Onboarding Specialist

We are looking for an Onboarding Specialist to set new clients up for success from the moment they join our Accounting-as-a-Service product. This person will take ownership of the onboarding process, helping startup founders and small business owners understand their responsibilities, configure essential tools like Xero, and transition smoothly into our long-term service model.

At 1st Formations, we empower entrepreneurs to start, run, and grow their businesses with confidence. Running a business shouldn’t be slowed down by company formation, statutory compliance, accounting, or payroll. From day one, these essentials should be seamless, reliable, and intelligently handled — freeing founders to focus on building and scaling.

We’re a leading UK provider of company formation and compliance services, building a modern, fully integrated technology platform that supports founders at every stage of their journey. Our platform brings together formation, compliance, accounting, payroll, and ongoing business support in one cohesive experience.

Why Join Us Now? You’ll be joining a business with strong momentum, clear direction, and real opportunity for progression:

• £18m annual revenue, including £9m ARR
• Over 1 million companies formed
• Certified B Corp and Carbon Neutral Business
• Forecast to grow 5x–10x over the next three years

The Role: We’re looking for a people‑first, client‑focused Onboarding Specialist to set new clients up for success from the moment they join our Accounting-as-a-Service product. You’ll own the onboarding experience – running structured welcome calls with new clients, walking them through what we do, what to expect from our team, and what their key obligations are as a business.

This is a client‑facing role at its core: you’ll spend the majority of your time on video calls, building rapport with startup founders and small business owners and making a complex topic feel simple and reassuring.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead 30–45 minute structured onboarding video calls with new clients using a prepared script, covering our services, their statutory obligations, and what they can expect from us.
• Walk clients through their key responsibilities in a clear, jargon‑free way, including relevant compliance milestones like filing deadlines, VAT and PAYE registration, and Corporation Tax.
• Give clients a guided orientation of their accounting tools (e.g. Xero), so they feel confident from day one.
• Identify additional services a client may need (e.g. payroll, VAT) and flag these internally for follow‑up.
• Ensure all client details are accurately captured in internal systems.
• Document and hand over all relevant information to the Customer Service and Retention teams at the close of onboarding.
• Spot early risks (e.g. clients who seem disengaged or behind on setup) and elevate to relevant stakeholders.
• Contribute to refining the onboarding process and improving the client experience over time.

What We’re Looking For:

• Proven experience running client‑facing onboarding calls, welcome calls, or structured video‑based client sessions – this is the most important thing we’re hiring for.
• A natural communicator: warm, structured, and able to put people at ease on a call.
• Comfortable following and adapting a prepared script while keeping the conversation feeling natural.
• Confident explaining processes and obligations to clients who are new to accounting and business admin.
• Basic familiarity with UK statutory requirements for small businesses (e.g. Corporation Tax, Self‑Assessment, VAT thresholds, PAYE) – you don’t need to be an accountant, but you should be able to explain these clearly to a first‑time founder.
• Any experience with cloud accounting platforms like Xero or QuickBooks is a bonus. We will provide full training.
• Strong documentation habits and the ability to prepare clean handovers for internal teams.
• Comfortable managing several active onboarding processes simultaneously.

What We Offer:

• £32,000–£35,000 salary and comprehensive benefits package.
• Hybrid working model (3 days in office; 2 days from home).
• A genuine opportunity to shape and build processes from scratch.
• Clear progression pathways as the practice scales.
• A culture that values ownership, impact, and continuous improvement.

Equal Opportunities: 1st Formations is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We consider all applicants for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, criminal history, disability, or gender identity. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.