Finance Analyst - Accounts Receivable & Credit Control

Azenta Life Sciences; Wotton; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 28,000; Part time

Job summary

Azenta Life Sciences in the United Kingdom invites applications for a placement-style role in finance. Recently graduated in Finance or Accounting, you will work across Accounts Receivable, credit control, and debt recovery to strengthen cash flow and debt collection.

You will build customer relationships, reconcile accounts, and contribute to month-end reporting using strong Excel and numerical skills. Prior experience in customer-facing roles is welcomed and encouraged.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance and Accounting or related discipline.
• Customer-facing experience in retail, hospitality, or similar.
• Strong Excel and MS Office skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong numerical and analytical capability.

Responsibilities

• Accounts Receivable Management: monitor invoices, maintain records, resolve queries, reconcile accounts.
• Legacy Debt Recovery: focus on aged debt, investigate barriers, liaise with customers and internal teams to recover.
• Relationship Management: act as main contact for AR, collaborate with Sales, Customer Service, Operations, and Finance.
• Data Analysis & Reporting: retrieve and analyze AR data, prepare aged debt and cash recovery reports, support month-end processes.
• Stakeholder Management: communicate status and risks to management, implement AR process improvements.
• Continuous Improvement & Projects: identify opportunities to improve AR processes and support finance transformation.

Skills

Customer focus

Communication skills

Relationship building

Results orientation

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance and Accounting

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Job description

This is an excellent opportunity for a recent Finance or Accounting graduate, to join a busy finance team and gain valuable hands‑on experience. The role will focus on Accounts Receivable, Credit Control, and Debt Recovery, providing the successful candidate with the opportunity to develop their skills while making a meaningful contribution to the wider finance function.

The primary focus during the initial phase of the contract will be to identify, investigate, and recover aged debt balances between 1 and 5 years old, working closely with customers and internal stakeholders to resolve historical issues preventing collection. This recovery activity will directly contribute to improving cash flow, reducing bad debt exposure, and strengthening the overall health of the Accounts Receivable portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

Accounts Receivable Management

Monitor customer accounts to ensure invoices are paid within agreed payment terms.

Maintain accurate customer account records and payment histories.

Investigate and resolve invoice, billing, and payment queries.

Reconcile customer accounts and identify discrepancies.

Legacy Debt Recovery

Take ownership of a portfolio of aged debt balances, with an initial focus on accounts outstanding for 2-5 years.

Investigate historical customer balances and identify barriers to collection, including disputes, missing documentation, incorrect billing, or account ownership changes.

Liaise with customers and internal departments to resolve longstanding issues and facilitate payment.

Develop and execute recovery plans for aged and high risk debt accounts.

Maintain accurate records of recovery activity, customer communications, and outcomes.

Escalate accounts where legal action, write off, or alternative collection strategies may be appropriate.

Relationship Management

Build and maintain professional relationships with customers.

Act as a key point of contact for accounts receivable and payment issues.

Work collaboratively with Sales, Customer Service, Operations, and Finance teams to resolve disputes.

Support positive customer experiences whilst ensuring company debts are recovered.

Data Analysis & Reporting

Retrieve, compile, and analyse AR and debt collection data.

Produce reports on aged debt, collection performance, and cash recovery.

Identify trends and recommend actions to improve collection effectiveness.

Support month end reporting activities.

Stakeholder Management

Liaise with internal departments to resolve customer queries quickly.

Communicate account status and collection risks to management.

Assist in implementing process improvements within the AR function.

Continuous Improvement & Projects

Identify opportunities to improve AR processes and controls.

Support finance transformation and business improvement initiatives.

Take part in additional finance projects as business needs require.

Core Competencies

Customer Focus

Ability to build strong customer relationships while maintaining professionalism and accountability.

Communication Skills

Confident verbal and written communication skills. Comfortable discussing outstanding payments and resolving disputes.

Relationship Building

Develop trust and credibility with customers and internal stakeholders.

Results Orientation

Driven to achieve collection targets and improve business outcomes.

Demonstrates resilience and persistence when managing challenging situations.

Analytical Thinking

Ability to interpret financial data and identify trends.

Strong attention to detail and accuracy.

Problem Solving

Investigates issues thoroughly and implements practical solutions.

Stakeholder Management

Works effectively across departments and manages multiple priorities.

What You'll Bring

Bachelor's degree in Finance and Accounting, or a related discipline or looking to complete a placement as part of degree studies.

Experience in a customer facing role such as retail, hospitality, bar work, customer service, or similar.

Strong Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office skills.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Strong numerical and analytical capability.