Junior Accountant / Trainee Accountant

Position: Junior Accountant / Trainee Accountant

Salary: £26,000 - £30,000 per annum (dependant on experience)

Location: Hybrid – Home/office (minimum 3-4 days a week in our London office)

Hours: Full Time

ABOUT US

Williams, Stanley & Co is a leading accountancy firm catering to a diverse range of clients within the hospitality industry, from high street chains to family-run cafes. Our company began with a mission to provide accurate and actionable financial insights to businesses, drawing from our founders' own experiences in managing multiple rapidly growing ventures.

Driven by a commitment to customer-first accounting, we've assembled a team of experienced and trusted accountants who share our vision for excellence. With a strong emphasis on collaboration and expertise, our team operates seamlessly across different locations, including the UK, Philippines and Dubai.

ABOUT YOU

As a Junior Accountant, you’ll play a key role in supporting our portfolio of small business clients by delivering reliable, day-to-day bookkeeping and VAT support. You’ll work independently on client accounts while being supported by, and reporting to, one of our Client Managers. This role is ideal for someone with UK practice experience who thrives in a fast-paced, multi-client environment and has excellent attention to detail.

You’ll be a problem-solver, capable of identifying discrepancies and collaborating with internal teams to deliver accurate, timely financial data. You’ll take ownership of core accounting tasks and support the improvement of client processes, systems, and reporting.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain accurate financial records for a portfolio of clients across various sectors

• Process client invoices, receipts, and payments using cloud-based tools (Xero, QuickBooks, Hubdoc)

• Reconcile bank statements, credit cards, and supplier accounts regularly

• Prepare and submit UK VAT returns under different schemes with minimal supervision

• Assist in the preparation of monthly/quarterly management reports (e.g., P&L reviews, trial balance reviews)

• Support onboarding of new clients, including setup of bookkeeping systems and processes

• Flag irregularities, missing data, or outstanding queries with the Client Manager

• Ensure all work is compliant with HMRC and Making Tax Digital requirements

• Contribute to the improvement of internal workflows and client service delivery

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• Minimum 1 year of experience in a UK accountancy practice or outsourced finance function

• Good understanding of UK VAT rules including flat rate and partial exemption schemes

• Confident completing reconciliations, VAT returns, and ledger work independently

• Comfortable managing multiple client accounts and meeting deadline

• Proficient in Xero, QuickBooks, and cloud-based bookkeeping tools

• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Desirable Skills

• Exposure to multi-client or multi-entity bookkeeping.

• AAT Level 4 or equivalent.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Competitive salary

• Membership on our Employee Recognition platform, YuLife – with free perks, counselling access, and training resources

• Ongoing career development and study support, including AAT/ACCA training

• 30 days holiday entitlement pro rata (including Bank Holidays), increasing with service

• Great pension scheme

• Fun company socials and team events

• Employee Assistance Programme and access to coaching

• Enhanced parental leave policy (subject to length of service)

• Birthday leave – an extra day off on or around your birthday

• Mental Health Half Days – encouraging self-care and work-life balance

• Annual Pay Reviews and Biannual Appraisals – we value your growth!

• Access to perks and benefits via our HR platform, Employment Hero