Senior Accounts Assistant
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Job Title: Accounts Assistant - based in Wetherby, Leeds
Hybrid working: 1 day from home after probationary period
Hours: 830am - 5pm or similar shift
Holidays: 24 days + bank holidays
All round accounts assistant to support the finance team, working alongside 2 additional accounts clerks, assisting with end-to-end payroll (training will be provided, no experience needed). Responsible for both sides of the ledgers and bank and credit card reconciliations.
Key Responsibilities
- Bank reconciliations
- Chasing outstanding debts (credit control)
- Full management of end-to-end purchase ledgers.
- Reconciling payments and preparing BACS/FPS files for salary and supplier payments.
- Ensuring all payroll activities comply with HMRC regulations and employment law.
- Running monthly/yearly payroll reports for management, including costings, tax filings (RTI), and pension returns.
- Assisting with end-to-end processing of weekly/monthly payroll, including new starters, leavers, and contract changes.
- Verifying timekeeping records from security staff, monitoring clock-in/out times, and calculating complex overtime, shift premiums, and holiday pay.
- Ensuring correct deductions for tax, national insurance, pensions (auto-enrolment), and any salary sacrifices.
- Managing Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), Maternity/Paternity Pay (SMP/SPP), and final pay for departing employees.
Person Specification (Skills and Experience)
- Software: Proficiency in payroll software (e.g., Sage or XERO ) and Basic Excel skills (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP).
- Numeracy: Exceptional mathematical skills and accuracy, with the ability to handle manual calculations.
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Highlight your payroll software experience (Sage or XERO) prominently as this is specifically mentioned in the requirements
📊 Quantify your reconciliation experience: 'Processed 150+ monthly bank reconciliations with 99.8% accuracy'
🎯 Emphasise HMRC compliance knowledge including RTI submissions and statutory payments experience
💼 Showcase Excel skills specifically mentioning Pivot Tables and VLOOKUP as these are explicitly required
🏢 Mention any credit control experience with debt recovery metrics to stand out for this hybrid finance 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:
- •Processed 200+ monthly bank reconciliations using Sage software, achieving 99.5% accuracy rate and reducing discrepancies by 40%
- •Managed end-to-end payroll for 150 employees including RTI submissions and statutory payments, ensuring 100% HMRC compliance
- •Recovered £25,000 in outstanding debts through systematic credit control processes, improving cash flow by 15%
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Letter preview — tailored to RG Consultancy Ltd
Dear Hiring Manager,
RG Consultancy's Senior Accounts Assistant position combines the payroll expertise and HMRC compliance focus that aligns perfectly with my finance career goals. Your requirement for Sage/XERO proficiency and Excel skills including Pivot Tables matches my technical background in accounts processing.
My background in finance administration has equipped me with strong numeracy skills and attention to detail essential for bank reconciliations and payroll accuracy. I am particularly drawn to the comprehensive training you offer in end-to-end payroll processing, which would enhance my expertise in RTI submissions and statutory payments.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How would you handle a bank reconciliation discrepancy of £500?
- ›Explain the RTI submission process and HMRC deadlines
- ›What's the difference between BACS and FPS payments?
- ›How do you calculate Statutory Sick Pay entitlement?
- ›Walk me through setting up auto-enrolment for a new starter
Behavioural
- ›Describe a time when you had to chase a difficult debt
- ›How do you prioritise tasks during month-end closing?
- ›Tell me about a payroll error you discovered and resolved
- ›How do you ensure accuracy when processing large volumes of data?
- ›Describe a situation where you had to learn new software quickly
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Describe a time when you had to chase a difficult debt
Tell me about a payroll error you discovered and resolved