Finance Assistant

Rowden; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Rowden, based in Bristol, is seeking a Finance Assistant to join the Finance team and help manage day-to-day financial operations in a fast-growing engineering business.

The role covers invoices, expenses, reconciliations and payroll support, with SAP Public Cloud and SAP Concur as core tools. The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, proactive, and eager to learn, with study support for qualifications.

Rowden offers a hybrid working model, clear progression, and a dynamic team.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in a Finance Assistant role.
• Experience processing staff expenses and reimbursements.
• Experience in transaction processing and monthly reconciliations.
• Experience with month-end tasks such as prepayments and accruals.

Responsibilities

• Process invoices, manage expenses, reconcile accounts, and assist payroll.
• Prepare reports and support broader finance activities.
• Assist with VAT returns, tax filings, and audit preparations.

Skills

Attention to detail

Analytical thinking

Interpersonal communication

Organisational skills

Proactive mindset

Education

AAT/ACCA/CIMA training possible

Tools

SAP Public Cloud (S4/HANA)

SAP Concur

Excel

Job description

Finance Assistant

Department: Finance

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Bristol, UK

Compensation: £30,000 - £40,000 / year

Description

We're building the UK's next generation engineering powerhouse, providing critical technology that strengthens national security and resilience.

We specialise in turning advances in sensing, AI, and communications into operational capability for the edge, where connectivity may be degraded or denied. Our work focuses on accelerating the deployment of technology, improving decision-making for frontline teams, and protecting people and critical assets in demanding environments.

Headquartered in Bristol, Rowden employs around 200 people and operates over 20,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing facilities. We have a growing international footprint and are one of Europe's fastest-growing engineering businesses.

The role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Finance Assistant to join our team. In this role, you will support the finance team with day-to-day financial operations and transactions, including processing invoices, managing expenses, reconciling accounts, and assisting with payroll. You will play a key role in maintaining accurate financial records, preparing reports, and supporting a broad range of finance activities across the team.

The ideal candidate for this role will be hands-on, adaptable, detail-oriented and proactive in improving our financial processes. This is a fast-paced role in an ambitious, growing engineering business – there will be a huge amount of opportunity for growth and development for the right person.

As a Finance Assistant, you will have the chance to:

• Progress Your Career: This role is designed to offer a clear pathway for advancement within the finance team. As you develop your skills and demonstrate your impact, you’ll have opportunities to take on more responsibility and progress to more senior finance roles.
• Learn and Upskill: You’ll gain hands‑on experience with a wide range of finance processes, systems (such as SAP Public Cloud (S4/HANA), SAP Concur and more), and projects. We provide study support for professional qualifications (AAT, ACCA, CIMA, or similar) and encourage continuous learning through internal and external training.
• Exposure to Projects: You’ll be involved in process improvement initiatives, system migrations, and automation projects as the company scales. This exposure will help you build a broad skill set and prepare for future roles in finance or operations.
• Mentoring and Support: You’ll work closely with experienced finance professionals who are committed to supporting your growth. Regular feedback and coaching will help you identify strengths and areas for development.
• Dynamic Environment: As part of an ambitious, growing engineering business, you’ll be challenged and supported to reach your full potential in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Candidates must be eligible for SC clearance.

More information about security clearance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels

Key areas of responsibility

Mission: To support the day-to-day financial operations of the business, and ensure accurate, efficient, and compliant financial processes that enable business scalability.

Outcomes:

1. Transactional Finance (Day-to-day Operations)

• Accounts Payable: Processing supplier invoices, reviewing and matching POs, handling payment runs and resolving discrepancies.
• Accounts Receivable: Raising sales invoices, chasing overdue payments, and assisting with credit control.
• Bank Reconciliation: Ensuring transactions are recorded accurately and reconciling multiple bank accounts.

2. Month-End & Reporting Support

• Assisting with month-end close processes (e.g., preparing journal entries, reconciling ledgers, and supporting accruals & prepayments).
• Supporting the preparation of management accounts by providing accurate financial data.
• Helping to maintain the fixed asset register and tracking capital expenditures.

3. Compliance & Process Improvement

• Ensuring all transactions comply with accounting policies and financial regulations.
• Assisting with VAT returns, tax filings, and audit preparations.
• Identifying and suggesting improvements to finance processes and automation to enhance efficiency.
• Comfortable with the application of AI tools to automate workflows and speed up financial operations.

4. Business Support & Collaboration

• Management of finance email inbox.
• Processing staff expenses (chasing for missing receipts & other required information)
• Collation of financial information required for monthly project review meetings.
• Partnering with wider teams (e.g., operations, sales, HR) to ensure accurate financial reporting.
• Assisting with a range of ad hoc finance duties as required.

5. Systems & Tools Management

• Using accounting software and other financial applications (e.g. SAP Public Cloud (S4/HANA) and SAP Concur) for data entry and reporting.
• Helping with ERP system implementation or automation projects as the company scales.

Competencies:

• Proactive: solutions-focused finance professional who consistently anticipates needs and takes initiative to improve processes and outcomes (e.g. embedding the use of AI tools, automating workflows and streamlining processes).
• Meticulous attention to detail: You have an exceptional eye for detail and take pride in delivering accurate work.
• Analytical: You are an analytical thinker and able to confidently solve problems. You consider new ways of working and different ways to tackle challenges.
• Strong interpersonal skills: You can confidently communicate with all members of the Rowden team.
• Eagerness to learn: You have a hands-on approach and a strong desire to learn new things, adapting quickly to changing demands.
• Dynamic and adaptable: You are energetic, determined and prepared to face, and adapt to, any challenge with a positive attitude.
• Organisational skills: You have excellent time management skills – you’re organised and able to prioritise a busy workload in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-motivated: You can work independently and seek advice when needed but also work well within a small team environment.

Key skills, experience and behaviours

• Previous experience in a Finance Assistant (or similar bookkeeping) role with a willingness to learn and develop.
• Experienced processing staff expenses and managing reimbursements.
• Experienced in transaction processing and monthly account reconciliations.
• Experience of straight forward month-end tasks, such as prepayments and accruals.
• Advanced Excel and strong Microsoft Office skills.
• Experience in using accounting software and other cloud-based applications e.g. SAP Public Cloud (S4/HANA) and SAP Concur.
• AAT qualified or part-qualified ACA, ACCA, CIMA (or other relevant qualification) – training support available.

Working at Rowden

We are committed to building a flexible, inclusive, and enabling company. Our aim is to create a diverse team of talented people with unique skills, experience, and backgrounds, so please apply and come as you are!

We also recognise the importance of flexible working and support this wherever we can. We typically operate a flexible, hybrid-working model, with an average 3 days in the office each week (dependent on the role). We welcome the opportunity to discuss flexibility, part-time working requirements and/or workplace adjustments with all our applicants.

Rowden is a Disability Confident Committed company, and we actively encourage people with disabilities and health conditions to apply for our roles. Please let us know your requirements early on so that we can make sure you have everything you need up front to help make the recruitment process and experience as easy as possible.

Finally, if you feel that you don’t meet all the criteria included above but have transferable skills and relevant experience, we’d still love to hear from you!