Accounts Assistant (14 Months FTC)

Close Brothers; London; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a detail-oriented finance professional to join their dynamic team. In this role, you will support the Operational Finance Manager by maintaining key financial controls, preparing daily and monthly reconciliations, and ensuring compliance with governance standards. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills, excellent communication abilities, and a proactive approach to problem-solving. This role offers a blend of hybrid working, allowing you to balance your professional and personal life while contributing to a leading UK merchant banking group dedicated to inclusivity and employee well-being.

Benefits

Private Medical

Discounted Health Checks

Cycle to Work Scheme

Purchase Additional Holiday

Qualifications

• Experience in performing and reviewing bank reconciliations.
• Strong attention to detail and excellent communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Perform daily bank reconciliations and resolve discrepancies.
• Liaise with Treasury for foreign exchange quotes and trades.

Skills

Bank Reconciliation

Attention to Detail

Communication Skills

Problem Solving

Education

Part Qualified Accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent)

Relevant Experience in Finance

Tools

SAP General Ledger (FICO)

ALFA Lease Management System

Job description

Division Close Brothers Central Functions - Finance

Location London, United Kingdom

Salary Competitive Basic Salary + Benefits + Discretionary Bonus

This is a {Advertised Permanent / Temporary}, {Advertised Full Time / Part Time} vacancy that will close in {x} days at {xx:xx} BST.

The Vacancy

OVERALL SUMMARY

At Close Brothers, we look to recruit individuals from all different backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you don’t tick every box. We celebrate diversity, promote inclusivity, and are open to discussing flexible work options to help you balance your work and home life.

Join the Close Brothers Finance Team where you will assist and support the Operational Finance Manager in maintaining the key financial controls of the company through the preparation and review of daily bank reconciliations and monthly balance sheet reconciliations, identifying the causes of errors and omissions and rectifying accordingly. Working as part of the Finance team, our ideal team member will have previous experience in performing and reviewing bank reconciliations daily, ensuring that journals are posted into SAP daily, reconciliation differences are investigated and resolved in a timely manner, and issues are escalated within the team with excellent interpersonal skills.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Perform and review bank reconciliations daily, ensuring that journals are posted into SAP daily, reconciliation differences are investigated and resolved in a timely manner, and issues are escalated within the team.
• Perform and review call account reconciliations (as rostered), ensuring that journals are posted into SAP as required, reconciliation differences are investigated and resolved in a timely manner, and issues are escalated within the team and communicated to Treasury.
• Liaise with Treasury to obtain foreign exchange quotes on request from the branches and book the FX trades.
• Check and confirm the amount of funding to return to Treasury each day.
• Perform month-end procedures related to the bank reconciliation and call account reconciliation process. Complete required balance sheet and bank account reclassification postings and prepare reporting schedules for the Financial Control team.
• Responsibility for selected balance sheet postings, reconciliation, reporting, and analysis (insurance, maintenance, receivables, etc.).
• Maintain a close working relationship with the central bank finance team and regional branches.
• Provide ad-hoc management reporting within areas of responsibility upon request.
• Ensure that all Governance and Compliance requirements are adhered to and all reporting and reviewing activities required by the Regulatory Bodies are carried out to the standards required.

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU IF YOU HAVE:

• Evidence of taking ownership and adding value
• An excellent communicator with an open and direct style
• Strong attention to detail

IT IS NOT ESSENTIAL BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU:

• Are a part qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent)
• Can demonstrate some relevant experience achieved during degree and/or work experience
• Have experience with ALFA lease management system
• Have experience with SAP General Ledger (FICO)

We are an inclusive organisation and committed to ensuring our recruitment process is as accessible as possible to everyone. We will make adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term condition. If you need the job description or application form in an alternative format or would like to discuss the recruitment process with us, please email us at [e-mail] or request a call back.

ABOUT US

At Close Brothers, we support employees to balance their work life priorities and in this role you will be able to enjoy a mixture of hybrid working.

Close Brothers is a leading UK merchant banking group providing lending, deposit taking, and securities trading. We employ approximately 3,000 people, principally in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Close Brothers Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

At Close Brothers Group, we are all connected by our mission to be the best place in the UK for wealth professionals and their clients.

We believe that everyone should think ahead, have a financial plan, and invest wisely. Our clients are professionals, business owners, individuals, charities, families, and employers, who rely on our clear financial advice and investment management services to preserve and grow their long-term savings and investments.

We are a team of about 900 people based in 15 offices across the UK. Our geographic footprint means we can combine a local approach with face-to-face services to enable strong, long-term relationships with our clients.

Sustainability is fundamental to our purpose and we have a responsibility to help address the social, economic, and environmental challenges facing our business, colleagues, and clients. We strive to do the right thing and are dedicated to helping the charities that matter most to our people.

Our vision is to develop an open and inclusive company that ensures everyone is valued, respected, and included, so that in years to come our business will represent a diverse and inclusive workforce from the top down.

We look to recruit individuals from all different backgrounds. If this job is of interest to you but you do not meet every criteria then we encourage you still to apply as we are open to providing training opportunities. As an early adopter of hybrid working, we are open to discussing all types of flexible working options, helping you to balance your work and home life.

The Benefits

Private medical

Discounted health checks

Cycle to work scheme

Purchase additional holiday