Audit and Accounts Manager
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
We're exclusively recruiting for an Audit and Accounts Manager to join one of Kent's most prestigious chartered accountancy practices. Our client is a successful chartered accountancy practice based in Kent that specialises in supporting owner-managed businesses. Due to recent growth, they now have an opportunity for a full-time Audit and accounts Manager to support the senior team with the delivery of statutory audit and accounts preparation services for a broad range of clients.
You will gain fantastic exposure and be offered excellent career prospects in this position. You will be responsible for:
- Management of audits, from planning to completion
- Preparation of accounts for a diverse range of clients, as well as tax computations.
- Lead a portfolio of clients, from resource planning to WIP and budget management.
- Work closely with clients to build trusted relationships, being the go-to for support.
- Deliver a strong commercial awareness, reviewing opportunities for fee development.
- Confidently present work to Partners, completing files to a high standard.
- Underpin audit and accounts matters with current legislation and compliance.
- Handle compliance queries from clients, acting as the main point of contact and delivering clear communications.
- Provide quotes and estimate fees.
- Assist with pitching to new clients and attending networking opportunities, championing new business for the firm.
- Delegate work to, and mentor new trainees, supporting with their learning and development.
Requirements
- The ideal candidate will hold an ACA or ACCA qualification, with experience of managing a portfolio of owner-managed businesses and SME clients.
- They will also have experience of planning and completing audits, as well as analytical reviews, accounts preparation and work review.
- The person will have experience in supervising internal and on-site teams, and be driven to provide a high-quality service to clients.
- They will be passionate in their work, a strong communicator and have an attention to detail that supports their ability to work to multiple simultaneous deadlines.
Benefits
- £50,000- £60,000, depending on experience
- Excellent career progression
- Parking
- 25 days annual leave + bank holidays
- Auto-enrolment pension scheme
- Great atmosphere and culture
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Lead your CV with your ACA or ACCA qualification prominently in your Personal Statement, as the advert lists this as the primary requirement.
📊 Quantify your audit portfolio: e.g. 'Managed statutory audits for 25+ SME clients with combined turnover exceeding £40M', mirroring the advert's emphasis on portfolio breadth.
🎯 Dedicate a bullet point to WIP and budget management, as the advert explicitly calls out resource planning and WIP — use figures such as 'Managed WIP of £120k across 15 concurrent audit files'.
🤝 Highlight business development activity: reference pitching, networking, or fee growth you have driven, as the advert specifically mentions championing new business and fee development.
📋 Include a line on trainee supervision and mentoring with numbers (e.g. 'Supervised and mentored a team of 4 audit trainees'), as the advert places clear weight on people development responsibilities.
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Managed a portfolio of 30 SME and owner-managed business audit clients, overseeing engagements from planning through to completion and reducing average file turnaround time by 20%.
- •Prepared statutory accounts and corporation tax computations for clients with combined turnover exceeding £35M, ensuring full compliance with FRS 102 and current HMRC requirements.
- •Supervised and mentored a team of 3 audit trainees across on-site and office-based engagements, contributing to 2 trainees achieving their ACA milestones ahead of schedule.
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Letter preview — tailored to TPF Recruitment
Dear Hiring Manager,
TPF Recruitment's search for an Audit and Accounts Manager at this Canterbury-based chartered accountancy practice aligns closely with my background in statutory audit and accounts preparation for owner-managed businesses. With my ACA qualification and hands-on experience managing SME client portfolios — including audit planning, tax computations, and analytical reviews — I am well placed to support the senior team and deliver the high-quality service your clients expect.
My background in managing concurrent audit engagements, overseeing WIP and budget control, and mentoring audit trainees has equipped me to step into a portfolio management role with confidence. At my current firm, I have led audit files from risk assessment through to Partner presentation, consistently completing work to a high standard and within budget. I have also contributed to business development through client pitching and networking, generating additional fee opportunities for the practice.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›Walk us through your approach to planning a statutory audit from initial risk assessment through to completion.
- ›How do you ensure accounts preparation and tax computations remain compliant with current UK legislation and GAAP?
- ›Describe your experience with analytical review procedures — which methods do you rely on most and why?
- ›How do you manage WIP, budgets, and resource allocation across a portfolio of concurrent audit engagements?
- ›What audit software and accounts preparation tools have you used, and how have they improved your workflow?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you identified a significant risk during an audit that the client had not anticipated — how did you handle it?
- ›Describe a situation where you had to manage a difficult client relationship while maintaining compliance and delivering to deadline.
- ›Give an example of how you have mentored a trainee and the impact it had on their development.
- ›Tell me about a time you successfully pitched for new business or contributed to fee development for your firm.
- ›Describe a situation where you had to juggle multiple simultaneous deadlines across different client files — how did you prioritise?
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you identified a significant risk during an audit that the client had not anticipated — how did you handle it?
Describe a situation where you had to juggle multiple simultaneous deadlines across different client files — how did you prioritise?