Accounts Assistant

We are looking for a skilled and passionate Accounts Assistant to join our team in Derby. This is an excellent opportunity to join a professional firm of Chartered Accountants, with scope to train to become a Chartered Accountant.

Our opportunity

Haines Watts are a top 15 accountancy firm specialising within the owner managed business area nationwide. A well-established firm whose journey goes back over 90 years, we have retained our authentic and dynamic ethos and continue to grow nationally as well as regionally. Our strategic goal is to be the number one advisor to owner managed businesses.

You will be assisting in the management and delivery of accounts preparation services for our Owner Managed Business Client portfolio with the below key tasks being carried out.

Duties include:

• Produce an accounts working file in line with Haines Watts standards
• Produce an accounts summary and list of discussion points for the manager
• Work within a budget agreed at the planning stage
• To self-manage and prepare VAT returns for clients from a variety of industries
• To professionally represent the firm and its interests in dealings with clients and other professionals
• To attend training to further develop and maintain your technical skills,
• To achieve good passes with all professional and advance examinations, where applicable
• To plan and control your professional work for the firm’s clients within the firm’s standard procedures. You will be able to identify basic planning opportunities
• To identify and act upon any opportunities you see within the professional work you do to sell more services to existing and prospective clients
• You will keep up to date with internal policies, procedures and announcements
• Ad hoc administrative duties as needed by the Manager
• Prior knowledge of producing self-assessment tax returns would be an advantage

Your experience ideally will include:

• Assisting in financial reporting, for sole traders and limited companies
• Experience with using Iris, Sage, Xero and QuickBooks is preferred but not essential
• Prior knowledge of producing self-assessment tax returns would be an advantage
• Preparation of VAT returns
• Experience of incorporating checks to ensure accuracy, standing back from the detail ensuring all tasks are completed to a high standard
• Having to juggle a number of priorities whilst ensuring deadlines are met
• Communicating with all levels within an organisation
• Managing your own workload
• Creative thinking and having to consider the 'bigger picture'

You will have the following skills:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Good attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Excellent Excel skills
• Good organisation and time management skills
• Proactive thinking and application skills
• Self-management skills

What you will need to be:

• Be authentic in every situation and like to be connected to your team, clients and local communities
• Like to listen and understand, to show up every day with passion and to stand up for things that matter to you
• Be driven to succeed, take initiative and want results

Qualifications:

• Qualified to AAT level (part qualified will be considered based on experience) or equivalent as a minimum.
• Haines Watts is committed to developing its people and will provide ongoing support and training.

What you get back from us:

• Competitive salary
• Study support package if applicable
• Excellent personal development programmes to support career growth opportunities
• Structured development as well as on the job practical training
• Flexible benefits reward package
• Working and learning directly from our Associate Directors & Directors
• Ability to progress all the way to the top!

If you are keen to secure a progressive role within a unique top 15 accountancy firm offering a great career progression, please apply today to find out more.

We do not pay agency fees where speculative and unsolicited CVs are submitted to Haines Watts by any means. For any CVs which are submitted without instruction from the Haines Watts Recruitment team, Haines Watts reserves the right to contact and work directly with these candidates without payment of any agency fee.

It starts with you!

Some people think being an accountant is all about numbers. Here at Haines Watts we don’t! We believe it’s all about our people and the relationships they forge as well as the specialist insight that they might build over time. We’ve been around for 90 years, so we must know a thing or two.

Our clients come from all walks of life. They have different backgrounds, experiences, talents, skills and goals. Just like our people.

So, we have a question for you: are you looking for a job that’s just about the numbers? Or do you want a career which leans into who you are as a person. You will build a common foundation with your colleagues whilst progressing from Trainee to Manager, but from there, with our in-house programmes to help you, we actively encourage you to discover who you are as a person.

Is your preference to become a foremost authority in an accountancy specialism or someone who is energised by relationships with clients and teams? We value either career path equally, but we know that you will value one more than the other and we will support you on that journey of discovery.

You can find out more about us and our story here.