Provide financial administration support to other charity departments, resolving routine queries efficiently.
• Process Agility & Induction: Support the onboarding of new staff by assisting with finance inductions, adapting quickly to evolving internal systems. 
• Operational Adaptability: Support and deputise for central administration workflows as required to maintain smooth day-to-day operations.
• Flexible Execution: Undertake any other duties as reasonably indicated or requested by the Senior Finance Manager to support the finance function. 

The Person

You must possess a solid understanding of bookkeeping, a basic understanding of VAT rules, strong cloud accounting software skills (such as Xero) and basic/intermediate literacy in Microsoft Excel. 

You will be a process-driven, highly organised individual who can demonstrate exceptional data entry speed, precision, and the ability to strictly follow standard financial controls.

Crucially, you will thrive in a fast-paced, agile organisation, using your initiative to handle competing priorities, adapt to new processes quickly, and consistently meet strict deadlines. 

Ultimately, we are looking for a proactive, fast-learning self-starter who genuinely enjoys working within a charity setting, communicates inclusively and effectively across all teams and brings a positive attitude to our diverse workforce.

You will communicate inclusively and effectively across all teams, collaborating seamlessly with the Senior Finance Supervisor and Central Services colleagues, while working closely with the Senior Finance Manager.

What we offer

• Strong team mentality, supportive and sociable workplace
• Regular training opportunities and team development days
• 38 days holiday (30 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays) and additional Christmas leave (University shutdown) pro-rata for part time employees
• Flexible working (e.g. flexitime, career break, paid time off for volunteering)
• Enhanced sick pay, maternity, paternity or adoption leave
• Access to University staff benefits: discounted gym membership, free library membership, bike safe
• Employee Assistance Programme

The Organisation

The University of Portsmouth Students’ Union (The Union or UPSU for short) is a forward thinking, friendly organisation with a vision of “delivering a positive impact with every Portsmouth student”. As a charity led by its values and guided by its members, we offer a wide range of services and activities to support and enrich the lives of our students. UPSU employs approximately 30 career staff, a further 40 student staff and we work with over 1000 registered student volunteers and over 100 student groups.

Further Information

For more information on this opportunity and how to apply, please visit www.upsu.net/careers. For an informal conversation about this opportunity, please contact Sonia Polverigiani, Senior Finance Manager on 02392845991 or sonia.polverigiani@upsu.net. 

Closing date for applications: Midday, 2nd November 2026

Interviews will be held on date: 11th November 2026

We kindly ask that candidates do not send CVs or cover letters as these will not be considered. You can find an application form on our website. 

Anonymous shortlisting will be carried out for this role to ensure a fair and consistent approach to recruitment. We will not disclose any personal details to the shortlisting panel. Any documents or links with identifying information will not be used during shortlisting, but can be submitted if you are selected for an interview. 

We are strongly dedicated to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within our community and we are passionate about creating a welcoming and inclusive environment which supports everyone from recruitment through to appointment, regardless of your background. We welcome applications from all talented people and as part of this commitment, we are working to improve the diversity of our workforce to ensure that it is as relevant and representative of our student community as possible and are actively encouraging applications from underrepresented groups. 

The Union is a MINDFUL EMPLOYER® and we are committed to creating a supportive and open culture and actively support the mental wellbeing of all staff.

Due to the high number of applicants, if you have not heard from UPSU by the interview date you should assume you have been unsuccessful in your application.