Finance Assistant

About Crunch:

Crunch is a multi-award winning Software as a Service (SaaS) company born in the heart of Brighton with a brilliant team of 130, and over 40,000 users of our software. Together, we single-handedly pioneered a complete online accounting solution to empower self-employed contractors, freelancers and micro-businesses in the UK, helping them to grow their business and create the lives they want as part of a powerful community.

We have an exciting new permanent Finance Assistant role in our Finance team!

This is a hybrid role, working from home for two-three days per week and from one of our co-working space locations in central Brighton or Portslade for the rest of the working week. Applicants should live within a reasonable commuting distance of Brighton & Hove.

About the role:

This role supports our diligent and experienced Finance team with a varied range of financial tasks and activities, contributing to the day to day running of the department and its cycle of end to end financial processes and procedures.

The role requires sound prior knowledge of subscription management and purchase ledger administration, with a keen eye for detail and natural organisational skills.

Role responsibilities:

Subscription Management:

• Ensure that all client subscriptions are accurate and assist with analysis of the client database, including departmental and company reporting requirements.
• Ensure that Sales ledgers are kept up to date, coded correctly and all accounting system transactions are entered promptly, matched and reconciled.
• Contact clients by telephone, email and approved messaging platforms, and interact with them professionally and efficiently.
• Liaise with team members across all departments, in particular the Sales, Client Services and Accountancy teams.
• Work to resolve issues with outstanding fees and disputes, maintaining positive relationships with all parties.
• On a monthly basis, review Aged Debtors with the Senior Credit Controller and recommend necessary action to collect all outstanding debt, working to agreed individual and team collection targets.
• Assist with managing the monthly collections process, ensuring all notifications for client payments are dealt with promptly and proactively flag any system issues.
• Update the Financial Controller and Interim Operations & Finance Director on supplier or client debt cases where legal action may be considered, so next steps can be agreed.
• Seek authorisation for client refunds in accordance with company procedures and authority levels and process these within agreed timescales.
• Work on Finance cases with the rest of the team to meet agreed department Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) and clear any backlog.

Purchase Ledger Administration:

• Ensure the Purchase Ledger and General Ledger are kept up to date, coded correctly and all transactions are entered promptly.
• Carry out purchase ledger accounts administration and ensure no outstanding purchase invoices at the end of each week, so that Crunch meets its agreed 30 day payment terms with vendors.
• Provide support and information for management accounts for all Crunch entities.
• Prepare and ensure that all suppliers, affiliates and team expenses are paid within agreed timescales.
• On a monthly basis, assist the Financial Accountant with reviewing the Aged Creditors and reconcile to supplier statements.
• As requested, assist in providing departments with cost, expenditure reports and cost analysis.
• On a monthly basis to liaise with the Management Accountant to ensure that the trial balance and supporting schedules are complete and accurate.
• Contact Suppliers and Partners by telephone and email and interact with them professionally and efficiently.

Other Activities:

• Support with reconciliation activities for all company bank accounts.
• Supporting month end and management accounts tasks and processes.
• Support with preparation of annual accounts and tax returns and where necessary, support external validation of these reports.
• Support the Finance and Facilities team and Risk & Compliance Coordinator with other team duties as required.
• Embrace the usage of our Hibob HR system, which is being used by Crunch to complete regular 121 and review conversations, and for setting and tracking company and department Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).

About your skills and experience:

Essential:

• Previous experience in a comparable Accounting or Finance role, working as part of a team and dealing with volume client accounts and subscription services.
• Practical transactional accounting experience, such as purchase ledger.
• Demonstrable supplier and customer service experience, accustomed to building rapport and dealing with potentially sensitive situations.
• Intermediate to advanced IT literacy skills using Microsoft Office and Google applications and proficiency using CRM software (such as SalesForce).
• Experience of cloud based accounting systems such as Certinia (formerly FinancialForce.)

Desirable:

• Awareness of the features of a ‘FinTech’ business and/or an SME and topical issues within the wider business landscape.
• In addition to being ‘qualified by experience’, a recognised accounting or bookkeeping qualification, e.g. AAT, ICB etc.
• A future interest in studying ACCA, or already working towards this qualification with completion of some exemptions/exams.

What you’ll get in return:

We’re very proud of our collaborative and inclusive working environment - you’ll be working as part of a fun and vibrant team, with a whole host of fantastic company benefits!

These include:

• A competitive basic salary depending on experience in the range of £25,760 to £27,936.
• Existing professional annual subscription fees are also funded.
• This is a hybrid role, working from home for two-three days per week and from one of our co-working space locations in central Brighton or Portslade for the rest of the working week. Please note there is no free, adjacent parking at our central Brighton co-working space. There is free, adjacent on-street parking at our Portslade co-working space.
• 33 days holiday a year (including bank holidays) - plus an extra half day off on your birthday.
• Long service gift awards plus extra holidays for 5 and 10 years’ service.
• Workplace pension scheme with Scottish Widows after qualifying service period.
• Private Medical Insurance with Bupa (opt in) after qualifying service period.
• Life assurance (4 x salary) with Met Life after qualifying service period.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
• Enhanced pay for parental and family leave.
• Shopping and insurance discounts with Crunch Perks via Boostworks.
• Employee 'refer a friend' scheme (clients and candidates for jobs at Crunch).
• Company funded social events.

Other information:

• This role is open to applicants with the right to live and work in the UK.
• Please note that we’re unable to offer sponsorship to overseas candidates.
• The usual working hours are Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 17:30.
• You need to be able to work from home (as part of our commitment to hybrid working with this role) in a comfortable, private environment, with a solid internet connection (a minimum of 10-12 Mbps upload speed) and a suitable desk and chair.
• We'll provide you with all the IT equipment you need to get set up before you start with us - so there's no need to supply your own.
• You would agree to visit our offices in the Brighton & Hove area on or before your first day to collect your IT equipment.

If an applicant discloses any disability or learning difficulty, we will endeavour to provide reasonable accommodation to participate in the interview(s), which are usually carried out remotely on video calls. If you consider yourself to have a disability or learning difficulty and would like to discuss additional support available, please let us know.

Crunch is committed to equal opportunities in every aspect of our company and the community, embracing and promoting a diverse and inclusive environment for our team members, those who apply to work for us and our client base, without exception.

We believe that the key to our success is our people, we value the contributions and experiences of all who make up our community. Supported by our company policies and procedures, we will take every possible step to ensure that no person will suffer direct or indirect discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, age, neurodiversity or disability status.

Crunch reserves the right to perform pre-employment checks using a designated third party partner on all successful applicants for roles at Crunch, (including but not limited to): Right to Work in the UK verification, DBS check, address check, employment references and UK credit checks. Candidates will be informed of the requirement for these by Crunch in advance of these being completed.

No recruitment companies or agencies please as we’re unable to accept unsolicited CVs for our vacancies.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £25,760.00-£27,936.00 per year

Benefits:

• Additional leave
• Bereavement leave
• Company events
• Company pension
• Enhanced maternity leave
• Enhanced paternity leave
• Private medical insurance
• Referral programme
• Sick pay
• Work from home

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• No weekends

Application question(s):

• Do you live within a reasonable commuting distance (up to an hour) from Brighton & Hove?
• Do you have previous experience in a similar accounting or finance assistant level role?

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Hove, BN3 7GS

Like what you see? Please get in touch! You can apply by sending your CV and a cover letter telling us a bit more about yourself to careers@crunch.co.uk

By submitting your CV for a role at Crunch, you confirm that you can provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK, and that you have read and agree to the provisions of our Recruitment Privacy Policy.

Crunch is committed to equal opportunities in every aspect of our company and the community, embracing and promoting a diverse and inclusive environment for our team members, those who apply to work for us and our client base, without exception.