Interim Finance Assistant
£30,000 - £35,000 | Full-Time | Interim Contract
Location: St Albans
Hours: Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm, Friday finishing at 4.30pm
We are seeking an experienced and detail-driven Interim Finance Assistant to join my clients Finance Team and support the day-to-day financial operation. This is an excellent opportunity for an established finance professional to step into a varied and impactful interim role, contributing to accurate financial processing, month-end reporting, and strong compliance across the organisation.
Working closely with the Director of Finance and wider finance function, you will play a key role in maintaining efficient financial processes, ensuring internal controls are robust, and providing guidance to budget holders and departments.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Processing & Administration
·Process a high volume of financial transactions accurately and on time, including accounts payable and accounts receivable.
·Perform regular bank reconciliations and general ledger entries, resolving discrepancies promptly.
·Administer and reconcile petty cash, corporate credit cards, and staff expenses.
·Support the preparation of quarterly VAT returns.
·Maintain accurate and up-to-date supplier and customer records within the finance system.
Reporting & Month-End Support
·Assist with month-end and year-end close, including journals, accruals, prepayments, and supporting schedules.
·Support the production of monthly management accounts, reports, financial statements, and budget information.
·Manage monthly aged debtor and creditor reports, ensuring timely resolution of outstanding items.
Compliance & Guidance
·Provide clear guidance to budget holders and non-finance staff on financial procedures and regulations.
·Support internal and external audits and help ensure strong internal controls are maintained.
Person Specification
Essential Experience & Knowledge
·Solid experience in a similar finance role, ideally within education or the wider public sector.
·Strong understanding of accounting cycles, processes, and financial regulations.
·Proven ability to manage both accounts payable and accounts receivable functions.
·Experience working with computerised accounting systems and advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
·AAT qualification or progress towards ACCA/CIMA.
Skills & Abilities
·Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
·Strong numerical, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
·Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain financial information to non-finance colleagues.
Thank you for your interest in this vacancy, which is being advertised by Smart10 Recruitment Group, who are acting as an employment agency / business. Your application will be considered in competition with others and we will contact you within 3 working days if you have been shortlisted.
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