Finance Assistant in Middlesbrough

Finance Assistant – Remote, Full Study Support Location: Fully remote within the UK (ideally Teesside/North East) Preference: Applicants based in the North East are particularly welcome, although this is not essential Salary: £23,000–£27,000, depending on experience and NMW requirements Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday Contract: Permanent Study support: Full support towards AAT, CIMA, ACCA or an equivalent professional accounting qualification The Opportunity If you’re looking to build a long-term career in finance but don’t want to spend the next few years doing nothing but processing invoices, this newly created Finance Assistant position offers something different. You’ll begin by taking ownership of essential day-to-day bookkeeping and transactional finance activities, but the role has been designed to develop as your knowledge and confidence grow. With direct support from an experienced Financial Controller, you’ll gradually gain exposure to journals, balance sheet reconciliations, VAT, month-end processes and elements of management accounts preparation. Rather than working on the accounts of just one company, you’ll support a small portfolio of businesses. This will give you broader practical experience, insight into different transactions and a much stronger understanding of how finance operates across growing organisations. You don’t need to arrive with years of experience or a completed accounting qualification. The company is open to someone who has gained some practical finance or bookkeeping exposure, as well as someone who has studied finance or accounting and is now looking for the opportunity to apply that knowledge in a real working environment. What matters most is that you’re accurate, curious, comfortable taking responsibility and genuinely interested in developing a career in finance. Why This Role Stands Out * Salary of £23,000–£27,000, depending on experience and NMW requirements * Fully remote working, with laptop and equipment provided * Flexible start and finish times around your 40-hour working week * Full study support towards AAT, CIMA, ACCA or an equivalent qualification * Direct guidance and day-to-day support from the Financial Controller * A structured opportunity to progress beyond transactional bookkeeping * Gradual exposure to journals, reconciliations, month-end and management accounts * Varied experience across a small portfolio of businesses rather than one set of accounts * Private healthcare through Vitality * Group life assurance and income protection * Pension scheme and mental health support programmes * Ongoing professional development * Company retreats and occasional opportunities for travel * A supportive, entrepreneurial environment where you can help improve processes as the business grows What the Finance Assistant Will Do Initially, you’ll focus on keeping the day-to-day finances accurate, organised and up to date. As your capability develops, you’ll progressively take on more involved accounting responsibilities. Your role will include: * Process purchase and sales ledger transactions, including invoice matching, coding and posting, supplier payment runs and employee expenses. * Complete daily and monthly bank reconciliations across multiple company accounts and maintain accurate QuickBooks records. * Assist with VAT return preparation, quarterly submissions and fixed asset records. * Prepare basic accruals, prepayments and balance sheet reconciliations with support from the Financial Controller. * Support month-end activities, financial reporting and, as your experience develops, elements of management accounts preparation. * Respond to finance queries and contribute to improvements across bookkeeping processes and systems. What You’ll Bring: This role could suit an existing Finance Assistant, Accounts Assistant, Bookkeeper or Accounts Administrator who wants broader experience and clearer development. It could also suit someone who has completed, or is currently completing, an accounting or finance qualification and now needs the practical experience to build their career. You’ll ideally bring: * Some bookkeeping, transactional finance or accounting knowledge, gained through work or study * Strong attention to detail and a careful approach to working with numbers * The ability to organise your workload and meet regular deadlines * The self-motivation needed to work effectively from home * Clear written and verbal communication skills * Confidence communicating with suppliers, customers and colleagues * An interest in learning how transactions feed into month-end and wider financial reporting * A genuine desire to develop professionally and work towards an accounting qualification Experience with QuickBooks or another accounting platform such as Xero or Sage would be helpful, but it isn’t essential. Strong Excel skills would also be useful, including formulas, pivot tables and VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP, but you don’t need to know everything from day one. Location Candidates can be considered across the UK, although location may help determine the eventual customer portfolio. Proximity to London, Nottingham, the Midlands, Southampton or Poole could be particularly useful. Working Arrangements This is a fully remote position, and the company will provide the laptop and equipment you need. You’ll work 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, with some flexibility around your start and finish times. The Financial Controller is based in the Teesside area, so applicants living in Teesside or elsewhere in the North East are particularly welcome. However, this is a preference rather than a requirement, and applications are encouraged from across the UK. Occasional travel may be required for meetings or company activities, typically no more than once per quarter. Why You Should Apply Many junior finance roles promise development but leave people processing the same transactions without ever seeing what happens next. This role offers the opportunity to understand the wider accounting cycle. You’ll still build a solid foundation in ledgers, bookkeeping and reconciliations, but you’ll also have a Financial Controller who is available to support you and intends to increase your responsibilities as your competency develops. Over time, that could include independently preparing journals and contributing to month-end and management accounts. Whether you already have some practical experience or you’re looking for your first opportunity to turn accounting knowledge into a career, you’ll receive the support, variety and professional study backing to take a meaningful next step. Apply now or message me directly for a confidential conversation. You don’t need to have every listed skill or a perfect CV to get in touch. We are happy to support neurodivergent candidates and can make reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process