Finance Assistant

Gillespies is a leading landscape architecture, environmental planning, and urban design practice. We are a friendly and sociable team and believe that collective enthusiasm, diversity, and passion for design is the root to our long success. We are seeking a Finance Assistant, ideally with experience in Accounts Payable, to join our team on a permanent basis. This role will combine responsibility for Accounts Payable with an element of support across general office and HR administration. You will be based in our well-established Oxford office, set in a charming historic Coach House near Bagley Wood, just a 10-minute cycle from the city centre.

We are looking for an organised, proactive, and personable individual to join our team. The successful candidate will support the practice by managing the accounts payable function, alongside a range of financial, human resources, and general office administrative duties. This role requires someone who is detail-oriented, able to prioritise tasks effectively, and comfortable working across multiple areas of the business to ensure smooth day-to-day operations.

• Monitor, review and maintain the finance.south inbox.
• Process approved purchase ledger invoices, credit notes and payments into our Deltek Vantagepoint accounting system.
• Maintain purchase ledger accounts and ensure balances are checked and reconciled with supplier statements, resolving any discrepancies efficiently.
• Prepare and process supplier payment runs, expense payment runs and any other Adhoc payments as required, once approved by the Finance Director within HSBC.net.
• Perform bank reconciliations across multiple currencies.
• Maintain billing rate tables and billing terms within the system.
• Update and maintain monthly exchange rates.
• Coordinate sub-consultant invoicing and monthly reconciliation.
• Complete Partner credit card expense reports.
• Assist with VAT preparation and submission.
• Provide support and assistance with the Year-End Audit process.
• Provide support with the annual carbon footprint assessment.
• Month end processing and reconciliation, including assisting with accruals, prepayments and depreciation.
• Support monthly P&L and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Client billing, liaising with project managers for invoice approval and issuing to clients.
• Provide support / cover for Accounts Receivable function when required.
• Become a Vantagepoint super user; providing training and assistance where needed.

• Maintain accurate employee records in BambooHR, including onboarding and offboarding documentation, visa/immigration records, and staff qualifications.
• Support HR administration activities such as holiday, sickness, overtime, and timesheet tracking, along with payroll-related administrative tasks.
• Provide ad hoc support on HR projects, company benefits administration, and general administration when needed.
• Support studio operations and compliance, including facilities coordination, record maintenance (suppliers, projects, clients), ensure compliance with employment policies and procedures, and administrative support to Partners, HR, Finance and Marketing where required.

• Ideally have some accounting qualification and/or part qualified.
• Accounts Payable experience.
• Strong IT understanding of financial systems.
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and good working knowledge of other Microsoft Office applications, such as Outlook & Word.
• Be self-motivated, prepared to initiate work and operate under minimal supervision.
• High levels of personal effectiveness, particularly co-ordination, organisation, and the ability to focus on ensuring that timetables/deadlines can be met.
• Have a flexible, organised and committed approach to work.
• Have commercial awareness and possess excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Have enthusiasm, confidence, drive, presence, and self-motivation.
• Be able to establish and develop good working relationships with staff working at all levels within Gillespies.
• Ability to explain financial issues in a way that is easily understood by non-financial staff.
• Ability to organise and plan tasks effectively to work under pressure to meet essential deadlines.

• Carry out duties consistent with all Gillespies Guidelines, including Health & Safety, Disciplinary Process, and Equal Opportunities Policy.
• Carry out duties consistent with the Gillespies Quality Assurance (QA) procedures.
• Ensure confidentiality concerning projects, staff, and finance.

Primarily based at Gillespies Oxford Office, The Coach House, Bagley Croft, Hinksey Hill, Oxford, OX1 5BS; however, from time to time, you may need to visit our other offices. Core office hours are 10 am to 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday, and Flexible between 8 am and 6.30 pm. The nature of finance work is often time pressured when there are important deadlines to meet, and it may be necessary to work extra hours when required.

• A competitive salary with a range of benefits.
• HSF – Healthcare cash back plan.
• Perkbox.
• A ‘flexi-hours’ scheme to allow for a healthy work-life balance.
• Flexible working from home.
• Cycle-to-work scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme.

Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK as unfortunately we are not currently sponsoring work permits.