Accountant And Bookkeeper

If what you want is to be the professional you can be whilst juggling family commitments and working flexibly from home, there has never been a better time to join Rathbone Results. Following initial years operating as a small business, we decided last year to invest in our growth, appointed a few key individuals, and are already on track to double our revenues.  Our in-house team is currently five, and we operate with a team of close Associates and reliable external suppliers for a number of services (e.g. marketing and IT support).

We have an ambitious plan for the future and see the Accountant’s role growing with the business.  We are therefore looking for someone who will today look after ‘everything finance’ for us – from book-keeping, invoicing and day-to-day liaison with our external accountancy firm advisors to planning and managing our finances – ultimately delivering reliable financial reports to our newly established Board of Directors. We envisage this will require one day a week to start with.

We are just about to implement Xero and are using the specialist Xero team of our new external accountants to set up Xero to meet our business requirements.  We are ideally looking for candidates familiar with this technology to complete its implementation and help us maximise our use of it to manage our finances and generate reliable reports.  In the beginning, we may need a few extra days given the planned move to Xero, but we are confident that for the foreseeable future, one day per week input will be sufficient.

The Accountant’s role will likely evolve over the years as we grow and develop a Finance Team.  The Accountant, depending on availability to increase their time input over the years and on their interest, ambition and capability, may over time become our Finance Manager/Controller/Director and develop a team or simply continue to play a role as a part of the growing team.  We believe in investing in people to help them grow and develop as needed.

Rathbone Results is a boutique management consultancy embedded in Fire Safety and Security.  Our offer, clientele, and sectors we operate in are now all expanding.  For more information about us, please visit our website: https://www.rathboneresults.com.

Key Responsibilities

The Accountant will be key in maintaining our financial stability, ensuring compliance, and providing valuable insights to support business growth and success.  They will be responsible for:

Book-Keeping

• Hands-on financial data entry and coordinating/training/hand-holding our team to do their own data entry using Xero.
• Maintain accurate records of financial transactions, including purchases, sales, receipts, and payments.

Invoices, Payments, and Bank Reconciliation

• Manage invoices received – seeking internal approvals as needed
• Raise invoices, with support and approval from colleagues, as appropriate
• Chase payment of invoices, as needed and agreed with relevant colleagues who hold relationships with clients
• Organise payment of invoices as needed
• Reconcile bank accounts

Financial Planning and Management:

• Work closely with our CEO and other Partners to align invoicing schedules and financial planning with short-term and long-term business objectives
• Take a hands-on approach to budgeting, forecasting, and day-to-day financial operations
• Implement efficient financial controls and cost management practices

 Financial Reporting

• Preparation of financial statements such as income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to provide an overview of the company's financial health
• Track outstanding client invoices for debtor management

 Financial Analysis and Strategy

• Analyse financial data by service lines to identify trends, opportunities, and potential areas for improvement, providing insights to support strategic decision-making
• Provide advice on financial strategies to optimise cash flow, minimise costs, and maximise profitability
• Take an interest and support how we contract with clients with a view to optimising financial performance and minimising risk
• Support the thinking on the pricing of all our services

 Payroll Processing and Tax Compliance:

• Liaison with external Accountancy Firm of Advisors on employee payroll, helping us ensure that we comply with applicable tax laws and regulations and that we prepare and file tax returns accurately and on time

 Internal Controls:

• Establish and monitor internal controls to safeguard company assets and prevent fraud or financial mismanagement

Audit Preparation:

• Assist in the preparation for audits by external parties, as needed

Personal Spec

The successful candidate will be comfortable with technology and take a hands-on approach to planning and managing our finances.

Education and Experience:

• Chartered or Management Accountant who have earned (or is currently in the process of earning) the designation through a recognised accounting body (ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW)
• Proven experience in a financial management role in SME environment
• Previous professional services sector experience
• Experience in leading and/or contributing to the establishment of successful systems and processes to support business growth – including through technology
• Experience in onboarding and implementing Xero into an SME or equivalent

Technical Proficiency:

• Able to develop accurate financial management reports
• Able to develop reliable Budgets and Forecasts
• Able to deliver reliable accounts
• Able to manage the finances of a growing SME
• Excellent experience with Xero and Excel

Ethical and Professional Conduct:

• Credibility as an Accountant: honest & straightforward in approach
• High ethical standards with a commitment to transparency and integrity
• Adherence to professional standards

Other Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to easily gain the respect, hearts and minds of all our people
• Able to prioritise and deliver to agreed timescales
• Strong analytical skills combined with a practical, hands-on approach
• Effective communication skills tailored for smaller team environments
• Demonstrates a sense of urgency and a bias for action
• Resourcefulness and creative problem-solving skills to navigate a smaller business environment