Assistant Accountant

Kensa; Exeter; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 25d

Hybrid working

Career development

Employee assistance program

Private healthcare

Volunteering days

EV salary sacrifice

Company pension

Job summary

Kensa is seeking an Assistant Accountant to join our Finance team in a hybrid role based in Truro or Exeter. The position covers transactional finance, credit control, project accounting and month-end reporting, offering broad exposure and development.

The ideal candidate is fully AAT qualified with solid double-entry bookkeeping and month-end experience, plus strong Excel skills and the ability to learn new finance systems. We value accuracy, adaptability and clear communication across teams.

Qualifications

• Fully AAT qualified with solid double-entry bookkeeping and month-end experience.
• Experience across at least two of: purchase ledger, sales ledger, credit control or bank reconciliations.
• Good Excel skills and ability to learn new finance systems.

Responsibilities

• Process and reconcile transactions, support payment runs and credit control.
• Prepare journals and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Maintain accounting records across multiple entities and cost centres.
• Track project costs, applications, invoices, retentions and queries.
• Help with month-end close and project reporting.
• Collaborate with site and commercial teams on financial queries.
• Prepare first-pass VAT returns.
• Collate information for ESG reporting and ONS statistical returns.

Skills

Double-entry bookkeeping

Month-end processes

Communication

Attention to detail

Adaptability

Education

AAT qualification

Pursuing CIMA/ACCA

Tools

Excel

Finance systems

Job description

Location: Truro or Exeter (Hybrid working)

Contract: Permanent, Full-Time

Salary: £30,000 - £35,000 (dependent on experience) + Benefits

Build your accounting career while helping make heating better for everyone

At Kensa, we’re making heating better - for people, for the planet and for the future. Since 1999, we’ve been leading the way in ground source heat pump technology, delivering affordable, low-carbon heating solutions that support the UK’s transition to net zero.

We’re looking for an Assistant Accountant to join our Finance team and support Kensa as we continue to grow. This is a broad, hands‑on role where you’ll gain experience across transactional finance, credit control, project accounting and month‑end reporting.

If you’re fully AAT qualified, confident with the fundamentals and ready for a role that offers variety, visibility and development, this could be your next step. You’ll work closely with the Finance Manager and Management Accountant, becoming a trusted point of contact for colleagues, customers and suppliers across the group.

The role

As Assistant Accountant, you’ll help keep our day-to-day finance activity running smoothly while playing an important part in month‑end close and project reporting. You’ll balance routine processing with investigative and analytical work, giving you a strong platform to deepen your accounting knowledge.

You’ll process and reconcile transactions, support payment runs and credit control, prepare journals and balance sheet reconciliations, and maintain accurate accounting records across multiple entities and cost centres. You’ll also develop valuable project‑accounting experience by tracking applications, invoices, retentions and project costs, and by helping site and commercial teams answer financial queries.

With new systems being introduced, this is a great time to join: you’ll be able to learn new tools, adapt with the team and contribute ideas that strengthen our processes.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Processing purchase invoices, reconciling them to goods‑received notes and investigating differences where required
• Preparing payment runs and helping to onboard new suppliers
• Managing credit control activity, chasing overdue debt and escalating where needed
• Raising sales invoices, completing new‑customer credit checks and issuing credit terms and conditions
• Tracking and helping to recover project retentions
• Completing daily bank reconciliations
• Tracking project invoices against applications for payment and producing cost‑report data for our project management system
• Acting as a trusted point of contact for our site and commercial teams, helping to resolve project finance queries
• Preparing accruals, prepayments and other month‑end journals
• Completing full balance sheet reconciliations as part of the month‑end close
• Maintaining the fixed asset register and posting depreciation for assets including rigs, factory plant and vehicles
• Preparing first‑pass VAT returns for review
• Collating information for ESG reporting and ONS statistical returns

What We’re Looking For

You’ll be a practical, adaptable finance professional who enjoys variety and takes pride in accurate work. You’ll be comfortable moving between transactional tasks and month‑end activity, asking questions when something doesn’t look right and communicating clearly with people inside and outside Finance.

Skills And Experience

• Fully AAT qualified, with a solid grounding in double‑entry bookkeeping and month‑end processes
• Hands‑on experience in at least two or three of: purchase ledger, sales ledger, credit control or bank reconciliations
• Experience posting accruals and prepayments and completing balance sheet reconciliations
• Good Excel skills and confidence learning new finance systems
• Strong organisation, accuracy and attention to detail
• A confident, professional communication style when dealing with suppliers, customers and colleagues
• Comfortable managing changing priorities
• A positive, can‑do approach and the ability to adapt to change

It would be an advantage if you have experience in manufacturing, engineering, construction or another project‑based environment. An interest in studying towards CIMA or ACCA would also be welcome - study support is available.

What We Offer

At Kensa, we’re committed to creating a supportive, rewarding and purpose‑driven place to work. When you join us, you can expect:

• 25 days’ annual leave, increasing to 30 days after five years, plus bank holidays
• Flexible working arrangements, including hybrid options where possible
• Career development support, including training and support for recognised qualifications
• Free 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme for you and your immediate family
• Private healthcare after one year of service
• Paid volunteering days to support community impact
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
• Company pension scheme with employer contributions
• A collaborative culture where your work directly supports the UK’s transition to greener, more affordable heating

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and communities. If you need any adjustments during the application process, please let us know – we’ll be happy to support you.