Assistant Accountant

Brightsky Youth Services Limited
Birmingham

Quick apply

Job details

Full-time
£32,864 a year
1 day ago

Benefits

Free parking
Casual dress
Annual leave
Company pension

Qualifications

Purchase order matching processing
Pivot table analysis
Financial reconciliation support
Management accounts preparation
Payroll administration
Month-end financial reporting
Payment allocation
Management accounting expertise
Financial report writing
Accruals and prepayments for month-end close
Financial analysis
Analysis skills
Bachelor's degree
QuickBooks
Payroll
Safeguarding procedures
Ongoing financial performance monitoring
Pivot tables
Finance and accounting experience
Fraud prevention and detection
Accounts payable reconciliations
Payment run preparation
Cash handling
Accounting
Communication skills
Supplier invoice processing
AAT
Account reconciliation

Full job description

1. About BrightSky Youth Services

BrightSky Youth Services is a supported accommodation provider delivering high-quality accommodation and support to young people, including care leavers and young people aged 16–21. Our services are designed to promote young people’s independence, safety, wellbeing, education, employment and life skills. As a regulated provider, accurate financial management, strong financial controls and effective record keeping are essential to the safe and effective operation of our services. The Assistant Accountant will play an important role in supporting the Finance and Management teams by maintaining accurate financial records, processing financial transactions, assisting with payroll and payments, monitoring income and expenditure, and ensuring financial information is accurate, timely and properly documented.

2. Job Purpose

The Assistant Accountant will provide effective day-to-day accounting and financial administration support to BrightSky Youth Services. The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining accurate financial records, processing invoices and payments, reconciling bank accounts, monitoring income and expenditure, assisting with payroll-related processes, preparing financial reports and supporting month-end and year-end accounting activities. The role requires a high level of accuracy, confidentiality, organisation and attention to detail. The postholder will work closely with management, administration, HR, service managers and external accountants/auditors where required.

3. Key Responsibilities
A. Purchase Ledger and Supplier Payments

· Process supplier invoices accurately and promptly.

· Check invoices for purchase orders, agreements or other supporting documentation.

· Ensure invoices are appropriately authorised before payment.

· Maintain accurate supplier records.

· Prepare payment schedules and payment requests.

· Monitor outstanding supplier invoices and resolve discrepancies.

· Respond to supplier queries professionally.

· Ensure payments are correctly coded to the appropriate nominal/accounting codes.

· Maintain appropriate records and support documentation for all transactions.

B. Sales Ledger and Income

· Raise invoices where required.

· Record and monitor income received by the Organisation.

· Allocate payments accurately to the appropriate accounts.

· Monitor outstanding invoices and assist with credit control.

· Follow up outstanding payments in accordance with company procedures.

· Investigate discrepancies between invoices, payments and accounting records.

· Maintain accurate income records.

C. Bank Reconciliations

· Complete regular bank reconciliations.

· Match transactions appearing on bank statements with accounting records.

· Investigate and resolve unreconciled transactions.

· Identify unusual or duplicate transactions and report them to the appropriate manager.

· Maintain accurate reconciliation records for audit purposes.

D. General Accounting Duties

· Maintain accurate accounting records using the organisation’s accounting systems.

· Process journals and other accounting adjustments as authorised.

· Assist with accruals and prepayments.

· Assist with depreciation and fixed asset records where required.

· Maintain the chart of accounts and accounting codes as directed.

· Assist with month-end accounting procedures.

· Ensure financial records are complete, accurate and up to date.

· Support the Finance Manager and external accountants with accounting queries.

E. Payroll Support

· Provide administrative support for the monthly payroll process.

· Check time sheets, working hours, overtime, sickness, annual leave and other payroll information.

· Liaise with managers and HR to resolve payroll discrepancies.

· Ensure payroll information is submitted accurately and within agreed deadlines.

· Maintain appropriate payroll records and confidentiality.

· Assist with payroll reconciliations.

· Escalate payroll discrepancies or unusual payments to the appropriate manager.

Note: The Assistant Accountant will not make unauthorised changes to employee pay or payroll records.

4. Expenses and Staff Claims

· Process staff expense claims in accordance with company policy.

· Check receipts and support documentation.

· Ensure expenses have appropriate management authorisation.

· Identify duplicate, incomplete or inappropriate claims.

· Maintain accurate records of approved expenses.

· Assist with monthly expense reporting.

5. Budget Monitoring

· Assist management with monitoring departmental and service expenditure.

· Compare actual expenditure against budgets.

· Identify significant variances and report them to the Finance Manager.

· Assist with preparing budget monitoring reports.

· Monitor recurring expenditure and identify unusual increases.

· Support managers in understanding financial information relevant to their services.

6. Financial Reporting

Assist with the preparation of:

· Income and expenditure reports.

· Budget versus actual reports.

· Cash-flow information.

· Outstanding debtor and creditor reports.

· Bank reconciliation reports.

· Payroll reconciliation reports.

· Expense reports.

· Other financial reports requested by management.

The postholder must ensure reports are accurate, clearly presented and submitted within agreed deadlines.

7. Month-End and Year-End Support

· Assist with monthly financial close procedures.

· Prepare supporting schedules and reconciliations.

· Assist with accruals, prepayments and journals.

· Investigate unusual balances.

· Maintain appropriate financial documentation.

· Assist external accountants with year-end accounts.

· Provide supporting information required for audit or financial review.

· Ensure financial records are retained in accordance with company requirements.

8. Financial Controls and Compliance

The Assistant Accountant will support BrightSky Youth Services in maintaining strong financial controls.

Responsibilities include:

· Following the organisation’s financial policies and procedures.

· Ensuring appropriate authorisation is obtained before payments are processed.

· Maintaining segregation of duties where applicable.

· Identifying and reporting financial irregularities.

· Maintaining an appropriate audit trail.

· Ensuring financial documentation is complete and accessible.

· Protecting company financial information.

· Supporting internal and external audits.

· Reporting suspected fraud, financial misconduct or financial irregularities immediately through the appropriate management process.

9. Cash and Petty Cash

Where applicable:

· Maintain petty cash records.

· Reconcile petty cash balances.

· Check supporting receipts and documentation.

· Record petty cash transactions accurately.

· Investigate discrepancies.

· Ensure cash handling follows company procedures.

10. Supporting Supported Accommodation Services

The Assistant Accountant will work with operational teams to ensure that financial administration relating to BrightSky’s supported accommodation services is accurate.

This may include supporting financial information relating to:

· Service costs.

· Property-related expenditure.

· Utilities.

· Maintenance expenditure.

· Staff expenses.

· Service level budgets.

· Supplier invoices.

· Accommodation-related income.

· Young people agreed financial arrangements were applicable and authorised.

· Other operational expenditure.

The postholder must maintain appropriate professional boundaries and must not access, disclose or use young people’s personal information unless it is necessary for legitimate work purposes and they are authorised to do so.

11. Data Protection and Confidentiality

The Assistant Accountant will have access to confidential financial, employee and organisational information.

The postholder must:

· Always maintain strict confidentiality.

· Follow BrightSky Youth Services’ confidentiality and data protection procedures.

· Only access information is necessary for their role.

· Store financial information securely.

· Never disclose confidential information to Unauthorised individuals.

· Follow applicable UK data protection requirements.

· Immediately report any suspected data breach to the appropriate manager.

12. Communication and Teamwork

· Work effectively with Finance, HR, Administration and operational management teams.

· Communicate professionally with suppliers and external organisations.

· Respond promptly to finance-related queries.

· Explain financial discrepancies clearly and professionally.

· Maintain positive working relationships with colleagues.

· Attend meetings when required.

· Escalate issues appropriately and without unnecessary delay.

13. Systems and IT

The successful candidate should be confident using accounting and office-based systems, including: [Accounting software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Moss, Online banking/payment systems where authorised, Payroll systems, Company finance and administrative systems].

Strong Excel skills are particularly desirable, including:

· SUM/SUMIF/SUMIFS.

· VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP.

· Pivot tables.

· Sorting and filtering.

· Basic financial spreadsheets.

· Data validation and checking.

· Basic financial analysis.

Need previous experience with QuickBooks accounting system.

14. Safeguarding Responsibilities

Although this is primarily a finance position, the Assistant Accountant works within an Organisation providing services to young people.

The postholder must:

· Understand their responsibility to contribute to a safe organisational environment.

· Follow BrightSky Youth Services’ safeguarding policies and procedures.

· Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.

· Report safeguarding concerns in accordance with company procedures.

· Complete safeguarding training is appropriate to their role.

· Understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

· Maintain confidentiality while ensuring concerns are appropriately reported.

15. Health and Safety

The postholder must:

· Follow BrightSky Youth Services’ Health and Safety policies.

· Maintain a safe working environment.

· Report hazards, accidents or concerns appropriately.

· Complete mandatory training relevant to the role.

· Follow office and workplace safety procedures.

16. Essential Qualifications and Experience

The successful candidate must have:

· Minimum 2 years’ relevant accounting, finance or accounts assistant experience.

· Good understanding of basic accounting principles.

· Experience processing invoices and payments.

· Experience completing bank reconciliations.

· Experience maintaining financial records.

· Experience using Microsoft Excel.

· Experience working with accounting software’s such us QuickBooks accounting system and Moss.

· Good understanding of confidentiality and financial controls.

· Strong attention to detail.

· Good numerical and analytical skills.

· Ability to work to deadlines.

· Ability to priorities workload effectively.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

17. Desirable Qualifications and Experience

Desirable candidates may have:

· AAT qualification or working towards AAT.

· Degree or relevant qualification in Accounting, Finance, Business or a related subject.

· Experience working within the care, social care, supported accommodation, housing or charity sector.

· Experience supporting month-end accounts.

· Experience assisting with payroll.

· Experience in preparing management accounts.

· Experience with QuickBooks systems.

· Experience supporting external audits.

· Experience with budget monitoring and financial analysis.

18. Person Specification

Criteria

Minimum 2 years’ accounting/finance experience (Essential)
Accounting qualification or relevant experience (Essential & Desirable)
AAT qualification (Desirable)
Bank reconciliation experience (Essential)
Purchase/sales ledger experience (Essential)
Microsoft Excel skills (Essential)
Accounting software experience (Essential)
Payroll support experience (Desirable)
Management accounts experience (Desirable)
Budget monitoring experience (Desirable)
Strong numerical ability (Essential)
Excellent attention to detail (Essential)
Good communication skills (Essential)
Ability to work independently (Essential)
Ability to work as part of a team (Essential)
Understanding of confidentiality (Essential)
Understanding of financial controls (Essential)
Social care/supported accommodation experience (Desirable)
Safeguarding awareness (Essential)
Commitment to professional standards (Essential)

19. Key Skills and Competencies
Accuracy and Attention to Detail: Ability to identify errors, discrepancies and missing information and ensure financial records are accurate.
Organisation: Ability to manage multiple finance tasks, priorities workload and meet deadlines.
Numerical Skills: Strong ability to work confidently with financial figures, calculations and reconciliations.
Analytical Skills: Ability to identify trends, discrepancies and unusual transactions and investigate them appropriately.
Communication: Ability to communicate financial information clearly to both finance and non-finance colleagues.
Confidentiality: Ability to handle sensitive financial, employee and organisational information appropriately.
Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with Finance, HR, Administration and operational teams.
Integrity: Demonstrates honesty, reliability and a strong commitment to financial accountability.
Problem Solving: Ability to investigate discrepancies and identify practical solutions while escalating matters appropriately.

20. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance may be monitored in the following areas:

1. Accuracy of financial records.

2. Timely processing of invoices and payments.

3. Completion of bank reconciliations within agreed deadlines.

4. Accuracy of payroll information submitted.

5. Timely completion of month-end finance tasks.

6. Accuracy of financial reports.

7. Effective management of outstanding invoices.

8. Compliance with financial procedures.

9. Quality of supporting documentation and audit trails.

10. Timely response to finance queries.

11. Identification and appropriate escalation of financial discrepancies.

12. Maintaining confidentiality and data protection standards.

21. Working Relationships

The Assistant Accountant will work closely with:

· Finance Manager / Senior Management.

· Registered Service Manager / Head of Service.

· Regional Managers.

· Team Managers.

· Team Leaders.

· HR and Recruitment Team.

· Administration Team.

· External Accountants.

· Auditors.

· Suppliers and other external organisations.

22. Professional Standards

The postholder is expected to:

· Always act professionally and respectfully.

· Maintain high standards of integrity and accountability.

· Follow BrightSky Youth Services policies and procedures.

· Maintain confidentiality.

· Work within the limits of their authority.

· Seek guidance where necessary.

· Keep their professional knowledge and skills up to date.

· Take responsibility for the quality and accuracy of their work.

23. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

BrightSky Youth Services is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.

The postholder is expected to:

· Treat colleagues, young people, families, professionals and external organisations with dignity and respect.

· Promote equality and inclusion.

· Avoid discrimination and inappropriate behaviour.

· Follow the organisation’s equality and diversity policies.

24. General Duties

This job description is intended to describe the main responsibilities of the role. It is not an exhaustive list. The postholder may be required to undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the responsibilities and level of the position.

The job description may be reviewed periodically to reflect organisational needs, regulatory requirements and changes in the service.

Pay: £32,864.00 per year

Benefits:

Casual dress
Company pension
Free parking

Education:

Bachelor's (preferred)

Experience:

accounting or finance: 2 years (preferred)

Language:

English fluently (preferred)

Work authorisation:

United Kingdom (preferred)

Work Location: In person

Quick apply

Jobseeker tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected