Assistant Accountant - Perth

Role: Assistant Accountant

Role Type: Full Time / Permanent

Location: Offices based in Perth (Inveralmond) and Edinburgh (City Centre) with scope for hybrid once established in the role.

Salary: Circa £30,000, dependent on experience

About Us

The Vintage Saga group of companies has three main operating businesses: The Auction Group, The Retail Group (The Dormant Distillery Company Ltd and Decadent Drinks Ltd) and a bonded warehouse and cask bottling fulfilment service (Bright Spirit Ltd). Current annual turnover is in excess of £25M and the operating businesses employ over 150 staff across the UK and EU. Innovation and customer focus are at the heart of what we do, and the Group board has ambitious growth plans for each of the operating businesses.

We’re looking for an ambitious and motivated Assistant Accountant to join our Group Finance team, where you’ll play a critical role in ensuring smooth and accurate financial reporting, maintaining controls, and supporting various projects within our organisation. This role will involve exposure to all aspects of the Group’s accounting processes, so will particularly appeal to someone looking to develop a career in a dynamic and fast-paced environment where teamwork and collaboration are highly valued.

The Role

Working alongside and supporting the Group’s Finance Business Partners (FBPs), the Assistant Accountant will be responsible for the integrity of the book-keeping within the Group’s subsidiary businesses, assisting in month-end closing, and ensuring compliance with internal accounting policies and external regulations. The role demands strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work under tight deadlines. The successful candidate will contribute to maintaining accurate financial records, supporting financial analysis, and improving financial controls.

Key Responsibilities:

Accounts Payable

• Oversee the Group accounts payable function, ensuring supplier invoices are approved in line with Group policies and procedures and are accurately recorded in each company’s accounts against budget.
• Review and approve electronic payments to ensure suppliers are paid in accordance with credit terms
• Ensure onboarding of new suppliers is in line with Group policies

Accounts Receivable

• Be actively involved with accounts receivable and credit control to understand cashflow into the business.
• Proactively identify any potential bad debt and customers exceeding credit limits, raising concerns to the relevant Finance Business Partner.

Month End

• Maintaining and reconciling monthly accruals and prepayment journals. Maintaining the fixed asset register and posting depreciation.
• Posting monthly salary journal, ensuring payroll costs are accurately coded to the appropriate profit centres.
• Review and post monthly Cost of Sales journals to ensure costs are posted to the correct profit centres and gross profit margins are accurately reflected.
• Keeping the ledgers clean by questioning old outstanding balances and having an attitude to rectify and clear ahead of year end.

Year End

• Actively being involved in the annual statutory audit process, preparing schedules and reconciliations as required by the Group’s auditors

Other Responsibilities:

• Participate in ad hoc finance / business improvement projects.

What we’re looking for:

• Experience of working in a digitally-connected bookkeeping position with exposure to accruals, prepayments and balance sheet reconciliations.
• IT Proficiency (MS Outlook, Word, Excel) with a working knowledge of cloud-based accounting and ERP systems (g. Xero and and Unleashed) advantageous but not essential.
• Self-motivated with the ability to time manage and meet deadlines in a fast-paced multi company environment.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail. An enquiring mind and a desire to continuously look for ways to improve finance / business processes.
• Be personable and willing to work as part of a team and engage with the wider business.
• Ideally suit a candidate looking to progress their career in a growing digital business.

Additional Info, Salary and Benefits

This is a permanent, full-time post and we are offering a starting salary of £30,000. A Group Bonus Scheme exists based on trading performance. Our office hours are 08:45 to 17:15, Monday to Friday.

We are committed to supporting the professional and personal growth of our team with top-tier vocational training opportunities, industry related training such as WSET, and exclusive access to industry events and festivals.

We support our team with an enhanced maternity/paternity package, childcare support for children under 3, and increasing annual leave after 3 years. We also offer a workplace pension, comprehensive health insurance, and life insurance after a qualifying period of employment.

We believe in the power of diversity to drive innovation and excellence. Research has indicated that individuals from underrepresented groups, including but not limited to women and LGBTQ+ individuals, might hesitate to apply for positions unless they meet every listed qualification. We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace environment. Therefore, if you’re passionate about this role but your experiences don’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply. Your unique perspective could be precisely what we need for this role or others within our organisation.

How to Apply

Closing Date:

What to include:

If you are interested in applying for this role, please forward both of the following:

• Covering letter outlining your relevant experience
• Current and up-to-date CV

Please ensure that you include both required elements of your application or you may not be considered for the role.

Please also be aware that due to the volume of applications, we are unable to respond to all applicants.