Accounts Assistant Manager/Manager

PKF Francis Clark; Taunton; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Group personal pension

Group life assurance

Health cash plan

Cycle to work scheme

Volunteer day

Job summary

PKF Francis Clark in the South West invites an ACA/ACCA-qualified manager to lead a diverse rural portfolio, delivering accounts, tax and business advisory services to farming families and landed estates. You will oversee client work, mentor juniors and build long-term relationships while contributing to growth across our Taunton and wider South West offices.

The role combines technical accounting with proactive planning, including succession and diversification, and offers hybrid working with a

Qualifications

• ACA / ACCA qualified, or equivalent.
• Experience within a public practice environment, including managing a portfolio of clients.
• Strong technical knowledge across accounts preparation, taxation and business advisory services.
• Experience reviewing work and supporting the development of junior colleagues.
• Experience in managing the financial aspects of a portfolio including billing, WIP management and debtors’ control

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of clients, building strong relationships and acting as a trusted point of contact.
• Oversee accounts and tax compliance across sole traders, partnerships, companies and trusts, including reviewing work completed by others.
• Develop skills to provide proactive commercial and tax planning advice, helping clients make informed decisions and achieve their longer-term objectives.
• Supervise bookkeeping services and the preparation of forecasts and projections where required.
• Lead client assignments, managing quality, deadlines, budgets and profitability.
• Identify opportunities to add value and collaborate with specialists across the wider firm to support clients.
• Support Partners and Directors with client meetings and proposals, including meetings on‑farm.
• Build relationships within the rural community through county roadshows, farm walks and local cattle markets, while collaborating with rural teams across our South West offices.
• Coach and develop junior team members, providing regular feedback, technical guidance and support with their professional development.
• Contribute to improving processes, efficiencies and ways of working across the team.
• Support the generation of new client opportunities and participate in active business development.

Skills

Client relationships

Tax advisory

Billing & WIP

Financial planning

Education

ACCA/ACA qualified

Tools

Accounting software

Job description

In a nutshell

Join our growing agricultural and landed estates team, working with farming families and progressive rural businesses across the South West. You’ll manage a varied portfolio, combining accounts and tax work with broader commercial advice in areas such as succession planning, business structuring and diversification.

Our clients range from traditional farming operations to businesses spanning property, wedding venues, farm shops, sporting enterprises and commercial woodland, giving you plenty of variety and opportunity to build trusted, long-term relationships.

Many of the businesses are progressive and diverse with a size and scale to deliver and interesting career opportunity for all those involved in advising and supporting their professional affairs.

What you’ll be doing day to day

• Manage a portfolio of clients, building strong relationships and acting as a trusted point of contact.
• Oversee accounts and tax compliance across sole traders, partnerships, companies and trusts, including reviewing work completed by others.
• Develop skills to provide proactive commercial and tax planning advice, helping clients make informed decisions and achieve their longer-term objectives.
• Supervise bookkeeping services and the preparation of forecasts and projections where required.
• Lead client assignments, managing quality, deadlines, budgets and profitability.
• Identify opportunities to add value and collaborate with specialists across the wider firm to support clients.
• Support Partners and Directors with client meetings and proposals, including meetings on‑farm.
• Build relationships within the rural community through county roadshows, farm walks and local cattle markets, while collaborating with rural teams across our South West offices.
• Coach and develop junior team members, providing regular feedback, technical guidance and support with their professional development.
• Contribute to improving processes, efficiencies and ways of working across the team.
• Support the generation of new client opportunities and participate in active business development.

About you

• An interest in, and passion for the rural sector.
• ACA / ACCA qualified, or equivalent.
• Experience within a public practice environment, including managing a portfolio of clients.
• Strong technical knowledge across accounts preparation, taxation and business advisory services.
• Experience reviewing work and supporting the development of junior colleagues.
• Experience in managing the financial aspects of a portfolio including billing, WIP management and debtors’ control
• Commercially aware, with the ability to recognise opportunities to add value for clients.
• Confident building client relationships and comfortable acting as a trusted adviser.
• Proactive and organised, with the ability to work independently while collaborating with others.
• Positive and committed to delivering an excellent client experience.

Why work at PKF Francis Clark

As the largest firm of independent chartered accountants and business advisers in South West England, PKF Francis Clark offers a wide range of opportunities to develop your career in the way that’s right for you.

Established in 1919, we’ve grown to nearly 1,000 people across offices in Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Poole, Salisbury, Southampton, Taunton, Torquay and Truro. Our size means we can offer ambitious work with exciting clients and a friendly, supportive culture.

We want you to belong, be yourself and do your best work as part of a forward-thinking team, with a flexible approach to hybrid working and a strong focus on wellbeing, learning and development.

For the past four years, PKF Francis Clark has been certified as a Great Place to Work and ranked among the UK’s Best Workplaces, rising to 6th out of 100 large organisations.

We’re a top 10 Best Workplace for Women, as well as being ranked for Wellbeing, Development, and Consulting and Professional Services. These rankings are compiled by Great Place to Work, based on confidential, independent feedback from our people. In addition, we’re one of The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers.

Being a Certified B Corp means we’re held to high standards for environmental and social performance. We’re independently assessed to ensure we support our people, act responsibly and make long-term decisions that balance people and planet.

We’re proudly independent, while collaborating internationally through the PKF Global family of firms. Together we’re the 13th largest provider of accountancy services in the UK, with connections to like-minded advisers in 150 countries.

Your core benefits

Financial wellbeing

• Group personal pension to help you build your future savings through employer and employee contributions
• Group life assurance providing cover up to four times your basic annual salary
• Group income protection available after six months’ service
• Health cash plan giving money back on everyday health costs, with free cover for up to four dependent children (up to age 24 in full‑time education) and the option to add a partner or spouse

Mental wellbeing

• Counselling and emotional support for you and your immediate family
• Virtual GP and second opinion services for you and your immediate family
• Access to trained Mental Health First Aiders for confidential, peer to peer support

Physical wellbeing

• Cycle to work scheme, with the option to purchase a bike and accessories up to £4,000*
• Discounted membership at gyms, pools and studios across the UK
• Digital health and wellbeing tools available through the employee health cash plan
• Support for colleagues experiencing menopause, as part of our Menopause Workplace Pledge, including webinars and a dedicated Microsoft Teams channel for ongoing support

Additional benefits

• Family friendly benefits, including enhanced pay, family leave coaching sessions and a parent network
• The option to buy up to five extra days of holiday (pro rata for part‑time colleagues) *
• One paid volunteering day each year to support local organisations
• Electric vehicle lease scheme (grade and pay criteria apply) *
• Gifts to mark key career and family milestones
• Expert led webinars on mental, physical and financial wellbeing
• Francis Clark Charitable Foundation, offering support for current and former employees experiencing financial hardship

* These benefits are provided via a salary exchange and are subject to employee’s post exchange hourly rate remaining above the national minimum wage

Additional information

Please be aware that the job title used internally may not align exactly with the title displayed in this advert