Specialist, Finance

Journey Further; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension matched up to 4%

Private medical insurance

Enhanced family pay

Home-working allowance

Job summary

Journey Further in Manchester is seeking a Finance Specialist to join a fast-paced marketing agency environment. You will manage day-to-day credit control, ledger reconciliations, and support billing, PO, and VAT processes while partnering with RevOps and Client Leads.

With 1–2 years of hands-on experience, you will ensure immaculate financial data, timely cash inflows, and clear, prompt finance support across internal teams.

Qualifications

• 1–2 years of experience in a broad finance, accounting, or transactional role.
• Direct experience handling credit control and ledger reconciliations.
• Proficiency with cloud accounting software and spreadsheets (Xero, Google Sheets).
• Foundational understanding of VAT rules and PO systems.
• Willingness to contact clients by phone to chase invoices.
• Pride in clean ledgers, reconciliations, and accurate records.
• AAT study pursued is preferred but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day credit control and secure timely payments.
• Handle client billing queries with internal teams to resolve disputes.
• Perform client credit checks and maintain accurate accounts in system.
• Monitor aged debtors and assist Finance Manager on escalations.
• Conduct daily multi-currency bank reconciliations and keep records.
• Prepare key monthly reconciliations and supplier statements.
• Process supplier invoices and schedule payment runs.
• Assist with month-end journaling for accruals and prepayments.
• Partner with RevOps on retainer models and project billing.
• Process staff expenses and monitor corporate card usage.
• Maintain audit-ready financial records and provide finance support.

Skills

Credit control

Ledger reconciliations

Xero

Spreadsheets

VAT knowledge

Client communication

Education

AAT qualification (preferred)

Tools

Xero

PO systems

Job description

We are looking for a detailed, highly organised, and proactive Finance Specialist to join our team at Journey Further.

This role is ideal for an ambitious finance professional with 1 to 2 years of hands‑on experience who wants broad exposure across a fast paced marketing agency environment. Rather than being stuck in a single niche, you will manage core operational workflows. This means you will work across day to day credit control and complex ledger reconciliations to purchase orders and billing support.

You will work closely with our Revenue Operations (RevOps) team and Client Leads, ensuring our financial data is immaculate, our cash inflow is steady, and internal queries are resolved with speed and clarity.

What you will do

• Manage the day to day credit control cycle, contacting clients via phone and email to secure timely payments while maintaining great working relationships
• Act as the first point of contact for client billing queries, liaising with internal Client Leads to resolve scope, PO, or invoice disputes rapidly
• Perform credit checks for new clients, setup new accounts, and ensure billing details and payment terms are accurately captured in our system
• Monitor aged debtors daily, escape persistent overdue accounts to the Finance Manager, and keep debtor notes up to date
• Perform daily bank reconciliations across multi currency accounts, ensuring all cash movements are matched accurately in our accounting software
• Prepare and maintain key monthly reconciliations, including bank, credit card, petty cash, and supplier statements
• Process incoming supplier invoices, verify purchase order (PO) approvals, schedule payment runs, and resolve supplier queries
• Assist the Finance Manager with basic month end preparation, including entering journals for accruals, prepayments, and deferred revenue
• Partner closely with RevOps to ensure client retainer models, media spend reconciliations, and project billing mirror active contracts
• Process staff expense submissions and monitor corporate credit card usage, ensuring compliance with company policy and correct VAT treatment
• Maintain clean, organised financial records and document workflows to ensure total audit readiness at all times
• Provide clear, prompt finance support to internal agency teams (Client Leads, Operations, People)

• 1–2 years of experience in a broad finance, accounting, or transactional role (agency, professional services, or fast-growth business background is a plus)
• Direct experience handling credit control and ledger reconciliations (sets and recs)
• Proficiency with modern cloud accounting software (e.g., Xero) and confidence using spreadsheets (Google Sheets for data manipulation and lookups)
• Good foundational understanding of VAT rules and purchase order systems
• You aren't afraid to pick up the phone to chase an invoice or talk through a query with a client
• You take genuine pride in clean ledgers, balanced reconciliations, and accurate records
• Actively studying towards an AAT qualification would be preferred but not essential

Pension - Matched up to 4%

Health - Private medical insurance

Family - Enhanced maternity, paternity & adoption pay

Flexibility - 25 days annual leave, Christmas shutdown and home working allowance

Salary

Leeds - £27,000 - £30,000

Manchester - £27,000 - £31,000