Assistant Accountant

Sharp Consultancy; Barnsley; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Sharp Consultancy are recruiting an Assistant Accountant for a reputable Barnsley-based retailer. You will support day-to-day transactional finance, manage ledgers, and help month-end duties as you grow into more complex responsibilities.

The role offers exposure to accruals, prepayments and journals, with opportunities to develop technical accounting knowledge within a supportive finance team.

Qualifications

• Experience in transactional finance or Accounts Assistant roles.
• Understanding of purchase ledger, sales ledger and general finance processes.
• Ideal: studying towards AAT or pursuing further finance qualifications.
• Strong Excel skills and confidence using accounting systems.
• Attention to detail and methodical approach.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day transactional finance functions.
• Process purchase and sales ledger transactions.
• Maintain accurate financial records and ensure proper processing.
• Reconcile supplier statements and resolve queries.
• Assist with bank and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Support payment runs and monitor outstanding transactions.
• Assist with month-end processes and reporting.
• Progress accruals and prepayments tasks.
• Prepare and post journals and help develop finance processes.

Skills

Transactional finance

Purchase ledger

Sales ledger

Excel

Attention to detail

Willing to learn

Education

AAT qualification (studying)

Tools

Accounting systems

Job description

Sharp Consultancy are delighted to be working exclusively with an established and successful retail business based in Barnsley, who are looking to appoint an Assistant Accountant to join their growing finance team.

This is a particularly exciting opportunity to join a stable, well-established business operating within an interesting and fast-paced retail environment. With the finance function continuing to develop, this position offers the opportunity to become part of a growing team, gain exposure to a wider range of accounting responsibilities and develop your technical accounting knowledge over time.

Initially, the role will focus on supporting the day-to-day transactional finance function, providing a fantastic opportunity to build a strong understanding of the business and its financial operations. As you settle into the position, there will be a clear opportunity to take on additional responsibilities, progressing into more month-end focused duties including accruals, prepayments and journals. This would suit someone looking to develop towards a more rounded Assistant Accountant position.

The Role:

• Supporting the day-to-day transactional finance function.

• Processing purchase and sales ledger transactions.

• Maintaining accurate financial records and ensuring transactions are processed correctly.

• Reconciling supplier statements and resolving account queries.

• Assisting with bank and balance sheet reconciliations.

• Supporting payment runs and monitoring outstanding transactions.

• Assisting with month-end processes and reporting.

• Progressing into the preparation and posting of accruals and prepayments.

• Preparing and posting journals.

• Supporting with the ongoing development of finance processes and procedures.

The Ideal Candidate:

• Previous experience within a transactional finance or Accounts Assistant position.

• A good understanding of purchase ledger, sales ledger and general finance processes.

• Ideally studying towards AAT, or keen to pursue further finance qualifications.

• Strong Excel skills and confidence using accounting systems.

• Excellent attention to detail and a methodical approach to work.

• A proactive attitude with a willingness to learn and take on additional responsibilities.

• Someone who is keen to develop their technical accounting knowledge and progress within a finance team.

The Opportunity:

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a stable and interesting retail business that can offer both security and genuine development opportunities. You will be joining a growing finance team where you will have the chance to build on your existing transactional experience, broaden your accounting knowledge and gradually take ownership of more complex month-end responsibilities.

For someone looking to develop beyond a purely transactional position and work towards a more rounded Assistant Accountant role, this is an excellent opportunity to join a business that can support that progression.

Sharp Consultancy is a finance and accountancy recruitment specialist assisting accounting and finance divisions of businesses in the Yorkshire and Derbyshire area. With over 30 years' experience we pride ourselves on sourcing excellent finance professionals across all divisions of an accounts function.

Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK full time without restriction.