Senior Accountant / Payroll Senior – Accountancy Practice
Stoke-on-Trent
Up to £35,000
You might not call yourself a “Senior Accountant”.
You might just be the person everyone goes to when something needs sorting.
Payroll queries… CIS deadlines… a client who needs help… accounts that need finishing… supporting juniors… fixing things when others are stuck.
Over time you’ve become one of the most relied-upon people in the firm — but your job title and pay haven’t really caught up with the responsibility.
That’s exactly who this role is for.
I’m working with a long-established local practice looking for a hands-on senior to join their team following a planned team change. The key difference here is they’re hiring early to allow a proper handover, not rushing someone into the deep end.
The role
This is a genuinely varied position where you’ll be trusted from day one:
• Running payroll (around 70–75% of the role)
• CIS returns and pension submissions
• VAT returns
• Preparing accounts for sole traders & limited companies
• Supporting client queries directly
• Becoming a key contact for long-standing local businesses
There are no corporate clients and no production-line work. Most clients have worked with the firm for years and still value speaking to the same person.
The environment
Although part of a wider group, the office operates like a small independent practice, stable team, supportive management and people who tend to stay long-term.
You won’t be micromanaged, but you will be trusted.
They understand life exists outside work. Once settled in, there is flexibility around hours and working patterns when needed - this is a team that plans around people, not just timesheets.
What they’re looking for
• Practice experience at Semi-Senior/Senior level
• Strong SAGE payroll knowledge (important)
• CIS and pensions experience
• Someone dependable who enjoys variety and client contact
You don’t need to be qualified — QBE is absolutely fine.
Industry backgrounds won’t suit; this role is very much practice-based.
This isn’t a high-pressure environment or a stepping-stone role.
It’s somewhere you can become an important part of the team and stay long-term.
If you’d like to quietly understand more before deciding whether it’s right for you, I’m happy to have a confidential chat