An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Graduate Assistant Accountant to join a highly respected organisation based in Runcorn, supporting the financial management of central costs across all UK entities. This role is perfect for someone who is passionate about finance and eager to develop their career within a supportive and collaborative team.
You will play a key part in ensuring the accuracy of monthly management accounts, financial reporting, and budgeting processes, while gaining exposure to a wide range of business areas including payroll, fixed assets, insurance, and more.
* Gain hands-on experience in financial accounting, management reporting, and business partnering with stakeholders across multiple departments, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of central cost functions.
* Benefit from a nurturing environment that encourages your professional development through study support, mentoring from experienced accountants, and access to advanced tools
* Enjoy flexible working opportunities and be part of a team that values collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement in all aspects of finance operations.
What you'll do:
As a Graduate Assistant Accountant, you will immerse yourself in a variety of tasks that underpin the smooth running of the finance department's central cost functions. Your day-to-day activities will involve working closely with senior accountants to deliver timely management accounts, prepare insightful reports for stakeholders, assist with budgeting cycles, and ensure compliance with internal controls. You will also have the chance to work on special projects aimed at improving efficiency within finance processes. By engaging with different teams across the business-such as payroll, insurance, property management, and audit-you will develop strong interpersonal skills while building technical expertise in both Excel modelling and systems.
* Support the accurate completion of monthly management accounts and financial reporting for central functions including payroll, insurance, rent & rates, fixed assets, and other shared operating expenditure areas.
* Assist in preparing forecasts, budgets, long-term plans, and regular as well as ad hoc financial analysis relating to central costs and business areas.
* Contribute to variance analysis by investigating financial discrepancies alongside the wider Group Reporting & Central Costs Finance team to provide meaningful insight into performance.
* Maintain robust financial systems and controls for central function processes to ensure timely and accurate reporting while mitigating risks of financial losses.
* Support intercompany invoicing activities such as cross-border charging by collaborating with transactional finance teams to match and clear intercompany debt.
* Produce accurate balance sheet reconciliations for relevant central cost areas including accruals, prepayments, and intercompany transactions as required.
* Help manage the fixed asset ledger by ensuring up-to-date asset listings, values, depreciation schedules, amortisation records, and disposal activity are accurately recorded.
* Provide support during external audits throughout the year by preparing documentation related to central costs and business areas.
What you bring:
To excel as a Graduate Assistant Accountant in this role you will bring not only foundational knowledge gained through your degree or early career experience but also an eagerness to learn from others within a collaborative environment. Your proven ability to handle complex data sets using advanced Excel techniques will enable you to produce detailed analyses that inform key decisions across the business. You will demonstrate reliability under pressure by consistently meeting deadlines while maintaining meticulous attention to detail-qualities essential for producing accurate reconciliations and reports
* Experience or academic background in financial or management accounting with practical knowledge of journal posting, profit & loss analysis, and balance sheet reconciliation.
* Proficiency in data analysis using large volumes of information within Excel spreadsheets or similar finance systems; ability to build models, analyse trends, draw conclusions, and provide clear commentary.
* Demonstrated ability to meet tight deadlines without compromising attention to detail or accuracy in outputs.
* A positive attitude characterised by enthusiasm for learning new skills and contributing positively within a team setting.
* Excellent communication skills enabling effective interaction with colleagues at all levels as well as external stakeholders when required.
* Strong analytical thinking combined with numerical aptitude; able to interpret complex data sets into actionable insights for business partners.
* Well-developed time management skills allowing you to juggle multiple tasks efficiently while adapting flexibly to changing demands or priorities.
* Currently studying towards or holding part-qualification status with a recognised professional accountancy body (such as ACCA or CIMA) is highly desirable.
What sets this company apart:
This organisation stands out due to its unwavering commitment to employee development within an inclusive workplace culture that prioritises teamwork over hierarchy. Employees benefit from structured training programmes designed around individual needs-whether it's support for professional exams or tailored mentoring from experienced colleagues. The company actively encourages knowledge sharing between departments so everyone feels connected regardless of their role or level of experience. Flexible working arrangements are available where possible so you can achieve balance between your career ambitions and personal life commitments. With a reputation for operational excellence across the UK this employer offers stability alongside genuine opportunities for progression; here your contributions are valued not just by immediate teammates but also by leaders who recognise potential at every stage of your journey.
Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates
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