About the role
Join DS Smith as a Finance Assistant and be part of a dynamic team supporting our Packaging Services and Hi-Performance business units. This is a key role, working closely with our Cluster Operations Business Partner, site teams, and Shared Service Centres to ensure efficient financial administration and process improvement.
Responsibilities of the role
You’ll be part of an onsite team, responsible for providing finance administration support across the site. Your daily tasks will include:
Finance Administration & Support
1. Process accounts payable (AP) invoices into SAP
2. Create and distribute sales invoices to customers, including portal uploads
3. Handle customer and vendor queries via internal teams and SSCs in Spain and Caerphilly
4. Perform vendor statement reconciliations for Packaging Services
5. Maintain customer, supplier, and material master records through SSC requests
6. Monitor and manage customer credit limits and account statuses
7. Support accurate and complete transactional processing at month-end
Management Information
8. Provide analysis and support for site-specific queries and business metrics
9. Monitor monthly departmental costs to support cost control
Working Capital Management
10. Maintain workflow accuracy by ensuring valid, appropriately coded costs
11. Manage open purchase orders and ensure timely closure where appropriate
12. Coordinate key supplier payments in line with business deadlines
13. Minimise customer debtor queries to help maximise cashflow
Continuous Improvement
14. Collaborate with teams to improve financial processes, controls, and cross-functional efficiencies
15. Contribute ideas to improve operational methods and internal reporting
Governance & Control
16. Work alongside the Cluster Operations Business Partner to ensure local financial control measures are met and well-documented
Health & Safety
17. Take responsibility for your own and your team’s health & safety
18. Report and escalate any unsafe conditions or incidents promptly
About You
We are seeking someone who is proactive, eager to learn, and able to handle confidential information with accuracy and integrity.
Essential Skills & Qualifications:
19. Strong Excel and numerical skills
20. Previous finance experience, ideally with SAP
21. Strong reporting and data handling capabilities
22. Excellent organisational and communication skills
23. Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment
24. Commercial awareness and a proactive, problem-solving mindset
Desirable:
25. AAT or equivalent finance/admin qualification
26. Experience in finance administration and internal controls
What We Offer
We’re committed to helping you build a rewarding career. In return for your hard work and enthusiasm, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including:
27. Competitive salary & discretionary bonus
28. Study support for professional qualifications
29. 25 days holiday + bank holidays
30. Pension scheme, life assurance & income protection
31. Cycle to work program
32. Employee Assistance Programme, Digital GP & Health Checks
33. Retail and leisure discounts
Join us at DS Smith and help shape the future of sustainable packaging — while shaping a successful future for yourself.
Apply today to take the next step in your finance career.
About us
We’re DS Smith, the company who are redefining packaging for a changing world. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. Today, we operate in more than 30 different countries, supporting customers across sectors like FMCG, industrial, and e-commerce. We deliver on quality, service, innovation, and added value to deliver market-leading sustainable packaging solutions our customers need. Our industry needs to transform, and we’re building the team to drive change across Europe and North America
To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.
Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.
#LI-CE