Assistant Accountant - #1110177

Who are we?

First Rail is one of the UK's most experienced rail operators, carrying more than 345m passengers across our franchises (Great Western Railway, South Western Railway, and Avanti West Coast) and our open access operators (Hull Trains and Lumo). We operate all types of passenger railways - intercity, commuter, regional and sleeper services.

First Customer Contact is part of FirstGroup, the largest rail operator in the UK and second largest bus operator in the UK outside London. FirstGroup operates services throughout the UK and Ireland, with over 30,000 employees providing services that make travel smoother and life easier. FirstGroup works hard to reduce its impact on the environment, introducing cleaner and more environmentally responsible methods of transport. We are continually seeking ways in which to improve the experience for our customers.

Our Customer Contact Centre uses industry leading systems to deliver excellent customer service and ensure that requests are speedily and effectively resolved. Our delivery teams are responsible for a variety of customer support matters which range from processing customer compensation claims to complaints handling, group bookings and assisted/special services, quality assurance and fraud prevention and detection and retails sales to individuals and corporates

About the job

You will have a primary focus on supporting the payroll function. You will maintain and update payroll information, resolve any discrepancies and prepare the monthly submission to the First Group central payroll team.
You will also support the Finance Manager with billing and credit control, purchasing from suppliers, maintaining the periodic postings to the SAP accounting system, and inputting forecast data on P&L, balance sheet and cashflow into our Business Planning and Consolidation software. There will also be an opportunity to assist in the preparation of financial forecasts, the weekly cashflow, period end intercompany and profitability reporting.
You will provide cover for the executive assistant when required with meeting minutes, preparing presentation packs and other general office administration duties.
You will always adhere to regulatory and company policies.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Compile payroll data required for monthly submission and check for completeness with HR and Operational Managers. Create and maintain effective reporting of HR related data.
• Managing payroll relationship with Group Payroll and dealing with any queries that arise.
• Manage the Payroll email account, Liaising with HR and Staff to resolve questions and issues.
• Create, send and follow up on sales invoices.
• Prepare purchase orders and liaise with suppliers and Group AP team.
• Monitoring of cash balances to ensure required funds are available and requesting those funds when needed.
• Assist with the preparation of a weekly cash flow.
• Assist with the preparation of periodic intercompany and profitability reporting.

As a minimum, you will need to have:

• AAT qualified (QBE will be considered)
• Experience of preparation of payroll submissions
• Good knowledge of accounting and bookkeeping procedures
• Familiarity with accounting software e.g. SAP
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment, with deadlines
• Capacity to work tactfully with discretion and confidentiality
• Good Microsoft Office skills
• Previous rail industry experiences an advantage
• Organisational and time management skills
• Good communication skills, both written and verbal

About the location

Sheffield city centre. Ten minutes' walk from Sheffield Station

The Reward

• A Travel Pass which entitles you to free travel on the FirstGroup Bus.


• Discounted travel for you and your family on our trains (Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, Lumo and Southwestern Railway)after 6 months of service
  


• 25 days holiday (plus Public Holidays)


• Contributory pension scheme


• Discounted Gym Membership to help you stay fit for less


• Discounts at over 100 retailers, including well-known high-street shops, cinema tickets, flights, and holiday bookings through our in-house rewards package.


• Discounts on selected local retailers & brands


• Engaging and vibrant environment

We all belong at First Customer Contact FirstGroup's vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, across its group of businesses, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below.  We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/