Graduate Accountant

Quest Search and Selection; Carlisle; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A recruitment agency is seeking a Graduate Accountant in Carlisle, UK. The role involves analyzing revenue and expenses, assisting in budgeting, and preparing audit files. The ideal candidate will be a finance graduate with strong Excel skills and a proactive attitude. Benefits include support for Chartered Accountant progression and a great office environment.

Benefits

Support for Chartered Accountant Progression

Free Parking

Company pension

Employee discount

Qualifications

• Ideally with 1 year industry experience.
• Capable of producing clear, concise reports for senior leadership.
• Adaptable to new processes.

Responsibilities

• Analyse, allocate, and post revenue and expenses.
• Assist in preparation of budget and forecasts.
• Prepare year-end audit files and identify key trends.
• Build understanding of management accounts processes.
• Provide financial analysis for capital investment.
• Foster relationships with operations teams.

Skills

Strong Excel skills

Detail-oriented

Excellent interpersonal skills

Proactive and positive attitude

Confident in challenging existing processes

Communication skills

Education

Graduate in finance/accounting

Tools

Financial systems

Job description

Quest Search & Selection are currently recruiting for a Graduate Accountant. Here you will play a key role in driving accurate business insights and contribute to strategic business decisions. Moreover, an interest in or commitment to working towards becoming a Chartered Accountant is highly beneficial & support can be provided by the business.

The company is a B2C business that has circa 2000 people employed nationally.

Role and Responsibilities of this Graduate Accountant:

• Analyse, allocate, and post revenue and expenses at both store and department levels.
• Assist in the preparation of budget, forecasts (P&L, cash flow, and balance sheet) in line with the company’s budgeting schedule.
• Help prepare accurate and complete year‑end audit files in a timely manner and identify key trends and communicate variances to budget owners.
• Build a strong understanding of the processes behind management accounts, supporting a culture of continuous improvement and service enhancement across the finance team.
• Provide assistance of financial analysis and support for capital investment decisions, including new store openings and refurbishments.
• Foster strong working relationships with operations teams, including store, area, and regional managers, as well as key department heads.

Qualification Required for this Graduate Accountant role:

• Graduate in finance/accounting, ideally with 1 Year industry experience.
• Strong Excel skills and proficient in financial systems.
• Proactive and a positive attitude.
• Confident in challenging existing processes where needed.
• Capable of producing clear, concise reports for senior leadership.
• Detail‑oriented and adaptable.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Benefits of joining this Graduate Accountant role:

• Great entry level role within a commercial business setting!
• Great head office environment (this is a fully office‑based role).
• Support for Chartered Accountant Progression.
• Free Parking.
• Company pension.
• Employee discount.

We request that candidates send their CV as a Microsoft Word document where possible.

Quest Search and Selection is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.