Finance Assistant

Job Description Finance Assistant Location: Remote — based in South Africa, supporting teams across our UK offices (Leeds, Newcastle and Manchester) Reports to: Managing Director [or Finance Director, if applicable] Hours: 8.00am – 5.00pm (UK time), Monday to Friday Contract: Full-time, permanent About Us We are a specialist education and SEND staffing agency supplying schools, academies and specialist provisions across the UK, with offices in Leeds, Newcastle and Manchester. As we continue to grow, we are looking for an organised and reliable Finance Assistant to take ownership of the day-to-day finance function, supporting multiple sales teams across our locations. Role Purpose The Finance Assistant is responsible for the smooth running of the company's finance operations — from bookkeeping and payroll through to credit control and management reporting. This is a hands-on role at the heart of a fast-paced recruitment business, requiring accuracy, discretion and the ability to manage competing weekly deadlines. Key Responsibilities Bookkeeping & Transactions • Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in Xero, including daily bank reconciliations • Process sales invoices, purchase invoices and credit notes accurately and on time • Manage accounts payable, ensuring suppliers are paid to agreed terms • Liaise with suppliers to resolve queries, discrepancies and account issues • Process staff expenses and company credit card reconciliations Payroll • Run weekly payroll for temporary workers, working closely with umbrella companies and ensuring compliance with agreed terms • Reconcile timesheets against client bookings and resolve pay queries from candidates, consultants and umbrella providers • Calculate monthly staff commissions for consultants across all sales teams, in line with the company commission scheme, and provide sign-off schedules for payroll • Support monthly payroll for internal staff, including pension submissions • Maintain accurate payroll records for audit and compliance purposes Credit Control • Own the credit control process across all client accounts: chase overdue invoices, allocate payments and maintain the aged debtors ledger • Produce weekly aged debt reports for the sales teams and escalate problem accounts • Run credit checks on new clients and recommend appropriate credit limits • Resolve invoice disputes with clients (schools, academies, trusts and local authorities) promptly and professionally Reporting & Compliance • Produce weekly, monthly and annual financial reports, including gross margin, cashflow and P&L summaries by team and location • Prepare and submit quarterly VAT returns via Making Tax Digital • Complete statutory and industry surveys (e.g. ONS returns) accurately and on time • Liaise with the company accountant to prepare year-end accounts, providing all supporting schedules and documentation • Assist with audit requests and compliance documentation (e.g. framework and accreditation audits) General • Act as the first point of contact for finance queries from sales teams across all offices • Maintain organised digital filing of financial records within Microsoft 365 • Identify and suggest improvements to finance processes and controls • Handle confidential information with discretion at all times Requirements Person Specification Essential • Proven experience in a finance assistant, bookkeeper or similar role • Proficient in Xero (invoicing, reconciliations, reporting, VAT) • Confident user of Microsoft 365, particularly Excel (lookups, pivot tables) and Outlook • Experience of credit control and managing an aged debtors ledger • Strong attention to detail and accuracy under weekly deadlines • Excellent communication skills — comfortable liaising with clients, suppliers, umbrella companies and internal teams • Able to work independently and manage own workload across multiple priorities Desirable • Experience in the recruitment or staffing sector, particularly weekly temp payroll and umbrella company arrangements • Recognised accounting qualification, or working towards one (e.g. SAIPA, SAICA trainee, CIMA, ACCA, or a relevant accounting degree/diploma) • Experience preparing VAT returns and supporting year-end accounts • Familiarity with education-sector clients (schools, academies, MATs, local authorities) and their payment processes