Assistant Accountant

Department: Finance

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Rochdale

Reporting To: Fayyaz Mohammed

Compensation: £32,000 - £34,000 / year

Location: Rochdale

Salary: £32,000 - £34,000

Contract: Full Time, Permanent

We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Assistant Accountant to join our growing finance team at Salt Separation Services. Reporting to the Head of Finance, you will play a key role in providing a professional finance service to the business, ensuring the smooth operation of the Accounts Payable function and supporting the accurate preparation of financial data.

This is a varied and hands-on position that will primarily focus on Accounts Payable whilst providing wider support across the finance function. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the accurate processing of financial transactions, maintaining strong supplier relationships, supporting month-end activities, and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives.

As Assistant Accountant, your responsibilities will include:

• Processing and posting supplier invoices accurately and in a timely manner.
• Downloading invoices from supplier portals and matching them to supporting documentation.
• Managing and resolving Accounts Payable queries and maintaining the unposted invoices log.
• Preparing, generating and reviewing aged creditors reports.
• Supporting bi-monthly supplier payment runs and issuing payment remittances.
• Performing supplier statement reconciliations.
• Maintaining supplier banking and financial information within the ERP system.

• Preparing and posting journals within Epicor ERP.
• Performing general ledger account analysis.
• Processing monthly Accounts Payable accruals.
• Reviewing and amending Goods Received Not Invoiced (GRNI) balances.
• Completing monthly balance sheet reconciliations.
• Supporting employee expense checking and processing.

• Assisting with annual external audits, including preparing audit schedules, documentation and responding to audit queries.
• Supporting annual stock takes and ensuring accurate documentation.
• Conducting annual supplier credit checks and credit limit reviews.
• Documenting, maintaining and periodically reviewing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

• A minimum of 3 to 5 years' experience within a finance function
  , including significant Accounts Payable responsibility.
• Proven experience managing the end-to-end purchase ledger process
  .
• Experience preparing and reviewing supplier payment runs, including BACS, CHAPS and international payments
  .
• Strong experience performing supplier statement reconciliations and resolving complex invoice discrepancies.
• Experience supporting month-end and year-end close processes
  , including accruals and prepayments.
• Experience posting journals and reconciling balance sheet accounts.
• Experience supporting working capital management activities.
• Experience preparing VAT information and supporting HMRC compliance requirements.
• Experience supporting external audits through the provision of accurate financial information.
• Demonstrable success in improving Accounts Payable processes, controls and efficiencies.
• Experience working with ERP or accounting systems, ideally Epicor.

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including:
  • Pivot Tables
  • XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP
  • SUMIFS
  • Data analysis and reporting
• Strong analytical, reconciliation and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and a high level of accuracy.
• Ability to identify process improvements and implement more efficient ways of working.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing deadlines and manage a varied workload.
• Excellent communication skills with the confidence to build relationships and liaise effectively with suppliers,…