Senior Accounts Assistant in Slough

I am recruiting for an experienced Senior Accounts Assistant to join a Global Retail business in London. This role is a split between 70% Accounts Receivable, 20% Accounts Payable, and 10% additional adhoc support around month end. You will need to have experience with high volume processing, excellent attention to detail, and strong communication skills with the confidence to communicate daily with internal and external stakeholders and suppliers.

Responsibilities will include:

• Accounts Payable:
  • Process supplier invoices, ensuring accurate coding, VAT treatment, and approval workflows
  • Manage the Accounts Payable inbox and respond to supplier queries in a timely and professional manner
  • Prepare and support fortnightly payment runs, including validation of approved invoices and supplier details
  • Set up and maintain supplier records, including bank detail verification, compliance checks, and supporting documentation
  • Reconcile supplier statements and investigate discrepancies
• Accounts Receivable:
  • Raise customer invoices and credit notes based on approved information
  • Allocate customer receipts and proactively follow up on overdue balances
  • Liaise with customers and internal stakeholders to resolve invoice and payment queries
• Banking & Cash Management:
  • Perform daily and weekly bank postings and reconciliations
  • Investigate and resolve unreconciled transactions promptly
  • Support employee expense processing and reconciliations
• General Finance Administration:
  • Maintain accurate and up-to-date finance records, including supplier and customer master data, fixed asset registers, and AP/AR ledgers
  • Assist with internal and external audit requirements by providing supporting documentation, reports, and explanations
  • Identify opportunities for process improvements and support the implementation of enhanced finance procedures and controls
  • Act as the first point of escalation for complex supplier, customer, and reconciliation issues
  • Review the work of Accounts Assistants and provide guidance to ensure accuracy and compliance with company procedures
  • Support the onboarding, training, and development of new finance team members
  • Take ownership of month-end close activities across Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable, including accruals and balance sheet reconciliations

Candidate specification:

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience within an accounts, finance, or accounting administration environment, demonstrating increasing levels of responsibility
• Ideally from FMCG or Retail background
• Experience working with high volumes of complex invoices
• Experience managing multi-currency transactions
• Previous experience reviewing work or mentoring junior finance team members is desirable
• Experience using SAP or a similar ERP system is desirable
• Strong understanding of accounting principles, including double-entry bookkeeping, invoicing processes, and reconciliations
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel
• Excellent attention to detail with a high level of accuracy, even when working under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and customers
• Self-motivated and able to manage competing priorities independently
• Confident in reviewing work, providing constructive feedback, and supporting team development