Accounts Supervisor

Accounts Supervisor | Circa £40,000 negotiable + excellent benefits | 12 month fixed term | Hybrid

Thatcham Research is seeking an Accounts Supervisor to cover a 12-month maternity leave. This is a rare and unique opportunity to lead a dedicated small team and ensure the smooth running of our financial processes.

Are you a detail-oriented and proactive individual with a strong background in financial accounts? Are you a self-motivated, well-organized, and capable of prioritizing tasks to deliver high-quality results? If so, we’d like to hear from you!

Key responsibilities

• Supervision of Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable functions for the Thatcham group in line with accounting policies and process.
• Assist with the preparation and filing of quarterly VAT returns to include compliance with MTD for VAT.
• Credit control supervision to ensure debts are controlled effectively.
• Bank & cashflow management to ensure correct funds are available and investments are managed effectively.
• Oversea financial systems: SageX3/Certify Expenses/Bank & Credit card systems/Aviation fuel system
• Key team contact liaising with external auditors for Annual Finance audit.

Skills & experience

Essential skills: (These are the essential skills or experience needed to succeed in this role)

• A detailed knowledge of Sales and Purchase Ledger process and delivery.
• Understanding of credit control process to include debt recovery.
• Strong interpersonal skills, the ability to communicate and manage well at all levels of the organisation are essential.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, learn quickly and proactively anticipate the needs of the finance team.
• A self-motivated approach to work – can do attitude, well organised to effectively prioritise and deliver high quality results.
• Apply discretion and maintain confidentiality in line with company policy and GDPR.
• Excellent numerical skills with an attention to detail.
• AAT NVQ4 or proven work experience as a Financial Accountant or similar role (3+ years).

Desirable skills: (These are desirable skills or experience and are not essential, so we would welcome applications from candidates that do not match these additional criteria)

• Previous experience in leading a team and setting workloads/objectives.
• Excellent IT skills including in house systems (accounting package) with Microsoft office particularly excel.
• Solid knowledge of accounting regulations.

Did you know

Research tells us that men are more likely to apply to jobs if they meet only 60% of the criteria, whereas women often hesitate or don't apply unless they meet all of the criteria. This difference in application behaviour can contribute to the gender gap in career advancement and opportunities.

We know the perfect candidate doesn't exist! If you think you have what it takes but don't tick every box, we'd still encourage you to apply - it could be a perfect fit!

Perks & Benefits

Salary - circa £40,000 negotiable dependent on skills & experience.

10% non-contributory pension

️ 29 days holiday (inclusive of Christmas closedown) + public holidays

/ Salary Sacrifice schemes (cycle to work, home & tech schemes)

Money Health Financial Wellbeing Platform

Group Life Assurance

⚕️ Health Cash Plan (cash back on eligible medical treatments)

️ Discounted gym membership

Sports & Social club

Payroll charitable giving

Subsidised on-site restaurant

Free on-site parking

When we work

Our standard working hours are 8:30 - 16:30 Monday - Thursday, early finish on Friday - 8:30 - 15:45

(Talk to us about flexible working if this doesn’t quite suit you – we take work-life balance seriously!)

How we work /

We understand the benefits of remote and in-person collaboration, and therefore have a hybrid working model – you’ll be expected to work from our office in Thatcham at least two days per week.

What we do ⚙️

At the cutting edge of automotive research in the UK, Thatcham Research has a unique role in shaping the design of new vehicles and influencing ever higher standards of safety, security and repair. With an on-site Crash Laboratory, Repair Technology Centre and Training Academy, our research expertise is driving some of the very latest automotive developments in technology, materials and standards in this fast moving and highly technical industry.

Our active safety track site is one of the leading accredited Euro NCAP testing facilities, trialling and assessing the very latest developments in vehicle safety and assistance technologies.

Our Values

As an organisation that believes a strong set of Values are key to our organisational success and a sense of belonging for all colleagues, we ask that you understand, represent and apply our Values of Fearless, Inquisitive, Resourceful, Supportive and Trusted and demonstrate these Values throughout the recruitment process.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace which values diversity and embraces each individual's authentic self. We are proud to champion a culture where colleagues freely share their diverse perspectives, recognising that these contribute to our innovative spirit. Our journey of growth and understanding is continuous as we actively invest in diversity training, workshops, and partnerships to ensure positive change.

Beyond our membership in the Automotive 30% Club, we collaborate with various organisations to advance equity not only in gender but also across ethnicity, age, disability, social mobility, LGBTQ+ identities, experiences, and thinking. Our aspiration is to create an environment where everyone thrives, achieves, and experiences a genuine sense of belonging.

Recruitment process

We’re proud to manage our recruitment in-house and believe this direct approach enables us to give you the best possible Employee Experience we can – which starts right here, your application! We’re continuously striving to improve the candidate journey, and transparency (or communication) is a key area of focus – yes, even with salary & benefits.

What can you expect from our recruitment process? ‍

• Regular updates on the progress / outcome of your application
• An initial telephone screening call with our Recruitment Business Partner
• First interview with the hiring manager, usually via Teams
• Second/Final interview, in-person at our office (we may give you a role specific task to present on!)
• Personalised feedback following your interview – because everyone deserves that!
• An opportunity to give us your honest feedback in a short survey on all of the above

We’re committed to removing invisible barriers. If there are any adjustments we can make to better support you, please let us know when you apply.

All applicants must have Right to Work in the UK.