Assistant Accountant

Compass Group; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food services provider in Manchester is seeking an Assistant Accountant to support various accounting functions. This role offers hybrid working and a salary between £27,000 and £32,000. Ideal candidates will have AAT Level 3 qualification and robust analytical skills, contributing to month-end processes and financial reporting.

Benefits

31 days holiday including bank holidays

Pension scheme

Life assurance cover of 4 x annual salary

Employee assistance programme

Discounts on products and services

Qualifications

• Experience working in a finance or accounting support role.
• Strong understanding of financial concepts and accounting principles.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines effectively.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the timely and accurate management of the month-end close process.
• Support budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Process and reconcile purchase invoices.

Skills

Attention to detail

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Proactive problem solving

Education

AAT Level 3 or similar qualification

Tools

Excel

Financial systems

Job description

Overview

Assistant Accountant – Levy Merchandising

Salary: £27,000 - £32,000, plus benefits

Hours per week: 37.5 – open to part-time and job share. We will discuss what is important to you and balancing this with business requirements during the recruitment process

Location: Manchester city centre – hybrid working between office and home. Check out our Manchester office - Fourways | Manchester (fourwaysmcr.co.uk)

We’re looking for a commercially minded and proactive finance professional to join our growing team. Reporting directly to our Chief Financial & Growth Officer, this role will support a range of accounting functions, including the monthly management accounts cycle, journal entries, reconciliations and financial reporting. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a fast-paced business where your contributions will make a real impact. If you’re looking to develop your career in finance, you’ll get hands-on exposure to a range of operational finance tasks and study support (via an apprenticeship) can be provided towards a recognised qualification.

What you’ll do

• Assist in the timely and accurate management of the month-end close process and accounts, including supporting month end tasks such as journal entries, balance sheet reconciliations, accruals and prepayments
• Support the budgeting and forecasting processes
• Analyse financial data, investigate anomalies and report findings
• Process and reconcile purchase invoices
• Maintain the purchase ledger and sales ledger, ensuring timely and accurate data entry
• Support sales invoicing and credit control
• Contribute to financial reporting and internal controls
• Reconcile supplier statements and liaise with suppliers to resolve queries
• Assist with VAT returns and audits
• Contribute to inventory costing calculations, and ensure accuracy of shipping and stock invoice postings and documentation
• Play a role in supporting strong business partnering with operational teams, offering clear financial insight and constructive challenge to drive performance improvements
• Contribute to ad-hoc business projects, as required

Who you are

• Experience working in a finance or accounting support role
• Good understanding of financial concepts and accounting principles
• Minimum AAT Level 3 or similar level of qualification, or qualified by experience
• May be working towards, or interested in working towards, a higher qualification such as CIMA
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines effectively
• Strong analytical skills, including budgeting, forecasting and financial planning expertise
• High level of proficiency in financial systems, Excel and reporting tools
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic, evolving environment
• Proactive approach to problem solving and process improvement
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent administrative skills and highly organised
• Ability to work independently and work on own initiative
• Willingness to support wider business projects and initiatives

Why Levy Merchandising?

Levy Merchandising is the merchandising arm of Levy UK & Ireland. Levy UK & Ireland are a market leader in the world of sports and entertainment experiences, boasting some of the biggest and best stadiums and leisure locations in Europe as its venue partners. These include Ajax’s Johan Cruyff Arena, the All-England Lawn Tennis Club, The O2 Arena, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the National Theatre to name just a few. Levy is part of FTSE 100 company and global leader in food services, Compass Group PLC.

At Levy Merchandising, we design and manufacture a wide range of product direct from source. From technical products, fit for the highest level of performance, through to non-technical fanwear, we produce apparel at all levels of the product pyramid. We also source a comprehensive range of non-clothing products to complete the full range of categories available across the sales channels.

We’re proud to do things differently. We have an innovative commercial model which puts our partners first and makes decision making a joint responsibility. Building long lasting, sustainable relationships is central to our ethos and we want our partners to feel like they retain independence and control on key strategic direction whilst being able to leverage the benefit, scale, and expertise of our central teams across Buying, Licensing, E-Commerce, and Retail Operations.

We’re also committed to supporting the local communities where our factories are based. We work with charities and local outreach programmes to have a positive impact in the cities and towns where we do business.

You’ll also get a package that includes

• competitive salary
• 31 days holiday including bank holidays (pro rata, rising with service)
• pension scheme
• colleague health cash plan
• life assurance cover of 4 x annual salary
• employee assistance programme – 24/7 confidential access to expert services including counselling, wellbeing, and independent legal and financial advice
• discounts on Levy Merchandising products and services
• enhanced family leave and pay
• welcoming company culture and opportunities to develop as our business grows
• opportunities to be a part of and involved in our colleague networks

Building an inclusive work environment

We’re actively building diverse teams, and we welcome applications from everyone. We take pride in fostering a workplace culture that celebrates diversity and promotes inclusion. We believe that our differences are our greatest strength, and we are committed to creating an environment where every individual is valued, respected, and empowered.

For further information, and to apply, please visit our website via the “Apply” button below.