Accounts Assistant

Department: Accounts Assistant

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Head Office

Compensation: £25,000 / year

Hours: Your normal hours of work will be 34 hours per week to be worked Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm and Fridays 9am to 4pm. You are entitled to a one hour unpaid lunch break.

Job Overview: As Accounts Assistant your role will report to the Management Accountant working within a Finance team of 4. Providing timely and accurate financial information internally to the management team and key stakeholders, as well as supporting the external financial accounts processes. To work with the rest of the Finance team to ensure transactional Finance activities are posted to the accounting system in an accurate and efficient manner.

Aims:

• Take responsibility for the Accounts Payable process for the whole nursery group and Head office companies.
• Work closely with the whole Finance team and support where needed.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with Head Office team, nursery teams and franchisees where necessary.
• Produce and report on key financial information to deadlines.
• Support the Head of Finance in process improvement, implementation of policies, writing procedures and assisting in various projects.

Key Responsibilities:

• Supplier invoice processing and management of the Invoicing and Accounts mailboxes, ensuring all invoices are processed timely and accurately.
• Reconciliation of supplier statements and dealing with supplier queries promptly.
• Run accruals for supplier invoices from Concur and post at month end.
• Run prepayments process and post at month end.
• Ensuring correct VAT treatment on invoicing.
• Dealing with Utility contracts ensuring all meter readings are received timely from Nurseries and invoices processed and reconciled to DD’s.
• Processing all Intercompany purchase invoices ensuring all are paid monthly.
• Run payment process for supplier invoices ensuring all approved timely, chasing approvers where necessary.
• Manage Credit cards and expenses processing within Concur limits.
• Support all audit processes providing information and data where applicable.
• Post payroll journals provided by the head of Finance.
• Produce Bank reconciliations for the Nursery Group, posting daily all receipts and payments.
• Work with key stakeholders across the business to challenge and support.
• Support on process improvement and other projects as the business grows and changes.
• Ad hoc analysis and reporting as necessary.

Essential Experience & Knowledge:

• Previous experience contributing to the management accounts process.
• Experience of using accounting software.
• Experience of contributing to the annual accounts and audit process.

Skills & Attributes:

• Ambitious individual, with desire to progress and take on more responsibilities as the business grows and the needs of the role changes.
• Be a reliable member of the team, working co-operatively and with flexibility, supporting the rest of the team when needed.
• Motivated and take a proactive approach to problem solving and making processes more efficient.
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail and accurate record keeping.
• Demonstrates a high level of honesty and integrity.
• Excellent communication skills – written & verbal.
• Microsoft Office package competency – specifically intermediate Excel skills.
• Ability to prioritise work and work to tight deadlines.

Desirables:

• Studying for recognised Accounting qualification.
• Knowledge of Sage accounts software.

Benefits:

• Length of Service Recognition: We want you to stay with us! We recognise and reward your length of service with Monkey Puzzle.
• Enhanced Maternity Pay: Enhanced pay after 2 years service.
• Private Healthcare.
• YuLife: You will be enrolled into our Group Life Assurance policy and have access to the YuLife app.
• Flexible Working.
• Conversion based incentive.
• Social Events: We arrange catch ups with the team alongside our Christmas parties.
• Additional Annual Leave Entitlement: 25 days plus 8 UK bank holidays.
• Early finish on a Friday.

Safeguarding Statement: Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries are committed to keeping children safe; therefore, it is necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record Disclosure and Barring check to be undertaken. All posts involving direct contact with children and vulnerable adults are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected'. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. All candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions, you may be asked for further information about your criminal history during the recruitment process. If your application is successful, this self-disclosure information will be checked against information from the Disclosure & Barring Service before your employment commences.