The Auckland Project
At the heart of our sites is Auckland Palace, the home of the Prince Bishops of Durham and the historic seat of faith and power in the North of England. The experience across our sites is deeply linked to those two themes and are repeated throughout the Palace and its gardens, the Faith Museum and the Mining Art and Spanish Galleries. The collection of our venues, spaces and places invites conversations about belonging, faith, loss, sacrifice, community, love and creativity. We would like our visitors to explore and to discover things about our town, our country and their own lives. We want to create encounters – and need your help to do so.
Employee benefits
We pride ourselves in taking care of our team members. For your efforts we offer free parking on site, 30 days annual leave, pension contribution, access to staff discounts and local benefits, free entry into our attractions, free access to our staff welfare programme including free medical, legal & financial advice and access to 24-hour counselling along with a large variety of retailer discounts.
The role purpose
We are seeking to recruit two finance apprentices, to work within the Finance department. This is a fantastic opportunity to join our expanding finance team.
The main purpose of the Finance Department is to provide a service to other departments, safeguard the reputation of the business and to ensure financial accuracy at all times.
As a Finance Apprentice, you will be responsible for making sure that all documents, payments and receipts going in and out of the department are reviewed, accurately recorded, and are processed in a timely manner. Accuracy and attention to detail is a very important aspect of this role.
Following processes and procedures is essential, as well as ensuring correct approvals are in place and a good audit trail maintained.
Key Responsibilities and Tasks
The Operating Finance Apprentice will be responsible for:
Accurately create and maintain supplier accounts, check purchase orders to ensure they are coded correctly before processing, reconcile purchase invoices to purchase orders and highlight any variances, accurately record and process purchase invoices on Teams and in the Sage accounting system. Creating the weekly payment run in line with approved invoices and issuing suppliers remittance advices in a timely manner. Collating supplier statements and reconciling to the accounting system, chasing for invoices where necessary.
Accurately create and maintain customer accounts, raise sales invoices, apply payments, pursuing collection of unpaid income and resolving any disputes promptly to ensure a clean ledger.
Counting and reconciling cash from all attractions, checking cash floats for accuracy, reconciling takings and highlighting and investigating any variances.
Reporting Lines and Team Structure
As a member of the Finance team, you will be working as part of a small team under the management of the Finance Manager and also mentored by the Trainee Management Accountant.
Internal and External Relationships
· Working collaboratively with colleagues across departments to achieve TAP’s organisational objectives
· Maintain excellent relationships with the large team of volunteers and colleagues
Health & Safety
Be committed to good health and safety and access practice, ensuring familiarity and compliance with TAP policies, procedures and guidelines and the health and safety of visitors, staff, volunteers and contractors at all times.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
Qualifications
Minimum of 5 GCSEs at HR - grade 4 or above (or equivalent) including Maths and English
Experience
No experience necessary but a keen interest in a career in finance
Knowledge & Skills
Good level of Excel experience
Attention to detail and accuracy
Ability to follow procedures and instructions
Good communication
Organised
Personal qualities. attitude and behaviours
Be professional and hard working with an enthusiastic approach to learning
Maintain confidentiality and demonstrate professional integrity at all times
A positive team player
Highly motivated and flexible
Desirable Criteria
Experience
Working as part of a Team
Knowledge & Skills
Advance Excel Sage Accounting Software
This job description is not intended to be prescriptive or exhaustive; it is a framework to outline the main areas of responsibility. Other duties or responsibilities may need to be allocated from time to time to ensure the efficiency of the services.
The Auckland Project focus
The Auckland Project works hard to create a positive change for those living, working and visiting Bishop Auckland. We have created a visitor destination in Bishop Auckland, incorporating Auckland Castle (once home to the Prince Bishops of Durham), a Spanish Art Gallery, Faith Museum, Walled Garden, Deer Park, Mining Art Gallery, Auckland Tower visitor centre and Weardale Railway.
Our visitor destination and community development programme broadly fits into three areas:
- The social environment: we help individuals and communities by creating a sense of curiosity, hope and faith in themselves and the world around them. We provide opportunities for skills development and partnerships, building a year-round tourist market and supporting small creative industries to thrive
- The natural environment: we protect, sustain and enhance the world around us
- The built environment: we restore and enhance the beauty and historic significance of the buildings, structures and assets in our care.
By working with us, you are helping to ensure the town’s future is as magnificent and vibrant as its past.
How to Apply
Apply for this role by downloading and completing an application form from https://aucklandproject.org/support-us/jobs/ and emailing this to [email protected]
Closing date: Sunday 07 June 2026 at midnight
We are unable to accept CVs as application. We only accept a completed application form which can be found at https://aucklandproject.org/support-us/jobs/
If we receive a high volume of applications, we reserve the right to close the application process early.
Pay: From £8.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
