AAT finalist Assistant Accountant

Education/Qualification

• AAT Level 4 – waiting for a result and 1 exam to sit July 2025
• Sage Proficiency Award for Completing VAT Returns

• 2010 Diploma of Higher Education in V340 Social and Economic History – University of Liverpool
• 2008 A Levels achieved in History, English Language, Law, Psychology and General Studies – Holy Cross Sixth Form College
• 2006 GCSEs achieved in Maths and English at grade B – Bury Church of England High School

Systems used

• Microsoft Word and Excel – Intermediate / Advanced including Vlookups and Pivot Tables
• Oracle, Sage Line 50 and 200
• Xero – used at The Mailing Room
• In-house systems

Career Summary

Current Employer –Manufacturer TO c £4 m (Various roles from July 2023 – Present)

Position – Accounts Manager

Dates – October 2024 – Present

• Working with, and reporting to, the Finance Director. Managing a small finance team, with monitoring of results and identifying areas for improvement
• Daily Banking – Posting transactions to relevant ledgers. Reconciling the bank statement daily, across the following currencies: GBP, EUR, USD, SEK
• Cash Flow – Managing the company Cash Flow and reporting this weekly to the senior leadership team. Taking proactive steps to ensure strong financial performance and liaising with senior management to assess areas/opportunities for investment
• Accounts Payable – Review supplier invoices, ensuring valid PO is present, and disputing, both internally and externally, any invoices that do not meet required standards. Processing and monitoring expense/credit card statements, monitoring activity and ensuring all is coded correctly. Producing monthly analysis reports for senior management. Authorising a weekly payment run for supplier invoices, ensuring complete accuracy. Experience of managing a multi-currency operation. Constant attention on procedures and actions that can positively impact the results and reduce cash outflows
• Accounts Receivable – Implemented a new, updated credit control system, moving from a paper-based system to digital software system. Produce weekly targets and ensure these customers are contacted promptly to reduce the receivable times
• Overseeing the generation of sales invoices, and monitoring KPI’s such as Order Intake Value, and Sales Invoice Value
• Spot checking customer accounts using Experian and negotiating payment terms based on this. Experience of managing a multi-currency operation
• Payroll – Generating the payroll information and amounts for a team of 30+ on a monthly basis, ensuring all statutory criteria are met, and requirements for SSP/SMP/SPP are correctly applied
• Ad-Hoc – Managing the company Petty Cash funds, ensuring all receipts are correct and valid, as well as coded correctly
•  Monthly management of journals, ensuring they are generated and entered correctly, for areas such as the Suspense Account, Depreciation and Prepayments/Accruals
• Regular updating of Standard Operating Procedures, having introduced a new SOP system in previous year
• Management Accounts – stock control and stock valuation reporting direct to the Finance Director, and the Group Finance Director. Working with the Finance Director, to ensure
• Balancing the monthly accounts alongside the Finance Director, to ensure that P&L and Balance Sheet are up-to-date and accurate
• Using Management Reports to prepare performance reports for each department
• VAT – experience of generating and analysing Quarterly VAT returns

Position – Accounts Assistant

Dates – July 2023 – September 2024

Previous Employer – Cinema

Position – Ledger Assistant (Temporary – via Recruitment Solutions (NW) Ltd)

Dates – June 2023 – July 2023

Working across a Cinema Solutions Systems – they are reporting to a Team Leader and is assisting with,

• Review of rejected Invoices – checking Invoice – Sums and Balances / Adjusting Tax Rates / checking Purchase Order to original Order
• Resubmitting Invoice

Previous Employer – Business Equipment and supply (TO c £20m)

Position – Internal Accounts / Admin Support

Dates – June 2022 – June 2023

• Reported to Retention/Sales Manager – worked within a team of 6
• Assisted all Client / Customers Accounts – working closely with Accounts Receivable / Payable and General Ledger within the Business
• Generated invoices for the Customer – ensured correct information and PO numbers on each invoice and reconciled all payments
• Credit Control – chased all outstanding payments including taking payment over the phone or set up relevant BACS Payments / Direct Debits
• Assisted with Bank Reconciliation – across payments made throughout the day and updating Internal tracking systems
• Analysed/Created invoices to ensure all Services / Obligations were correctly billed
• Led a project for Royal Mail tariff changes, affecting over 6,000 customers, and equating to Income of over £800,000 for the business
• Created Invoices, dealt with any queries/complaints – took control of the service line Customer Calls
• Managed a portfolio of Clients and Customers, liaised with the Customer base to ensure their Franking Machine needs were met
• Negotiated with Customers for new machines/services, either through new lease or rental agreements, or through outright purchase of the machine and maintenance services
• Led a project with lower-level customer base, converting outdated machines to newer models, with updated contracts. Achieved a 63.1% conversion ratio, equating to 165 customers
• Worked with the retentions team, liaised with customers to retain their business
• Worked on a project helping Customers to update technology to ensure their machines had all services available after some changes had come into effect
• Payroll – redesigned the commission procedures for the Field Based colleagues, implemented new reporting platforms, and ensured on time and correct payment
• Ensured internal orders have correct PO numbers where required
• B2B experience and negotiation over the phone, via Teams/Zoom, and face to face

Reason for leaving: Redundancy

Previous Employer – Food Safety Company – Global Sustainability Leader

Position – Field Service Manager

Dates – August 2018 – May 2022

Previous Employer – Restaurant

Position – 1st Assistant Manager

Dates – May 2007 – August 2018