Accounts Assistant Manager - Non-Audit

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Accounts Assistant Manager to join our non-audit team and take ownership of a mixed portfolio of clients, with a strong focus on businesses within the media and creative industries.

This is a hands-on role for an experienced practice accountant who is ready to take greater responsibility for client relationships, accounts and tax preparation and review, workflow management and team supervision.

While the role includes a strong review and oversight element, the successful candidate will also be expected to get hands-on with preparing more complex accounts and management accounts where required.

You will work closely with clients and the wider team to ensure work is delivered accurately, efficiently and on time, while providing practical support and guidance across a broad range of accounting and tax matters.

The role would suit someone who enjoys the technical side of accountancy but also wants to be involved in people, clients and the day-to-day running of a portfolio.

Key Responsibilities:

Portfolio & Client Management

• Take ownership of a mixed non-audit portfolio, predominantly comprising clients within the media and creative sectors
• Act as a key day-to-day contact for clients, developing strong and trusted working relationships
• Manage client expectations, deadlines and workflow across your portfolio
• Provide practical, commercially aware advice and identify opportunities to add value to clients
• Handle and respond to HMRC queries, correspondence and compliance matters
• Proactively communicate with clients regarding outstanding information, deadlines and technical matters
• Ensure work is delivered to a consistently high standard and within agreed timescales

Accounts & Tax

• Prepare and review year-end statutory accounts, including more complex accounts where required, under FRS 102 1A and FRS 105
• Prepare and review monthly and quarterly management accounts for selected clients
• Take a hands-on approach to the preparation of accounts and management accounts where required, rather than operating solely in a review capacity
• Review and oversee corporation tax computations and CT600s
• Review and oversee personal tax returns for directors, shareholders and sole traders
• Review VAT returns and support clients with VAT compliance and related queries
• Review bookkeeping and accounting records to ensure accuracy, completeness and appropriate supporting documentation
• Identify technical issues and provide appropriate solutions or escalate where required
• Ensure accounts and tax work is completed in accordance with relevant UK legislation, accounting standards and internal procedures

Team & Workflow Management

• Manage workflow across your portfolio, ensuring work is appropriately planned, allocated and completed ahead of deadlines
• Supervise, review and support junior team members, providing constructive feedback and technical guidance
• Delegate work effectively according to team members' experience and workload
• Monitor progress and follow up on outstanding work to keep assignments moving
• Assist with the training and development of junior members of the team
• Act as a point of support for more junior staff on technical and client matters
• Contribute to a positive, collaborative and accountable team environment

Systems & Processes

• Work confidently across Xero, QuickBooks Online (QBO) and Dext, with strong practical experience using cloud accounting software
• Use Xero and QBO effectively to prepare, review and analyse accounting information and support accounts and management accounts production
• Review bookkeeping outputs and ensure accounting data is complete, accurate and reliable
• Support clients with cloud accounting processes and best practice where required
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, efficiency and workflow
• Make effective use of accounting technology to improve the quality and efficiency of client delivery

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Strong experience within a UK accountancy practice, with a predominantly non-audit background
• Strong accounting skills with the ability to prepare as well as review accounts and management accounts
• Proven experience managing or taking significant responsibility for a portfolio of clients
• Strong technical knowledge of UK accounting and taxation
• Good working knowledge of FRS 102 1A and FRS 105
• Experience preparing and/or reviewing statutory accounts, corporation tax computations, CT600s, personal tax returns and VAT
• Experience handling more complex accounts and management accounts independently
• Strong practical experience using Xero and QuickBooks Online (QBO)
• Experience working with UK clients and dealing with HMRC
• Previous experience supervising, reviewing or mentoring junior team members
• Strong organisational and workflow management skills
• Confident client-facing communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple clients, deadlines and competing priorities independently
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to delivering accurate, high-quality work

Desirable

• ACCA or ACA qualified, part-qualified, or qualified by experience
• Experience working with media, creative or similar owner-managed businesses
• Experience providing accounting or tax advice beyond routine compliance
• Strong experience with Dext
• Previous experience at Assistant Manager, Client Manager or equivalent level

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who can operate with a good degree of independence and take genuine ownership of their portfolio.

You will be:

• Technically strong and hands-on, with the ability to prepare and review accounts and management accounts
• Confident using Xero and QBO in a practical accounting environment
• Client-focused, with the confidence to build trusted relationships
• Organised and commercially aware, with a strong understanding of deadlines and priorities
• A capable reviewer and delegator, able to support junior staff while maintaining quality
• Comfortable getting involved in more complex accounting work when required
• Proactive, willing to identify issues rather than simply pass them on
• Practical and solutions-focused, with the ability to explain technical matters clearly
• Collaborative, with a supportive approach to developing colleagues
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced practice environment with multiple clients and competing priorities

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity for an experienced practice accountant to step into a role with greater ownership and responsibility, combining hands-on accounting and tax work with client management, workflow oversight and team leadership.

The successful candidate will become an important part of the non-audit team, with the opportunity to build strong client relationships, develop junior colleagues, work on more complex accounts and management accounts, and contribute to the continued improvement of the firm's accounts and tax offering.