Assistant Accountant in Northumberland, Ponteland

The Assistant Accountant is responsible for documenting finance functions including accounts payables/receivables, receipts/payments, cashflow, reconciliations, general ledger transactions, P&L, and Balance sheet including management accounts. The role is within a small finance team.

Lawson Fuses specialises in the design, development, and manufacturing of low voltage, High-Rupturing Capacity (HRC) fuse links and fuse holders. Applications include electric/electronic capital equipment, utilities, renewable energy, and domestic households.

Lawson Fuses is undergoing a period of exciting change, focusing on accelerated growth of its product line and market share. The Finance Team Member plays a critical role in documenting and reconciling transactions, including receipts/payments, overall transactional finance operations, and some P&L/Balance sheet reporting.

Key Accountabilities:

• Day to Day responsibility for financial transactional processing, including supplier invoice input, reconciliation journals, supplier relationship management, and credit control.
• Ensure financial transactions are carried out in a timely and cost-effective manner, adhering to group financial policies.
• Perform three-way matching PO/GRN/Invoices and resolve any issues identified.
• Input supplier invoices daily, reconcile statements, and credit notes in line with supplier and internal expectations.
• Raise and allocate payments made, ensuring unallocated payments are reviewed and cleared in good time.
• Monitor supplier/customer accounts, liaising with the business to highlight upcoming due dates and payment profiles.
• Manage DPO (Days payables outstanding) within forecasted cash balances and resolve invoicing queries.
• Review aged AP, AR, Debit notes, Goods Received Not Invoiced, and Purchase orders outstanding, clearing where possible.
• Support the preparation of monthly management accounts (P&L/Balance sheet), including prepayments/accruals and reconciliations.
• Obtain, maintain, and report GL historical data for strategic decisions by the Financial Controller & Leadership team.
• Perform reconciliations, including investigation and resolution of variances.
• Daily spreadsheet updates, cashflows, and banking transactions.
• Support the Financial Controller by providing data for forecasts, quarterly business reviews, medium-term plans, budgets, and other analysis.
• Undertake any other duties that may fall into the job criteria, including providing holiday cover across the department.

Qualifications:

• AAT qualified or equivalent standard, with opportunity to progress with further qualifications.
• Ideally, part/newly qualified in a finance-related/recognised accounting qualification.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a finance function, preferably within an SME.
• Good understanding of Microsoft 365/D365.
• Working knowledge of Excel spreadsheets.

Job Specific Skills:

• Ability to make decisions within defined procedures and use initiative.
• High attention to detail and accuracy skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Extremely organised and a multi-tasker.
• Experience in reconciliations and accounts maintenance.
• Experience in working with various Finance and ERP systems.

Behavioral Competencies:

• Driven by solutions with a positive approach.
• Determined & Motivated.
• Flexibility & creativity.
• Strong team player who is supportive and strives for success for themselves and their team.

Values:

• We support and respect each other.
• We collaborate.
• We continually improve.
• We ‘can do’.