Bookkeeper/Office Manager
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Full Time | Permanent- Office Based
Are you an experienced Finance professional who thrives in a varied, hands-on role where no two days are the same?
We are seeking a highly organised and proactive Finance & Office Manager to join a successful and growing business. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys combining finance leadership with operational and office management responsibilities within a fast-paced, supportive environment.
This position offers a diverse role split approximately 60% finance and 40% office/administration management, making it ideal for someone who enjoys taking ownership across multiple areas of a business.
The RoleReporting directly to the Managing Director, you will take responsibility for the day-to-day finance function whilst also supporting the wider business with operational and administrative management.
Key ResponsibilitiesFinance Management- Prepare accurate monthly management accounts
- Work closely with external accountants on monthly reporting
- Develop and manage cashflow forecasts and annual budgets
- Produce weekly and monthly financial reporting packs
- Manage all Sales Ledger and Purchase Ledger activities
- Carry out credit control and debt management
- Complete bank reconciliations and balance sheet reconciliations
- Process journals and maintain the general ledger
- Raise, match and reconcile supplier invoices
- Produce accounts to trial balance stage
- Prepare and submit quarterly VAT returns
- Process payroll for approximately 20 employees, including P45s, P60s and P11Ds
- Manage supplier payment runs
- Review landlord statements and associated costs
- Conduct expenditure reviews and identify cost-saving opportunities
- Lead month-end and year-end processes
- Act as key contact for HMRC, pension providers, local authorities and external stakeholders
- Continuously improve financial systems and bookkeeping processes
- Provide operational and administrative support across the business
- Support the Managing Director with day-to-day business operations
- Act as a central point of contact within the office
- Assist with telephone enquiries and general administration
- Provide basic HR administration and maintain personnel records
- Maintain strong supplier and customer relationships
- Coordinate Health & Safety procedures, training, first aid and fire marshalling
- Liaise with utility providers and external service suppliers
- Support the smooth day-to-day running of the office environment
To be successful in this role, you will ideally have:
- Previous experience within a Finance Manager, Office Manager or similar dual-role position
- Strong bookkeeping and management accounts experience
- Excellent understanding of accounting principles and financial reporting
- Experience using accounting software such as Xero (Opera experience advantageous)
- Advanced Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office skills
- Excellent organisational and multitasking abilities
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- A proactive and solutions-focused approach
- Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy
- The ability to work independently and manage your own workload effectively
- A positive, flexible and hands-on attitude
- A varied and autonomous role with real responsibility
- Opportunity to work closely with senior leadership
- Supportive and friendly working environment
- Growing and successful business
- Competitive salary package
If you are looking for a broad and rewarding role where you can truly make an impact, we would love to hear from you
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Lead your CV with a Personal Statement that explicitly names 'Finance & Office Manager' and references both management accounts and payroll, as the advert splits the role 60/40 finance to operations.
📊 Quantify your payroll experience: e.g. 'Processed monthly payroll for 22 employees including P45s, P60s and P11Ds, ensuring 100% HMRC compliance over 3 years'.
🧾 Call out your Xero proficiency prominently in your skills section — the advert names it as the primary accounting software and Opera as a bonus.
📁 Include a bullet on VAT return preparation and HMRC liaison, as the advert lists these as explicit responsibilities and key stakeholder contacts.
🏢 Demonstrate your dual-role experience by structuring your most recent position with two sub-sections (Finance and Operations/Admin), mirroring the advert's 60/40 split to show direct relevance.
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:
- •Prepared monthly management accounts and financial reporting packs for a 15-person SME, reducing month-end close time from 10 days to 6 days through process improvements in Xero.
- •Processed end-to-end payroll for 22 employees including P45s, P60s and P11Ds, maintaining 100% HMRC compliance across 36 consecutive monthly pay runs.
- •Submitted quarterly VAT returns and managed credit control across a £1.2M sales ledger, reducing average debtor days from 48 to 31 within 6 months.
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We've drafted a cover letter for JANE GORSE RECRUITMENT LIMITED. Preview the opening, then unlock the full personalised version.
Letter preview — tailored to JANE GORSE RECRUITMENT LIMITED
Dear Hiring Manager,
The Finance & Office Manager position at Jane Gorse Recruitment's client immediately stood out to me as a role that matches my background precisely. With hands-on experience in management accounts preparation, VAT return submission and payroll processing, I am confident I can take full ownership of the finance function from day one while also supporting wider operational management.
My background in dual finance and office management roles has equipped me to handle the 60/40 split this position demands. I have prepared monthly management accounts to trial balance stage, managed sales and purchase ledgers, completed quarterly VAT returns and processed payroll for teams of up to 25 employees including P11Ds and P60s. I am proficient in Xero and advanced Microsoft Excel, and have acted as the primary HMRC contact in my current role, ensuring compliance across all submissions.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›Walk us through how you prepare monthly management accounts from trial balance to final pack.
- ›How do you build and maintain a cashflow forecast for a growing SME?
- ›Describe your process for completing and submitting a quarterly VAT return, including any common pitfalls you watch for.
- ›How have you used Xero to manage sales ledger, purchase ledger and bank reconciliations simultaneously?
- ›What steps do you follow when running payroll for approximately 20 employees, including processing P11Ds at year-end?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you identified a cost-saving opportunity through an expenditure review — what was the outcome?
- ›Describe a situation where you had to manage competing finance and operational priorities at the same time. How did you handle it?
- ›Give an example of when you improved a financial system or bookkeeping process. What did you change and what was the result?
- ›Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult supplier or creditor as part of credit control. How did you resolve it?
- ›Describe a time you supported a senior leader (such as a Managing Director) with day-to-day business operations. What did that involve?
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 cost-saving opportunity through an expenditure review — what was the outcome?
Describe a situation where you had to manage competing finance and operational priorities at the same time. How did you handle it?