Accounts and Audit Senior

Accounts & Audit Senior

£40,000 - £45,000 | Basildon | ACA/ACCA Qualified | Permanent
If you're a qualified practice accountant who enjoys variety, client contact and having genuine ownership of your work, this could be a strong next step.
We're recruiting for an Accounts & Audit Senior to join a well-established accountancy practice supporting a diverse portfolio of SME clients. Based in Basildon, with occasional work from a nearby office and travel to client sites, this is a predominantly office-based opportunity offering a varied mix of accounts, tax and audit.
With around 70% of the role focused on accounts and tax and 30% on audit, you'll have the opportunity to build strong client relationships while continuing to develop your audit expertise and supervisory experience.

The Opportunity

As an Accounts & Audit Senior, you'll take responsibility for your own portfolio, managing assignments with a high degree of independence while working closely with senior colleagues on more complex matters.
You'll have regular exposure to clients, giving you the opportunity to understand their businesses rather than simply processing figures. There's also scope to increase your responsibilities over time, including taking on more complex clients, greater audit involvement and further responsibility for junior team members.
This role would suit someone with a solid practice background who is technically confident, commercially aware and ready to take more ownership.

What You'll Be Doing

• Preparing year-end statutory accounts for a portfolio of SME clients
• Completing corporation tax returns, including CT600s
• Preparing personal and self-assessment tax returns
• Reviewing accounting records and investigating potential accounting or tax issues
• Managing your own workload against internal and statutory deadlines
• Communicating directly with clients to obtain information and resolve queries
• Developing a strong understanding of clients and their wider financial needs
• Working alongside Directors on more complex accounts and tax assignments
• Planning and carrying out audit fieldwork
• Preparing clear, well-organised audit working papers and files
• Supporting statutory audits across companies, charities and other entities
• Working with FRS 102 and relevant charity reporting requirements
• Taking responsibility for sections of audit assignments through to completion
• Raising and communicating audit issues where appropriate
• Supervising and reviewing the work of a junior team member
• Providing constructive feedback and helping develop junior colleagues

What We're Looking For

You'll need to be ACA or ACCA qualified, with at least four years' experience gained within a UK practice environment.
We're particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:

• Strong experience preparing statutory year-end accounts
• Practical corporation tax and CT600 experience
• Experience with self-assessment tax returns
• A good working knowledge of FRS 102
• Experience across UK taxation, including corporation tax, income tax and VAT
• Relevant statutory audit experience
• Strong Excel skills, including PivotTables
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to meet deadlines
• Confidence dealing directly with clients
• The ability to work independently and use initiative
• A commercially minded approach to understanding client businesses
• Experience reviewing or supervising junior staff

Experience with Academy or charity audits would be particularly useful, as would familiarity with systems such as Caseware, BTC, Xero, QuickBooks or Sage.
A full UK driving licence and access to a car are required due to travel associated with client work and audit assignments.

What's On Offer

• £40,000 - £45,000, depending on experience and qualifications
• Permanent, full-time position
• Primarily office-based working in Basildon
• Variety across accounts, tax and audit rather than a narrowly focused position
• Direct client exposure and the opportunity to build trusted relationships
• Regular interaction with experienced Directors
• Responsibility for your own client portfolio
• Supervisory experience with a junior team member
• Clear scope to increase your portfolio and level of responsibility
• The opportunity to strengthen your audit and client-management experience
• A supportive environment within an established accountancy practice