Business Services Senior
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
A fantastic opportunity has landed for an experienced Business Services Senior to join a leading firm of Chartered Accountants based in Leek. This is a role where you can genuinely grow, taking on meaningful work within a supportive and professional environment. The firm offers flexible working arrangements, a company pension scheme, and much more, making this an excellent package for the right candidate.
Crowe Watson Recruitment, one of the UK’s most respected specialist recruiters in the accountancy practice sector, has been exclusively engaged to find the right person for this position. With a strong track record of connecting talented professionals with leading firms across the country, Crowe Watson brings real expertise and genuine care to every placement. If you are an ambitious accountancy professional looking for your next step, you are in safe hands.
In this role, you will play a key part in the Business Services team, supporting a varied portfolio of clients ranging from owner-managed businesses to larger corporate entities. You will take ownership of your work, deliver high-quality outputs, and contribute to a team that prides itself on technical excellence and outstanding client service. This is an ideal opportunity for someone ready to take on greater responsibility and make a real impact at a well-regarded practice.
You might not meet all the criteria, but if you are passionate about developing yourself and your career, we’d love to hear from you.
Crowe Watson Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency. References to pay rates are indicative and salary is dependent on experience.
Key Responsibilities- Preparing and reviewing year-end accounts for a diverse portfolio of clients
- Managing and reviewing VAT returns, ensuring accuracy and compliance
- Providing bookkeeping and management accounts services to clients
- Acting as a key point of contact for clients, building and maintaining strong professional relationships
- Mentoring and supporting junior members of the team
- Liaising with HMRC and other third parties on behalf of clients
- Contributing to the wider development of the Business Services department
- Must have previous experience working within a UK Practice environment
- AAT qualified or part/fully qualified ACA or ACCA (or qualified by experience)
- Strong working knowledge of accounting software such as Xero, QuickBooks, or Sage
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Ability to manage a varied workload and meet deadlines
- A proactive, client-focused approach with a high level of attention to detail
- Comfortable working both independently and as part of a close-knit team
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Highlight your AAT/ACA/ACCA qualification prominently as this is explicitly required for the Business Services Senior role
📊 Quantify your client portfolio experience: 'Managed 45+ client accounts across SMEs and corporates'
🌐 Emphasise your Xero/QuickBooks/Sage proficiency as the advert specifically mentions these accounting software packages
🎯 Showcase your VAT compliance expertise and HMRC liaison experience as these are key daily responsibilities
🤝 Demonstrate your mentoring abilities since supporting junior team members is part of the role
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 and reviewed 85+ year-end accounts annually for SME clients using Xero and Sage, achieving 98% first-time approval rate
- •Managed VAT compliance for 60+ clients including Partial Exemption calculations, reducing HMRC queries by 40% through proactive reviews
- •Mentored 4 junior accountants in technical skills and client management, with 3 achieving AAT qualification within 18 months
Free to copy — tailoring requires a 30-sec CV upload.
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Letter preview — tailored to Crowe Watson Recruitment
Dear Hiring Manager,
Your Business Services Senior position at this leading Chartered Accountancy firm in Leek represents exactly the career progression I'm seeking, combining my AAT qualification with hands-on experience in VAT compliance and year-end accounts preparation across diverse client portfolios.
My background in UK practice environments has equipped me with strong technical skills in Xero, QuickBooks and Sage, alongside experience mentoring junior colleagues and managing complex client relationships from owner-managed businesses through to corporate entities.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How would you approach preparing year-end accounts for a new client with complex transactions?
- ›What's your experience with VAT Partial Exemption calculations and when would you apply them?
- ›How do you ensure accuracy when reviewing management accounts in Xero or Sage?
- ›Describe a time you had to resolve a compliance issue with HMRC on behalf of a client
- ›What key ratios and KPIs do you focus on when preparing management accounts for SME clients?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you had to mentor a junior colleague through a challenging client issue
- ›Describe a situation where you had to manage multiple client deadlines simultaneously
- ›Give an example of how you've built a strong relationship with a difficult client
- ›Tell me about a time you identified an error in accounts and how you handled it
- ›Describe a situation where you had to work independently on a complex client matter
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you had to mentor a junior colleague through a challenging client issue
Describe a situation where you had to manage multiple client deadlines simultaneously
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