Accounts Assistant

Job Title: Accounts Assistant

Location: Warrington, Cheshire

Position Type: Full-time, Contract

Salary: £28,000 - £32,000 per annum

Reporting To: Finance Manager / Financial Controller

Job Summary

An adaptable and detail-focussed Accounts Assistant is required to join a growing finance function based in Warrington. This varied role supports both purchase and sales ledgers, bank reconciliations, and general ledger journal postings, serving as a key operational link between daily transactional accounting and month-end financial reporting.

Key Responsibilities

• Ledger Maintenance: Assisting with the end-to-end processing of purchase invoices, matching purchase orders, and processing sales invoices and credit notes.
• Bank Reconciliations: Performing daily and monthly bank reconciliations across multi-currency accounts, ensuring all receipts and payments are matched accurately.
• Credit Control Support: Monitoring debtor aging, performing light debt collection, and assisting with customer account allocations and query resolution.
• Payment Runs: Assisting with weekly and monthly BACS payment runs for trade creditors and staff expenses.
• Month-End Assistance: Preparing basic journal entries (prepayments, accruals, and nominal ledger adjustments) to support month-end balance sheet reconciliations.
• VAT & Compliance: Assisting in the preparation of quarterly UK VAT returns and maintaining compliant digital records under Making Tax Digital (MTD).
• Ad-Hoc Support: Providing general administrative support to the wider finance team, including supplier queries and audit file preparation.

Person Specification

Required Skills & Experience:

• Minimum 1-2 years of experience within a broad, transactional finance or accounts assistant role.
• Solid understanding of double-entry bookkeeping, nominal ledgers, and trial balances.
• Proficiency in accounting ERP software (e.g., Sage 50/200, Xero, SAP, or Business Central).
• Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills (vlookups, pivot tables, basic formatting, and sum formulas).
• Strong numerical accuracy and attention to detail when managing high volumes of data.

Key Competencies:

• Communication: Clear, professional verbal and written communication with internal department heads and external clients.
• Organisation: Strong time management skills with the ability to balance daily transactional duties with month-end deadlines.
• Proactivity: Strong problem-solving mindset and eagerness to learn wider management accounting processes.

Desirable Criteria:

• Currently studying towards or holds AAT Level 3 / Level 4 qualifications (study support package available).

Prior experience in an SME or fast-paced finance department within the North West.