Assistant Accountant in Sheffield

Location: Sheffield City Centre (office-based)

Hours: 37 hours per week

Contract: Fixed-term for 9 months from March 2026.

Salary: £30,000 - £35,000 (per annum pro-rata for the duration of the contract)

We are looking for a confident and capable Assistant Accountant to join UniHomes on a 9-month maternity cover contract, starting in March 2026. This role offers the chance to contribute to a business that is scaling with purpose and investing in its people and processes.

This position is ideal for someone with solid experience in transactional finance and month-end processes, who enjoys working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. You will work closely with the Financial Controller, Management Accountant, and the wider team to ensure the smooth running of our finance operations.

Key responsibilities:

• Support the month-end close process, including preparation and posting of journals, prepayments, and accruals.
• Assist the Management Accountant with the production of monthly management accounts and variance analysis.
• Maintain and reconcile balance sheet control accounts, investigating and resolving discrepancies.
• Process payroll for approximately 140 employees across two companies using Sage, ensuring accurate and timely submission of PAYE and pension contributions.
• Ensure compliance with UK payroll legislation, including statutory payments and pension auto-enrolment.
• Manage supplier relationships, including resolving queries and ensuring timely payments.
• Prepare and process weekly supplier payment runs in line with internal controls and authorisation limits.
• Reconcile large data sets accurately and efficiently as part of month-end and reporting processes.
• Maintain accurate bank and cash records, including daily reconciliations and allocation of transactions.
• Use Sage Intacct to support financial reporting, transaction processing, and system-based workflows.
• Assist with the preparation of year-end accounts and audit schedules and respond to auditor queries.
• Provide operational finance support to other departments, including resolving coding queries and supporting budget tracking.
• Collaborate with Finance Assistants and provide cover during periods of absence or peak activity.
• Support the Financial Controller and Finance Director with ad-hoc tasks and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills and experience:

• Proven experience in a similar Assistant Accountant or finance role, ideally within a fast-paced SME or scale-up environment.
• Strong understanding of double-entry bookkeeping and core accounting principles.
• Hands-on experience processing payroll for a medium-sized organisation (c.100+ employees), ideally using Sage.
• Strong understanding of UK payroll legislation, including statutory payments and pension compliance.
• Confident in preparing journals, reconciliations, and supporting month-end close.
• Experience working across multiple entities or cost centres.
• Confident in reconciling balance sheet accounts and investigating discrepancies.
• Experience reconciling large data sets and managing high transaction volumes.
• Ability to interact professionally with suppliers and resolve queries promptly.
• Comfortable working with cloud-based finance systems (experience with Sage Intacct is desirable).
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, including use of formulas, pivot tables, and data analysis tools.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy in processing financial data.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Clear and confident communicator, able to work effectively with colleagues across finance and other departments.
• Proactive and solutions-focused, with a willingness to take ownership of tasks and see them through.
• Familiarity with Salesforce or similar CRM systems is a plus, but not essential.

About us:

At UniHomes, we are on a mission to transform the entire student rental experience across the UK. As the market-leading student accommodation advertising platform and utility management service provider, we make finding and securing all-inclusive student accommodation simple, seamless, and stress-free.

Since launching in 2015, we have experienced rapid growth. Today, we operate in 60+ cities, partner with 1,000+ agents and operators, and are backed by Macquarie Capital and LDC. Our success has been recognised with accolades from EY Entrepreneur of the Year, Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50, The Negotiator Awards, and Great Place to Work certification.

Our 140+ strong team is based in the heart of Sheffield City Centre, where we are driving innovation, expanding into new markets, and fostering a culture built on collaboration, creativity, and growth.

If you are ready to make a meaningful impact and help redefine how students find their perfect home, now is the time to join UniHomes. Be part of a team that is opening new doors to better experiences, brighter ideas, and stress-free living.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone can thrive and which values individuals for their unique perspectives. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments to make the recruitment process more accessible to you.

Applicants must already have the permanent and unrestricted right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship as we do not hold a sponsor licence.

We want to hear your unique voice in your application. Show us the real you.

We do not accept CV submissions from recruitment agencies. Direct applications from individual candidates are encouraged. Thank you for your understanding.