Job Title: Accounts Assistant
Reports to: Finance Business Partner
Location: Carlisle
About Carlisle Brass
We are one of the UK’s most recognised architectural hardware brands, synonymous with architectural ironmongers, builders’ merchants, and major DIY retailers since 1986.
Located in Cumbria, home of the English Lake District, we operate a next day service, nationwide and beyond. We are passionate about our products, people, and customers.
Part of the ASSA ABLOY group, the global leader in access solutions.
Purpose of the role
The Accounts Assistant will process, record, reconcile and report on financial transactions and provide assistance across the entire finance function. They will be responsible for the management of customer rebates, bank reconciliations, analyses of employee expenses, credit cards and supporting the Management Accountant. This extends to management of the purchase ledger, ensuring purchase invoices are reported accurately and payments are processed in a timely manner.
Key responsibilities
1. Issuing the daily sales report, providing management with insightful commentary on key highlights and trends.
2. Performing weekly bank reconciliations and weekly net debt reporting, investigating anomalies.
3. Managing the customer rebate records, including month end provision calculations and reconciliations, uploading turnover data into customer portals, processing payments in line with agreements and posting provisions and payments into Sage 200.
4. Processing and accounting for employee expenses, including credit cards, plus accurate recording and handling of business and private mileage, using the Rydoo application and adhering to company policy.
5. Issuing monthly intercompany statements and overseeing the reconciliation of these to group companies via the Netting function. Also being responsible for the upload of information to the group ICT module at month end.
6. Processing purchase ledger, banking and nominal transactions on the Sage 200 system. Analysing purchases by expense type (coding invoices) and accounting for the correct treatment of VAT.
7. Obtaining purchase invoice authorisation in adherence to the purchase order process and delegated authority matrix within the company and managing the Unauthorised Invoices.
8. Maintaining the Purchase Order module on Sage 200, carrying out housekeeping thereon and providing training to Purchase Order users. Highlighting discrepancies between PO and purchase invoice and keeping budget holders accountable.
9. Performing supplier payment runs twice monthly, in accordance with supplier terms and in line with company procedures.
10. Requesting statements, reconciling supplier accounts, resolving differences and supplier queries promptly.
11. Responsible for maintaining accurate master data throughout the purchase ledger with strict attention to latest banking information for suppliers, whilst providing assistance to the same on the sales ledger.
12. Managing the Accounts Payable, the Accounts Payable Purchasing and the Rebates inboxes.
Providing support and cover to the Credit Control function, upon request from the Credit Control Manager and/or Senior AR Controller and providing holiday cover to the finance team.
13. Assisting with internal and external audit requests and completing Office for National Statistics surveys.
14. Any other duties as reasonably requested by the Management Accountant and Finance Business Partner which fall within the role’s responsibilities including assisting in the implementation of future changes to current processes.
Skills, competencies and personal experience
15. Strong attention to detail with the ability to work productively, accurately, efficiently & effectively with initiative and drive.
16. Demonstrable and effective time management skills, able to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple priorities and deadlines
17. Able to work within agreed frameworks and levels of authority whilst looking for ways to continually improve processes.
18. Strong communication, both written and verbal, and strong administrative and IT skills such as MS Office applications - Outlook, Excel & Word.
19. Must be a team player but also able to work with independence.
Previous experience in a Finance environment is desirable although not essential as full training will be given. Candidate will ideally be working towards (or have the desire to work towards) a professional qualification, e.g. AAT.
We are the ASSA ABLOY Group
Our people have made us the global leader in access solutions. In return, we open doors for them wherever they go. With nearly 63,000 colleagues in more than 70 different countries, we help billions of people experience a more open world. Our innovations make all sorts of spaces – physical and virtual – safer, more secure, and easier to access.
As an employer, we value results – not titles, or backgrounds. We empower our people to build their career around their aspirations and our ambitions – supporting them with regular feedback, training, and development opportunities. Our colleagues think broadly about where they can make the most impact, and we encourage them to grow their role locally, regionally, or even internationally.
As we welcome new people on board, it’s important to us to have diverse, inclusive teams, and we value different perspectives and experiences.