Finance Assistant; Brinkworth

The Finance Assistant plays a crucial role in supporting the day-to-day operations of our finance department. This position handles essential transactional tasks, including accounts payable and receivable, credit control, expense processing, and data entry. The ideal candidate is highly organised, possesses excellent attention to detail, and enjoys working with numbers in a fast-paced team environment.

• Proactively contact debtors via phone, email, and letter to secure payment of outstanding invoices.
• Negotiate sustainable payment plans with overdue accounts in line with company policy.
• Identify, investigate, and resolve customer payment queries by liaising with internal sales and account management teams.
• Escalate problematic or high-risk accounts to the Group Financial Accountant.
• Process new customer credit applications and perform background/credit reference checks.
• Monitor and review existing customer credit limits based on payment history and risk assessments.
• Ensure the sales ledger is accurately maintained, allocating incoming BACS, check, and card payments daily.
• Issue monthly customer statements and regular chase letters
• Assist with bank reconciliations and verify that cash receipts match ledger balances.
• Provide regular updates and reporting on the status of the aged debtor list.
• Support the wider finance team with ad-hoc administrative tasks and month-end closing procedures.

Required:

• Communication & Negotiation:
  Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; ability to be assertive yet diplomatic when discussing overdue payments.
• Resilience & Problem-Solving:
  Comfort handling difficult conversations and a proactive approach to resolving billing disputes.
• Numerical Accuracy:
  High attention to detail for allocating payments correctly and managing complex account reconciliations.
• Organisation:
  Ability to manage a high volume of accounts, prioritise collections effectively, and document clear trail histories.
• Software Literacy:
  Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (data filtering, basic formulas) and standard accounting software.
• Experience:
  
  1–2 years of experience in an administrative or entry-level finance/accounting role.
• Systems Knowledge:
  Experience using accounting software (e.g. Xero and Sage).