Finance Assistant

The Recruitment Group; Sharnford; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Temp-to-perm opportunity

Full-time hours

Job summary

The Recruitment Group is seeking a Finance Assistant to join our client in Loughborough on a temporary-to-permanent basis. The role covers sales and purchase ledgers, VAT and basic bookkeeping, with a focus on accurate processing of invoices and reconciliations.

Ideal candidates will have ledger experience, strong Excel skills, and a proactive approach. Daily duties include month-end support, credit control, and general finance administration in a busy team.

Qualifications

• Experience in an accounts role with sales and/or purchase ledgers.

Responsibilities

• Process and issue sales invoices with complete documentation.
• Manage credit control: monitor aged debt and chase overdue payments by phone and email.
• Allocate customer receipts and resolve account queries.
• Process purchase invoices: check prices, quantities and PO details.
• Investigate supplier discrepancies and arrange credit notes.
• Reconcile supplier statements and assist with supplier payments.
• Maintain accurate customer and supplier records.
• Carry out credit checks on new customers and set credit limits.
• Process petty cash and company card expenses, ensuring receipts are recorded.
• Support month-end activities and general finance administration.
• Monitor the accounts inbox and respond to queries promptly.
• Maintain filing and financial records; provide additional finance support.

Skills

Sales ledger

Purchase ledger

VAT basics

Double-entry bookkeeping

Sage 50

Excel

Word

Outlook

Telephone manners

Education

AAT qualification

GCSE English & Maths (4/C or above)

Tools

Sage 50 Accounts

ERP system (MIE)

Pivot tables

Job description

Finance Assistant – Temp to Perm

Location: Loughborough
Pay Rate: £14.87 per hour
Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday
Contract: Temporary to Permanent

We are currently recruiting for a Finance Assistant to join our well-established client based in Loughborough on a temporary-to-permanent basis.

This is an excellent opportunity for an organised and detail-oriented finance professional to join a busy finance team, supporting the day-to-day running of the accounts department. The successful candidate will have previous accounts experience, ideally covering sales and/or purchase ledger, alongside good communication skills and a proactive approach to work.

Key Responsibilities

• Process and issue sales invoices, ensuring all supporting documentation is accurate and complete.
• Manage credit control activities, including monitoring aged debt and chasing overdue payments by tele and email.
• Allocate customer receipts and resolve account queries.
• Process purchase invoices, checking prices, quantities and purchase order details.
• Investigate supplier discrepancies and arrange credit notes where necessary.
• Reconcile supplier statements and assist with supplier payment runs.
• Maintain accurate customer and supplier account records.
• Carry out credit checks on new customers and recommend appropriate credit limits.
• Process petty cash and company credit card expenses, ensuring receipts are accurately recorded and reconciled.
• Support month-end activities and general finance administration.
• Monitor the accounts inbox and respond to customer and supplier queries promptly.
• Maintain accurate filing and financial records, providing additional finance support when required.

The Ideal Candidate

• Previous experience in an accounts role, particularly sales ledger and/or purchase ledger.
• Good understanding of basic bookkeeping principles, including VAT and double-entry bookkeeping.
• Experience using a computerised accounting system; knowledge of Sage 50 Accounts would be advantageous.
• Confident using Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word and Outlook.
• Strong communication skills and a confident tele manner.
• Excellent attention to detail with good numerical and organisational skills.
• Ability to manage workloads, prioritise tasks and meet deadlines.
• A positive, flexible and proactive approach, with the ability to use your own initiative.
• A team player who can handle confidential information professionally.

Desirable Experience

• Credit control experience.
• Previous experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience using an ERP system, ideally MIE.
• Intermediate Excel skills, including lookups and pivot tables.
• Experience preparing VAT returns.
• A Levels or AAT qualification, or currently studying towards AAT.

GCSE English and Maths at Grade 4/C or above, or equivalent, is essential.

What’s on Offer?

• £14.87 per hour.
• Temporary-to-permanent opportunity.
• Full-time hours, Monday to Friday.
• The opportunity to develop your finance experience within an established business.
• A varied role covering sales ledger, purchase ledger, credit control and general finance administration.