Accounts Payable & Finance Assistant in Brentford

Location: Brentford (4 days office-based, Fridays WFH)

Salary: Up to £45,000 + Bonus

Reporting to: Finance Director

Company: £7m Turnover Leasing Group

The Opportunity

An established and growing leasing business is seeking an experienced and hands-on Finance Assistant / Accounts Payable professional to work closely with the Finance Director. This is a broad finance role requiring someone who is comfortable taking ownership of accounts payable and payment processes while also supporting month-end and general ledger activities. The successful candidate will be highly organised, detail-oriented and confident managing day-to-day transactional finance responsibilities within a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Accounts Payable & Payments
• Take full ownership of the Accounts Payable function, ensuring invoices are processed accurately and efficiently.
• Process supplier invoices and maintain accurate supplier account records.
• Reconcile supplier statements, investigate discrepancies, and resolve outstanding queries.
• Prepare and process bank payments in line with authorised approval procedures.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with suppliers, responding promptly to payment and account-related enquiries.
• Manage the finance inbox, ensuring all invoices and correspondence are dealt with in a timely manner.
• Process employee expenses and provide guidance on expense claims and company policies where required.
• Banking & Cash Management
• Manage scheduled payment runs and ad hoc payments across the Group.
• Administer banking activities, including liaison with the Group's banking partners regarding new payees, account maintenance, and payment verification requests.
• Produce daily cash position reports and monitor cash flow across multiple entities.
• Prepare monthly bank reconciliations, ensuring all balances are accurately accounted for.
• Allocate and reconcile cash receipts on a daily basis.
• Financial Systems & Ledger Management
• Maintain the integrity of financial records within the Soft4 system across all Group companies.
• Process sales, purchase, and banking transactions accurately and in a timely manner.
• Post and reconcile general ledger journals, including payroll, acquisitions, accruals, prepayments, and other month-end adjustments.
• Perform monthly balance sheet and general ledger reconciliations.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement and support the development and implementation of enhanced finance processes and systems.
• Accounts Receivable
• Raise monthly sales invoices relating to Group property income.
• Record and maintain sales transactions within Soft4.
• Proactively monitor outstanding balances, issuing statements and following up overdue accounts where necessary.
• Process end-of-contract balance adjustments and authorised write-offs in accordance with company procedures.
• VAT, Payroll & Compliance
• Prepare and submit VAT returns for three Group companies, ensuring accuracy and compliance with HMRC requirements.
• Maximise legitimate VAT recovery and ensure bad debt relief claims are correctly accounted for.
• Arrange VAT payments within statutory deadlines.
• Support the Finance Director with RAL reporting requirements and other indirect tax matters.
• Process approved monthly payroll payments through online banking platforms.
• Ensure all payroll-related payments to HMRC are made accurately and on time.
• Reporting, Audit & Month-End
• Support the month-end and year-end close processes across the Group.
• Assist in the preparation of management information, financial reports, and supporting analysis.
• Maintain effective relationships with external auditors, providing information and documentation as required.
• Support the Finance Director with ad hoc reporting, finance projects, and business initiatives.

Skills & Experience Required

• Previous experience in an Accounts Payable, Finance Assistant, Finance Officer, Assistant Accountant, or similar finance position.
• Strong hands-on experience managing accounts payable processes from invoice receipt through to payment.
• Proven experience with payment processing and online banking platforms.
• Sound understanding of supplier management and accounts payable controls.
• Experience posting journals and maintaining accurate general ledger records.
• Strong reconciliation skills, including bank, supplier, and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Experience preparing and submitting VAT returns.
• Experience using ERP or accounting systems, ideally Soft4, Microsoft Dynamics Business Central, or Dynamics 365.
• Advanced Excel skills with the ability to analyse and reconcile financial data.
• Excellent attention to detail and a high level of accuracy.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently while taking ownership of key finance processes.
• Confident communicating with stakeholders at all levels, including senior management and the Finance Director.

Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will be a proactive and detail-oriented finance professional with strong Accounts Payable and payment-processing experience. They will be comfortable managing day-to-day transactional finance activities while also supporting month-end processes, financial reporting, and wider finance initiatives within a growing organisation.

Package

• Salary up to £45,000
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Christmas bonus
• 25 days annual leave
• Hybrid working (4 days office, Fridays from home)

This role would suit a capable and proactive finance professional who enjoys being hands-on, has strong Accounts Payable expertise, and is comfortable supporting a broad range of finance activities while working closely with the Finance Director in a growing business.

Urgent requirement - immediate interviews available