Audit Assistant Manager - Milton Keynes

Mercer & Hole; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 55,000

Job description

Be part of an award nominated Audit team offering great experience, development opportunities and work-life balance in a top 40 Accountancy firm.

Background
An exciting opportunity to join a forward-thinking accountancy practice who look to continually develop their staff. Within this role, you will be an enthusiastic, qualified accountant looking for the next steps in your career. Our Assistant Manager role provides exactly that, as we assist you through your career development journey, towards Manager level and further.

When first taking on this role after qualification, you will still be carrying out Senior work, but on larger more complex jobs and will be involved in a lot more of the planning and completion.

You will lead these jobs and be given feedback and development points from managers to work towards. You will be involved in closing meetings and will see many jobs through from start to finish alongside managers to prepare you for management positions.

You will be a lot more responsible in the training and development of our Trainees and Apprentices and will be key in managing them throughout the jobs they are working on for you.

As you progress through the Assistant Manager journey you will be given a portfolio of your own to manage. At the start, the split between Manager jobs and Senior jobs will be weighted on the Senior side whilst you build up your skills, possibly as much as a 90/10 split (dependent on your experience/strengths/requirements and what fits). However, as you progress through your development journey the split will shift towards more managerial work with a larger portfolio. This will all be decided in line with your 'People Passport' where we talk through our development quadrants to help shape your career.

Main duties at Senior level within the role
This is a split role working on 80% audits and 20% accounts (this will depend on the office).

1. Planning, supervising and carrying out audits with turnovers up to £250 million, including specialist audits e.g. FSA, pensions, solicitors, charities and schools. Jobs to be completed with minimal supervision, to deadlines and within budget.
2. Supervision and assisting junior staff with technical accounting and auditing problems.
3. Preparation of draft corporation tax computations.
4. Preparation of draft statutory accounts and consolidated accounts under FRS102 from clients' draft figures.
5. Drafting recommendations to management following audit fieldwork completion.
6. Preparing responses for group reporting for clients where we are the component auditor.
7. Larger accounts preparation jobs for audit exempt limited companies, partnerships, LLPs.

Main duties at Manager level within the role
(Note: in addition to these functions employees are required to carry out such other duties as may reasonably be required).

1. Operate a portfolio of audit and accountancy clients, working closely with Audit and Business Advisory partners.
2. Key part of management team within the Audit Team.
3. Being a proactive member of the team and contributing to delivery, training, liaising with other departments, and business development.
4. Reporting directly to Audit and Business Advisory Partners and liaising with other managers as required both in the Audit Team and across the firm.
5. Management of a portfolio of audit and non-audit clients.
6. Planning, supervision and review of audit and accounts clients. This includes being the main point of contact for clients, working closely with partners and taking responsibility for each assignment from planning to completion.
7. Liaising with the Corporate Business Tax department in relation to the preparation and review of corporation tax computations.
8. Assisting the Audit Team with technical accounting and auditing issues.
9. Actively training staff and contributing to their development. In addition to general queries this may involve presenting to staff or being involved in the development of internal courses.
10. Day to day supervision of the Audit Team as appropriate.
11. Developing and improving audit delivery across the firm, whilst adding value to clients by developing new, forward thinking methods and ways of working.
12. Billing and monitoring actual costs against budgets and reporting to partners on variances, and drafting bills on a monthly basis for review by partners.
13. Assisting in the generation of new business for the Audit function.

Qualifications/education required
ACA or ACCA

Experience required
Trained within a Chartered Practice or with us and used to dealing with individual and group entities of all sizes. Experience of pension schemes, LLPs, FCA & charities is highly desirable. Audit and preparation of accounts with a turnover up to £40 million, including group accounts.

Particular aptitudes / skills required
A passion to become part of a growing team and help to promote the technical expertise of the team and increase its profile both internally and externally. Strong technical knowledge of accounting and auditing standards (knowledge of FRS 105 and FRS 102 required, and knowledge of IFRS desirable). Able to communicate confidently and effectively with clients, staff and partners. Able to provide on the job training for staff as appropriate. Able to multi task. Self-starter. Hands on and able to get involved in work at all levels. Proven managerial skills and experience.

Conditions and Benefits
Agile working and Flexi time however, there will be times when you are needed to be on site or in the office to train trainees for longer periods of time. Dependent on client and business needs.

Values and behaviours
Our Values and behaviours are based on
We really want to attract and retain individuals who share our Values:
Together
The firm with the family feel. Express gratitude. Smile. Be humble and confident. Have fun.
Resilient
Change is imminent, and business is imperfect. Be open minded & agile. Assume positive intent and exercise the power of positive thinking.
Understanding
Each individual matters and will be heard and respected. Honesty, integrity, empathy and kindness are fundamental.
Supportive
We support what is important to you and show kindness in our behaviour to each other. We encourage each other to realise our potential.
Thrive!
We strive to be the best, innovate and always do exceptional work. That's who we are and what our clients deserve.

Mercer & Hole is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Our people are our most valuable asset. We bring our life experiences, knowledge, creativity, and talents together at Mercer & Hole making it a unique place to work where all can safely thrive.