Finance Assistant

The Head Office is based on-site, within The Pembroke and represents the department responsible for leading and supporting with administration of the club's daily duties.

Steeped in history and situated in the heart of Belgravia, The Pembroke stands apart as a unique club for Londoners. From the spirit of our members to the splendour of our events, we are a home for eclectic and excellent living. A place to eat, drink, dance and meet, The Pembroke opens its doors to those who wish to fill their world with the finest experiences, from cocktails to culture, billiards to business.

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Finance Assistant will take day-to-day ownership of the end-to-end purchase ledger, customer credit control and provide proactive support to the Finance Manager across the wider finance function. The role is responsible for accurate invoice processing, approval workflows, supplier master data, payment preparation, supplier statement reconciliations and assigned bank and balance sheet control account reconciliations. The postholder will also support credit control, receive and allocate event and member payments, and liaise with relevant departments to resolve overdue customer balances. The role will play an active part in month-end close, audit readiness, VAT support and ongoing finance compliance, working independently on routine matters and escalating exceptions promptly.

This role is suited to someone with practical accounts payable or finance administration experience who can manage recurring processes with limited supervision, investigate discrepancies confidently and maintain accurate supporting records. It offers the opportunity to broaden existing experience through greater involvement in month-end accounting, reconciliations, controls and external audit support within a fast-moving hospitality environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

·       Own the purchase ledger inbox and process supplier invoices and credit notes accurately, completely and within agreed timescales.

·       Validate supplier details, invoice dates, VAT treatment, nominal codes, departments, cost centres and supporting documentation before routing items for approval.

·       Match invoices to purchase orders, contracts, liaise with the purchasing department on goods received records or other supporting evidence and investigate unmatched or disputed items.

·       Maintain accurate supplier master data, ensuring new suppliers and bank-detail changes follow documented verification and approval controls.

·       Identify duplicate, incomplete, unusual or potentially fraudulent invoices, resolve routine exceptions independently and escalate material concerns to the Finance Manager.

·       Maintain accurate supplier ledgers, allocate credit notes and payments correctly to supplier invoices, clear debit balances and aged items, and support a clean month-end purchase ledger close.

·       Maintain complete electronic records and audit trails to support internal controls, VAT compliance, reporting and external audit requirements.

·       Upload, code and route bills through ApprovalMax in line with the club’s approval matrix and delegated authority limits.

·       Monitor outstanding approvals, issue polite reminders and help resolve rejected or queried items.

·       Ensure approved transactions are recorded correctly in QuickBooks Online and that the purchase ledger remains complete and up to date.

·       Maintain accurate supplier records, including onboarding information and authorised changes to contact or bank details.

·       Help colleagues use the approval process correctly and escalate system or control issues promptly.

·       Prepare scheduled and ad hoc supplier payment runs, including payment proposals, due-date reviews and complete supporting packs, for review and authorisation.

·       Confirm that proposed payments are supported by approved invoices, correctly allocated, within agreed terms and compliant with delegated authority and cash-management controls.

·       Complete pre-payment checks, including duplicate-payment review, supplier bank-detail verification and investigation of unusual or manually amended items.

·       Respond professionally to supplier and internal queries, independently investigating discrepancies and maintaining clear records of agreed actions.

·       Reconcile supplier statements to the purchase ledger on a regular basis, following up missing invoices, credit notes, duplicate entries, unallocated payments and disputed balances.

·       Review aged creditor and debit balances, investigate long-outstanding supplier items and work with suppliers, budget holders and the relevant departments to resolve them before month end.

·       Receive, identify and allocate payments from events, members and other customers accurately and promptly against the correct accounts and invoices.

·       Reconcile event and member receipts to bank transactions, booking records, member accounts and the sales ledger, investigating unidentified, short or duplicate payments.

·       Maintain accurate customer account records and ensure payment remittances and supporting documentation are retained as a clear audit trail.

·       Monitor aged debtor balances and support routine credit control activity, including issuing statements and polite payment reminders in line with agreed procedures.

·       Liaise with the Events, Membership and other relevant departments to resolve billing queries, disputed items and overdue customer balances, escalating significant or long-outstanding issues to the Finance Manager.

·       Provide aged debt updates and supporting analysis for month-end reporting, highlighting collection risks, required adjustments and items requiring further action.

·       Prepare timely bank, credit card, staff expense, supplier and assigned balance sheet control account reconciliations, ensuring balances agree to the general ledger and reconciling items are clearly explained.

·       Investigate and clear reconciling items promptly, maintain supporting schedules and escalate aged, unusual or material differences to the Finance Manager.

·       Support the Finance Manager throughout month-end close by preparing accrual and prepayment schedules, reviewing ledger balances, posting or preparing approved journals and compiling robust working papers.

·       Manage purchase ledger cut-off procedures, identify invoices and credit notes relating to the closing period, and provide accurate information for accruals and creditor reporting.

·       Maintain and complete assigned month-end checklist tasks to timetable, provide status updates and flag risks to reporting deadlines or control completion early.

·       Perform first-level review of assigned ledger accounts for completeness, coding accuracy, duplicate transactions and unexpected variances, documenting follow-up actions.

·       Prepare and organise supporting evidence for VAT returns, year-end audit, statutory reporting, internal control reviews and other compliance requirements.

·       Coordinate routine audit requests, retrieve transaction samples, supplier documentation, reconciliations and approval evidence, and maintain an auditable request tracker.

·       Support compliance with approval limits, segregation of duties, supplier onboarding, bank-detail verification, document retention and other key financial controls.

·       Assist with audit follow-up actions and improvements to finance procedures, ensuring assigned actions are completed and evidenced by agreed deadlines.

·       Work closely with the Finance Manager to keep finance workflows accurate, timely and easy for operational colleagues to follow.

·       Suggest practical improvements to invoice processing, approval chasing, filing and recurring reconciliations.

·       Support department heads and budget holders with routine ApprovalMax and purchase ledger queries.

·       Undertake ad hoc finance tasks appropriate to the level of the role as the club develops.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

·       A minimum of two to three years’ practical experience in purchase ledger, accounts payable or a comparable finance role.

·       Demonstrable end-to-end experience of invoice processing, approval workflows, supplier account maintenance, payment preparation and resolving ledger discrepancies.

·       Strong experience completing supplier statement reconciliations and preparing bank, credit card or balance sheet control account reconciliations with clear supporting schedules.

·       Experience receiving and allocating customer receipts, reconciling sales ledger balances and supporting credit control activity, ideally involving event or membership income.

·       Practical involvement in month-end close, including purchase ledger cut-off, accruals, prepayments, journals and supporting working papers.

·       Experience preparing audit evidence, responding to routine audit queries and maintaining records that demonstrate compliance with financial controls.

·       Confident use of Microsoft Excel, including filters, lookups, pivot tables and basic financial data analysis, together with accounting and digital document systems.

·       High attention to detail, sound judgement and the ability to prioritise recurring deadlines and resolve routine issues with limited supervision.

·       Clear, polite communication and confidence following up suppliers, approvers and colleagues across the business.

·       Trustworthy and discreet when handling payments, supplier bank details and commercially sensitive information.

·       Experience using QuickBooks Online, ApprovalMax or a similar cloud accounting and invoice approval system.

·       Previous responsibility for month-end schedules, audit sample preparation or VAT supporting documentation.

·       Experience in hospitality, private members’ clubs, restaurants, hotels or another fast-paced, multi-department service environment.

·       AAT qualification or active study towards AAT, ACCA or another relevant accounting qualification.

·       Accuracy and control: checks details carefully, maintains reliable audit trails and understands the importance of financial controls.

·       Organisation: manages recurring payment, reconciliation and month-end deadlines and follows tasks through to completion.

·       Analytical thinking: investigates discrepancies, explains reconciling items clearly and recognises unusual transactions or balances.

·       Ownership: takes responsibility for assigned ledgers and processes, resolves routine issues independently and raises material matters early.

·       Service mindset: responds helpfully and professionally to colleagues, suppliers and auditors while maintaining appropriate challenge.

·       Continuous improvement: identifies practical ways to improve processing, controls, reconciliation quality and supporting documentation.

·       Integrity: handles payments, supplier information and confidential data responsibly.

WHAT THIS ROLE OFFERS

·       A hands-on role with clear ownership of the purchase ledger, customer credit control and regular reconciliation responsibilities.

·       Broader exposure to month-end accounting, financial controls, VAT support and external audit requirements.

·       The opportunity to strengthen practical experience in ApprovalMax, QuickBooks Online and the commercial operation of a premium hospitality business.

·       Close working support from the Finance Manager and Finance Director, with scope to take on additional accounting responsibilities.

·       Potential progression towards an Assistant Accountant role as technical capability and business knowledge develop.

WHAT WE OFFER

·       Best-in-class salary

·       Family meal on shift

·       Industry-leading Learning & Development opportunities

·       Pension scheme – including employer contributions.

·       Annual staff award ceremony and party

·       More benefits to be set up as we open

The Head Office is based on-site, within The Pembroke and represents the department responsible for leading and supporting with administration of the club's daily duties.

Steeped in history and situated in the heart of Belgravia, The Pembroke stands apart as a unique club for Londoners. From the spirit of our members to the splendour of our events, we are a home for eclectic and excellent living. A place to eat, drink, dance and meet, The Pembroke opens its doors to those who wish to fill their world with the finest experiences, from cocktails to culture, billiards to business.

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Finance Assistant will take day-to-day ownership of the end-to-end purchase ledger, customer credit control and provide proactive support to the Finance Manager across the wider finance function. The role is responsible for accurate invoice processing, approval workflows, supplier master data, payment preparation, supplier statement reconciliations and assigned bank and balance sheet control account reconciliations. The postholder will also support credit control, receive and allocate event and member payments, and liaise with relevant departments to resolve overdue customer balances. The role will play an active part in month-end close, audit readiness, VAT support and ongoing finance compliance, working independently on routine matters and escalating exceptions promptly.

This role is suited to someone with practical accounts payable or finance administration experience who can manage recurring processes with limited supervision, investigate discrepancies confidently and maintain accurate supporting records. It offers the opportunity to broaden existing experience through greater involvement in month-end accounting, reconciliations, controls and external audit support within a fast-moving hospitality environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

·       Own the purchase ledger inbox and process supplier invoices and credit notes accurately, completely and within agreed timescales.

·       Validate supplier details, invoice dates, VAT treatment, nominal codes, departments, cost centres and supporting documentation before routing items for approval.

·       Match invoices to purchase orders, contracts, liaise with the purchasing department on goods received records or other supporting evidence and investigate unmatched or disputed items.

·       Maintain accurate supplier master data, ensuring new suppliers and bank-detail changes follow documented verification and approval controls.

·       Identify duplicate, incomplete, unusual or potentially fraudulent invoices, resolve routine exceptions independently and escalate material concerns to the Finance Manager.

·       Maintain accurate supplier ledgers, allocate credit notes and payments correctly to supplier invoices, clear debit balances and aged items, and support a clean month-end purchase ledger close.

·       Maintain complete electronic records and audit trails to support internal controls, VAT compliance, reporting and external audit requirements.

·       Upload, code and route bills through ApprovalMax in line with the club’s approval matrix and delegated authority limits.

·       Monitor outstanding approvals, issue polite reminders and help resolve rejected or queried items.

·       Ensure approved transactions are recorded correctly in QuickBooks Online and that the purchase ledger remains complete and up to date.

·       Maintain accurate supplier records, including onboarding information and authorised changes to contact or bank details.

·       Help colleagues use the approval process correctly and escalate system or control issues promptly.

·       Prepare scheduled and ad hoc supplier payment runs, including payment proposals, due-date reviews and complete supporting packs, for review and authorisation.

·       Confirm that proposed payments are supported by approved invoices, correctly allocated, within agreed terms and compliant with delegated authority and cash-management controls.

·       Complete pre-payment checks, including duplicate-payment review, supplier bank-detail verification and investigation of unusual or manually amended items.

·       Respond professionally to supplier and internal queries, independently investigating discrepancies and maintaining clear records of agreed actions.

·       Reconcile supplier statements to the purchase ledger on a regular basis, following up missing invoices, credit notes, duplicate entries, unallocated payments and disputed balances.

·       Review aged creditor and debit balances, investigate long-outstanding supplier items and work with suppliers, budget holders and the relevant departments to resolve them before month end.

·       Receive, identify and allocate payments from events, members and other customers accurately and promptly against the correct accounts and invoices.

·       Reconcile event and member receipts to bank transactions, booking records, member accounts and the sales ledger, investigating unidentified, short or duplicate payments.

·       Maintain accurate customer account records and ensure payment remittances and supporting documentation are retained as a clear audit trail.

·       Monitor aged debtor balances and support routine credit control activity, including issuing statements and polite payment reminders in line with agreed procedures.

·       Liaise with the Events, Membership and other relevant departments to resolve billing queries, disputed items and overdue customer balances, escalating significant or long-outstanding issues to the Finance Manager.

·       Provide aged debt updates and supporting analysis for month-end reporting, highlighting collection risks, required adjustments and items requiring further action.

·       Prepare timely bank, credit card, staff expense, supplier and assigned balance sheet control account reconciliations, ensuring balances agree to the general ledger and reconciling items are clearly explained.

·       Investigate and clear reconciling items promptly, maintain supporting schedules and escalate aged, unusual or material differences to the Finance Manager.

·       Support the Finance Manager throughout month-end close by preparing accrual and prepayment schedules, reviewing ledger balances, posting or preparing approved journals and compiling robust working papers.

·       Manage purchase ledger cut-off procedures, identify invoices and credit notes relating to the closing period, and provide accurate information for accruals and creditor reporting.

·       Maintain and complete assigned month-end checklist tasks to timetable, provide status updates and flag risks to reporting deadlines or control completion early.

·       Perform first-level review of assigned ledger accounts for completeness, coding accuracy, duplicate transactions and unexpected variances, documenting follow-up actions.

·       Prepare and organise supporting evidence for VAT returns, year-end audit, statutory reporting, internal control reviews and other compliance requirements.

·       Coordinate routine audit requests, retrieve transaction samples, supplier documentation, reconciliations and approval evidence, and maintain an auditable request tracker.

·       Support compliance with approval limits, segregation of duties, supplier onboarding, bank-detail verification, document retention and other key financial controls.

·       Assist with audit follow-up actions and improvements to finance procedures, ensuring assigned actions are completed and evidenced by agreed deadlines.

·       Work closely with the Finance Manager to keep finance workflows accurate, timely and easy for operational colleagues to follow.

·       Suggest practical improvements to invoice processing, approval chasing, filing and recurring reconciliations.

·       Support department heads and budget holders with routine ApprovalMax and purchase ledger queries.

·       Undertake ad hoc finance tasks appropriate to the level of the role as the club develops.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

·       A minimum of two to three years’ practical experience in purchase ledger, accounts payable or a comparable finance role.

·       Demonstrable end-to-end experience of invoice processing, approval workflows, supplier account maintenance, payment preparation and resolving ledger discrepancies.

·       Strong experience completing supplier statement reconciliations and preparing bank, credit card or balance sheet control account reconciliations with clear supporting schedules.

·       Experience receiving and allocating customer receipts, reconciling sales ledger balances and supporting credit control activity, ideally involving event or membership income.

·       Practical involvement in month-end close, including purchase ledger cut-off, accruals, prepayments, journals and supporting working papers.

·       Experience preparing audit evidence, responding to routine audit queries and maintaining records that demonstrate compliance with financial controls.

·       Confident use of Microsoft Excel, including filters, lookups, pivot tables and basic financial data analysis, together with accounting and digital document systems.

·       High attention to detail, sound judgement and the ability to prioritise recurring deadlines and resolve routine issues with limited supervision.

·       Clear, polite communication and confidence following up suppliers, approvers and colleagues across the business.

·       Trustworthy and discreet when handling payments, supplier bank details and commercially sensitive information.

·       Experience using QuickBooks Online, ApprovalMax or a similar cloud accounting and invoice approval system.

·       Previous responsibility for month-end schedules, audit sample preparation or VAT supporting documentation.

·       Experience in hospitality, private members’ clubs, restaurants, hotels or another fast-paced, multi-department service environment.

·       AAT qualification or active study towards AAT, ACCA or another relevant accounting qualification.

·       Accuracy and control: checks details carefully, maintains reliable audit trails and understands the importance of financial controls.

·       Organisation: manages recurring payment, reconciliation and month-end deadlines and follows tasks through to completion.

·       Analytical thinking: investigates discrepancies, explains reconciling items clearly and recognises unusual transactions or balances.

·       Ownership: takes responsibility for assigned ledgers and processes, resolves routine issues independently and raises material matters early.

·       Service mindset: responds helpfully and professionally to colleagues, suppliers and auditors while maintaining appropriate challenge.

·       Continuous improvement: identifies practical ways to improve processing, controls, reconciliation quality and supporting documentation.

·       Integrity: handles payments, supplier information and confidential data responsibly.

WHAT THIS ROLE OFFERS

·       A hands-on role with clear ownership of the purchase ledger, customer credit control and regular reconciliation responsibilities.

·       Broader exposure to month-end accounting, financial controls, VAT support and external audit requirements.

·       The opportunity to strengthen practical experience in ApprovalMax, QuickBooks Online and the commercial operation of a premium hospitality business.

·       Close working support from the Finance Manager and Finance Director, with scope to take on additional accounting responsibilities.

·       Potential progression towards an Assistant Accountant role as technical capability and business knowledge develop.

WHAT WE OFFER

·       Best-in-class salary

·       Family meal on shift

·       Industry-leading Learning & Development opportunities

·       Pension scheme – including employer contributions.

·       Annual staff award ceremony and party

·       More benefits to be set up as we open