Purpose of the Role
The Assistant Accountant works alongside Finance Director, Steve Fraser to look after the day-to-day financial heartbeat of Project Four - the ledgers, the reconciliations, the month-end rhythm and the numbers the rest of the business leans on to make decisions. It is the role that keeps finance accurate, current and calm.
The remit is deliberately broad. On any given week it spans a supplier query, a client invoice, a bank reconciliation, a VAT deadline and a conversation with a consultant about a project cost all held to the same standard of accuracy and discretion. In a small finance function you see the whole cycle rather than one narrow slice of it, which is the fastest way there is to learn.
This is a growth role. It has been created because the business has grown and the finance work behind it has grown too, and it is built with headroom to develop into a Management Accountant position as P4 scales.
Who we are
Project Four Building Safety Experts is a construction health, safety and building safety consultancy working with clients across the UK from offices in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and London. We advise on CDM compliance, Principal Designer duties, the Building Safety Act, safety case reports and site safety the work that keeps buildings, and the people in them, safe.
We have grown from a standing start to around £6m in revenue and 50+ people across four offices in ten years through a pandemic and a landmark Act. We are not a stuffy consultancy. We build proper relationships, we say what we think, and we back it up.
We are also, by our people’s own account, a good place to be: 93% overall engagement, and 96% of the team saying they are proud to work here. We have been recognised in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work and the World’s Happiest Workplaces lists for 2024/25.
Our Values
Six values. No corporate waffle. We keep it simple, we say it how it is, and we get it done. These are the six things we hire against including for this role.
FAMILY FIRST
Tight-knit team. People before process — full stop.
GENUINELY EMPATHETIC
We listen. We get what people and clients are dealing with.
AUTONOMOUS BY DEFAULT
Hire good people. Trust them. Own your work.
STRAIGHT TALKING
No corporate waffle. Honest, direct, solutions-focused.
AMBITIOUS TOGETHER
We want to win — but as a team. Shared goals, shared success.
BUILDING SOMETHING REAL
Not just a job. Something we’re proud of — we want you in.
Key Responsibilities
The role is grouped into five areas. These reflect the work as it stands today, with headroom to take on more as you grow into the role.
1. Purchase & Sales Ledger
▪ Process, match and code supplier invoices, and resolve queries before they become problems
▪ Raise client invoices and applications accurately and on time
▪ Process staff expenses and keep the approval trail clean
2. Cash & Reconciliation
▪ Reconcile bank accounts, credit cards and supplier statements
▪ Keep an eye on cash position and flag anything that looks off
▪ Maintain the fixed asset register
3. Month-End & Reporting
▪ Prepare accruals, prepayments and journals for review
▪ Support the production of the monthly management accounts pack
▪ Prepare routine operational and financial reports for the wider team
4. Compliance & Year-End
▪ Support the monthly payroll submission by confirming starter, leaver and change details in good time
▪ Support year-end preparation and the information requests that come with it
▪ Safeguard confidentiality and data protection across all financial and payroll information
5. Systems & Continuous Improvement
▪ Keep the finance system clean, current and well organised
▪ Look for ways to make processes simpler if something is clunky, we want to hear about it
▪ Provide reliable day-to-day support that keeps the wider team running smoothly
▪ Have a keen interest in AI, particularly Claude.
The Person
This role is written around a proven approach rather than a checklist of qualifications. If our six values sound like you, the rest is learnable. It suits someone who is:
Accurate & thorough — takes quiet pride in numbers that reconcile first time
Curious — wants to know why a figure moved, not just where it goes
Organised — keeps ledgers, deadlines and records watertight
Approachable — can chase an invoice without burning the relationship
Discreet & trusted — handles payroll and financial information with total confidentiality
Ambitious — wants to finish the AAT journey and keep going after that
Qualifications & experience
We are keeping this open on level. If you are part-way through your AAT and hungry, or fully qualified and ready to take more on, we want to hear from you — the salary flexes to the person.
▪ AAT qualified (Level 3 or Level 4), or actively studying towards it
▪ Practical experience in a finance or accounts role
▪ Confident with Excel — comfortable with lookups, pivots and larger data sets
▪ Able to work from our Liverpool office
Helpful, but not essential: experience with Xero, exposure to a professional services or consultancy environments. We would rather teach the software than the attitude.
What you get from us
▪ Salary of £26,000 – £34,000, set against your AAT level and experience
▪ Full AAT study support — funded courses, study leave and a clear route through your remaining levels
▪ A birthday day off, because life comes first
▪ 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
▪ Company pension scheme
▪ A close-knit, people-first business where your work is seen and your ideas get heard
▪ Autonomy by default we hire good people and trust them to own their work
▪ Room to grow this role is built to develop into a Management Accountant position
Project Four Building Safety Experts is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and will make reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process just tell us what you need and we will sort it.
Pay: £26,000.00-£34,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Private medical insurance
Work Location: In person
