Finance Administrator

Le Strange Arms; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Team incentives

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Team events

Refer a Friend scheme

Wine discounts

Family & Friends discounts

Wagestream access

Flexible hours

Job summary

Chestnut Group is seeking a Finance Administrator to manage day-to-day transactional finance across its East Anglia pubs and inns. You will handle purchase ledger, supplier payments, sales ledger, banking and reconciliations, keeping the ledger accurate and tidy.

The role offers growth with AAT study support, exposure to multi-entity trading, and opportunities to streamline processes with automation and AI tools.

Qualifications

• Experience in a finance or accounts administration, purchase-ledger or transactional finance role.
• Accurate, methodical and well-organised with high-volume data entry.
• Confident with Excel and comfortable learning cloud accounting systems.
• Clear, professional communicator dealing with suppliers and colleagues.
• Reliable, proactive and able to own your area.
• Discreet and trustworthy with sensitive financial information.

Responsibilities

• Process purchase invoices across multiple entities, coding to nominal and entity in Xero.
• Match invoices to orders and delivery notes, resolve discrepancies.
• Prepare supplier payment runs and reconcile to statements.
• Raise sales and intercompany invoices and allocate receipts.
• Post and reconcile bank transactions across entity accounts.
• Maintain accurate digital financial records and assist month-end prep.
• Respond to internal and supplier queries promptly and professionally.
• Identify improvements including automation and AI tools to speed up processing.

Skills

Finance experience

Attention to detail

Excel

Communicator

Reliable

Discreet

Tools

Xero

Cloud accounting systems

Job description

Finance Administrator — Chestnut Group

Chestnut is a hospitality group operating a portfolio of pubs and inns across East Anglia, alongside wine distribution and food subsidiaries. Behind every site is a high volume of invoices, payments, takings and supplier relationships — and this role keeps that engine running cleanly.

Reporting to the Financial Controller, you'll own the day-to-day transactional finance work that everything else depends on: purchase ledger, supplier payments, sales ledger, banking and reconciliations across the group's trading entities. Accuracy, reliability and a tidy ledger are the whole game.

It's also a role with room to grow. For someone with an appetite for finance, there's scope to take on more over time — with AAT study support available for the right candidate — progressing toward an assistant-accountant path.

What You'll Be Doing

Purchase Ledger & Payments

• Process high volumes of purchase invoices across multiple trading entities and sites, coding accurately to the correct nominal and entity in Xero
• Match invoices to orders and delivery notes, resolving discrepancies with suppliers and site managers
• Prepare supplier payment runs to agreed terms, keeping the ledger reconciled to supplier statements
• Set up and maintain supplier accounts

Sales Ledger & Credit Control

• Raise sales and intercompany invoices (including the wine and events businesses) and allocate receipts accurately
• Support credit control — chase overdue accounts, maintain aged debt, and **escalate** where needed

Banking & Reconciliations

• Post and reconcile bank transactions across entity accounts, including site takings and card settlements
• Reconcile petty cash, expenses and company credit cards

Finance Administration & Support

• Maintain accurate, well-organised digital financial records and filing
• Support month-end with reconciliations, basic accruals and prepayments prep, and ad hoc analysis
• Respond to internal, site and supplier queries promptly and professionally
• Help identify and adopt improvements — including automation and AI tools — that make routine processing faster and cleaner

What We're Looking For

Essential

• Experience in a finance or accounts administration, purchase-ledger or transactional finance role — or strong administrative experience with a genuine appetite for finance
• Accurate, methodical and well-organised, with strong attention to detail and reliable high-volume data entry
• Confident with Excel and comfortable learning cloud accounting systems
• A clear, professional communicator, comfortable dealing with suppliers, site managers and colleagues
• Reliable, proactive and willing to take ownership of your area
• Discreet and trustworthy with sensitive financial information

Desirable

• AAT qualified or working towards (study support available)
• Hands-on experience of Xero
• Experience of a multi-entity, multi-site, hospitality or high-volume transactional environment
• Familiarity with invoice-processing or automation tools, and an interest in using AI to work more efficiently

Why Join Us?

At Chestnut, we believe in rewarding our team, supporting personal growth, and creating a work environment that feels like home:

• Team & Individual Incentives — rewards for your hard work, including staff days out and even trips abroad
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) — free, confidential support for wellbeing, finances, and more
• Team Parties & Social Events — regular events to connect, relax, and celebrate together
• Work Anniversary Rewards — your commitment celebrated every year
• Refer a Friend Scheme — earn a cash bonus when a friend you recommend joins us
• Peter Graham Wine Discounts — exclusive pricing on carefully selected wines
• Family & Friends Discounts — share special perks with those you care about
• Team Discounts — up to 50% off your food bill at our venues
• Overnight Stays from £75 — take a break at any Chestnut property at a reduced rate
• High Street Discounts — savings on retail, dining, and travel
• Tips + Wagestream Access — track your earnings in real time and access pay as you earn
• Flexible Hours — support for a healthy work-life balance
• Learning & Development — accredited training (including AAT study support) and continuous development opportunities