Accounts Assistant

Castle Employment Group; Leeds; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Castle Employment Solutions is recruiting an experienced Accounts Assistant to join a well-established food manufacturing business.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an AAT-qualified finance professional who enjoys working in a busy, hands-on environment. Reporting to the Finance Manager, you will handle purchase ledger activities while supporting month-end processes and collaborating with teams across the business.

Qualifications

• You should have an AAT qualification or an equivalent recognised accounting qualification.
• You will have prior experience in an Accounts Assistant, Purchase Ledger Clerk or similar finance role.
• You should be proficient in Excel and comfortable with financial systems.
• You have excellent attention to detail, accuracy and problem-solving skills.
• You possess good communication skills and can build relationships across departments.
• You take a proactive approach and can prioritise workloads to meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Process and code purchase invoices, credit notes and expenses, ensuring accuracy and timely completion.
• Match invoices to purchase orders and goods received notes, investigating discrepancies.
• Manage supplier statement reconciliations, payment runs and supplier queries.
• Monitor aged creditors and maintain accurate purchase ledger records.
• Support month-end processes, including journals, accruals and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Assist with VAT reporting, audit requirements and financial documentation.
• Work with Procurement, Warehouse and Production teams to resolve invoice and stock queries.
• Provide additional support across sales ledger, credit control and wider finance function when required.

Skills

Excel skills

Attention to detail

Communication

Problem-solving

Prioritisation

Education

AAT qualification

Tools

ERP systems

Financial software

Job description

£30,000 - £35,000 DOE | Food Manufacturing | Full-time, Permanent

Castle Employment Solutions is recruiting for an experienced Accounts Assistant to join a well-established food manufacturing business.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an AAT-qualified finance professional who enjoys working in a busy, hands-on finance environment. Reporting to the Finance Manager, you'll take responsibility for purchase ledger activities while supporting month-end processes and working closely with teams across the business.

Salary: £30,000 - £35,000 depending on experience
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8am - 4pm
Contract: Full-time, Permanent

The Role

As Accounts Assistant, your responsibilities will include:

• Processing and coding purchase invoices, credit notes and expenses, ensuring accuracy and timely completion.
• Matching invoices to purchase orders and goods received notes, investigating and resolving discrepancies.
• Managing supplier statement reconciliations, payment runs and supplier queries.
• Monitoring aged creditors and maintaining accurate purchase ledger records.
• Supporting month-end processes, including journals, accruals and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Assisting with VAT reporting, audit requirements and financial documentation.
• Working closely with Procurement, Warehouse and Production teams to resolve invoice and stock-related queries.
• Providing additional support across sales ledger, credit control and the wider finance function when required.

About You

We're looking for an organised, proactive Accounts Assistant who enjoys taking ownership of their workload and working collaboratively with others.

You'll ideally bring:

• AAT qualification or an equivalent recognised accounting qualification.
• Previous experience in an Accounts Assistant, Purchase Ledger Clerk or similar finance role.
• Strong Excel skills and confidence working with financial systems.
• Excellent attention to detail, accuracy and problem-solving skills.
• Good communication skills and the ability to build relationships across departments.
• A proactive approach, with the ability to prioritise workloads and meet deadlines.

Experience within manufacturing, food production or FMCG would be particularly beneficial, as would knowledge of ERP systems, three-way invoice matching and month-end accounting.

Why Apply?

This is an excellent opportunity to join a busy finance team within an established manufacturing environment, offering:

• A competitive salary of £30,000 - £35,000 depending on experience.
• Exposure to month-end accounting and wider finance responsibilities.
• The opportunity to work closely with an experienced Finance Manager.
• A varied role with involvement across finance, procurement and operational departments.
• The chance to contribute to process improvements and develop your accounting experience.