Accounting Assistant - 12 month (FTC)

PA Consulting; Melbourn; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

PA Consulting in the Cambridge area is seeking an Accounting Assistant on a 12-month fixed-term contract to support the Accounting Manager across UK, Ireland and Australia entities.

The role focuses on month-end close, fixed asset management, balance sheet reconciliations and intercompany processes while ensuring SOX controls and internal procedures are followed. The candidate should have 2+ years of accounting experience and strong Excel skills.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of accounting experience.
• Strong Excel skills and advanced spreadsheet capabilities.
• Experience with multi-currency environments and intercompany processes.
• Analytical mindset with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to deliver to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfort working across reporting lines and with cross-functional teams.
• Preference for accounting qualifications (AAT/ACCA/CA/CIMA) and/or studying towards one.
• Experience with audit requests and statutory accounts preparation.

Responsibilities

• Manage month-end close activities and journal postings for fixed assets, accruals, prepayments and intercompany processes.
• Maintain fixed asset registers including additions, disposals, depreciation and GL reconciliation.
• Prepare monthly balance sheet reconciliations.
• Review Ireland VAT returns and post journals.
• Assist in preparation of statutory accounts.
• Prepare information packs for external audits and respond to audit requests.
• Prepare SOX audit schedules and respond to SOX requests.
• Ensure internal controls compliance and SOX controls.
• Oversee intercompany recharge processes for your scope.
• Perform monthly analysis of key P&L accounts.
• Document and monitor internal controls and procedures.

Skills

Excel skills

XLOOKUP

Pivot tables

Attention to detail

Multi-currency

Analytical thinking

Deadline-driven

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

PeopleSoft Financials

Job description

We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future.

As strategies, technologies, and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity.

Our teams of interdisciplinary experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results.

We are over 4,000 strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers, and technologists. And we have deep expertise in consumer and manufacturing, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government and public services, health and life sciences, and transport.

Our teams operate globally from offices across the UK, Ireland, US, Nordics, and Netherlands.

PA. Bringing Ingenuity to Life.

Job Description

• 12 months FTC
• Able to attend the office every Tuesday and Wednesday with the rest of the team
• Office Location Royston SG8

We are seeking to recruit an Accounting Assistant for our Cambridge office, on a 12 month fixed term contract. You will work with the Accounting Manager to manage a portfolio of entities i.e. UK, Ireland & Australia.

Key Responsibilities:

• Managing month end close - ensuring all general ledger activities including the processing of journals for the fixed assets, accruals, prepayments and intercompany processes are timely and accurately performed
• Maintain accurate fixed asset registers including, recording additions/disposals, depreciation entries and reconciliation to the general ledger
• Prepare monthly balance sheet reconciliations
• Review of Ireland VAT return and posting journals
• Assist the Accounting Manager with the preparation of the statutory accounts
• Preparing information packs for the external audits and responding to external audit requests within the set timeframes
• Preparation of SOX audit schedules and responding to requests from the SOX audit team
• Comply with internal controls, including SOX controls
• Ensuring the smooth running of the intercompany recharge processes that you are allocated
• Completing monthly analysis of key P&L accounts
• Documentation and monitoring of internal controls and procedures
• Ad hoc tasks as required

Qualifications

A minimum of 2-years related experience in an accounting environment

Skills / Personal Qualities:

• Strong attention to detail & highly organized
• Strong Excel skills, including knowledge of XLOOKUPS, SUMIFS & Pivot tables
• An individual with a 'hands on' attitude and an initiative to drill into transactional detail
• Experience of working in a multi-currency environment
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to deliver to deadlines and prioritise tasks in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to work across reporting lines

Preferred:

• Studying or wishing to study for accounting qualification (AAT, ACA, ACCA, CIMA)
• Knowledge of PeopleSoft Financials accounting package
• Experience of audit

We know the skill-gap and 'somewhat need to tick every box' can get in the way of meeting brilliant candidates, so please don’t hesitate to apply – we’d love to hear from you.

Please be aware that some of our UK roles at PA Consulting require a UK security clearance.

All PA people are required to undergo background checks and to achieve the Baseline Personnel Security Standard however, some UK roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting, where applicants must have at least 5 years of continuous residency in the UK.

We therefore ask that you only apply if you meet the residency requirements (i.e. you are a British citizen or have been resident in the UK for the past 5 years), as this is the prerequisite for a security clearance. If you're unsure about your eligibility, we encourage you to review the UK Government's guidance on security vetting before applying.

Additional Information

Life at PA

Life At PA encompasses our peoples' experience at PA. It's about how we enrich peoples’ working lives by giving them access to unique people and growth opportunities and purpose led meaningful work.

We believe diversity fuels ingenuity. Diversity of thought brings exciting perspectives; diversity of experience brings a wealth of knowledge, and diversity of skills brings the tools we need. When we bring people together with diverse backgrounds, identities, and minds, embracing that difference through an inclusive culture where our people thrive; we unleash the power of diversity – bringing ingenuity to life.

We recruit, retain, reward and develop our people based solely on their abilities and contributions and without reference to their age, background, disability, genetic information, parental or family status, religion or belief, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity (or expression), political belief, veteran status, or any other range of human difference brought about by identity and experience. We are on a journey towards ensuring our workforce is diverse at all levels and that our firm is representative of the world around us. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups.

Adjustments or accommodations - Should you need any adjustments or accommodations to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us at: [e-mail]