SALARY: £35,000 per annum
HOURS: 37.5 per week, Monday - Friday
LOCATION: Albert Road, Bristol
Operational Accountant
About Bristol Waste Company:
What we do is important – we’re here to keep Bristol, and beyond, clean, and safe.
We do this for our city’s residents, workers, visitors, and businesses. Our work helps deliver Bristol’s sustainability targets in partnership with the council.
Bristol Waste’s commercial operation, where we serve businesses and organisations across the region, is also growing.
Our ambition is to provide good quality, value for money services, and we continue to deliver a social value impact worth more than £30 million every year.
We want people who share our values and want to work with us to drive our business forward.
Purpose of the role:
The Operations Accountant will provide vital support to the Financial Accountant and the wider finance function, with a focus on ensuring the accuracy of core financial processes and strengthening the company’s reporting and compliance capability. The role will oversee functional finance transactions and contribute directly to month-end, year-end, and management reporting cycles.
Key Responsibilities:
Core Finance Activities
- Manage balance sheet accounts, ensuring reconciliations are accurate, timely, and supported with appropriate documentation.
- Support month-end and year-end close processes, including preparation of journals, accruals, and prepayments.
- Assist in the production of management accounts, financial statements, and supporting analysis.
- Assist in accounts receivable and accounts payable processes, ensuring accuracy and resolving queries promptly.
Compliance & Control
- Ensure compliance with VAT and other statutory reporting requirements
- Maintain financial integrity by ensuring transactions are recorded in line with company policies and accounting standards.
- Support external and internal audits through preparation of reconciliations, schedules, and supporting evidence.
Business Support
- Provide analysis and commentary to support decision-making across the organisation.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues across Finance and Operations to improve processes, drive efficiencies, and resolve issues.
- Support ad-hoc projects and strategic initiatives led by the Finance function.
Other Responsibilities
- Deputise for the Financial Accountant as needed.
- Ensure a safe and compliant working environment, following company policies and health & safety guidelines.
- Support the business with ad-hoc financial projects as required.
Essential Requirements for the Role:
- Part-qualified or qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA/AAT) or equivalent experience.
- Strong knowledge of balance sheet management, reconciliations, and VAT.
- Experience supporting month-end and year-end close processes.
- Good understanding of accounts receivable and accounts payable.
- Strong Excel and data analysis skills.
- Excellent attention to detail, organisational skills, and ability to meet deadlines.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively across departments.
Full Job Description can be provided upon request.
Our Benefits:
- Annual leave package of 25 days plus 8 bank holidays.
- Employer contribution of 5% into the company pension scheme.
- Support for Mental Health, including a BUPA Employee Assistance Programme that provides support covering Mental Health, Financial and Family related topics. We also have Mental Health First Aiders across the business.
- Support for your Physical Health with our BUPA Health Cash Plan (we cover the cost of coverage for you), Cycle to Work scheme and an onsite Physiotherapist. All are free for our colleagues.
- Because we value our colleagues, we want to recruit more employees just like them, which is why we have our employee referral scheme.
- Dedicated learning and development team. We take pride in developing our colleagues and some examples of this include our In-House Driver Development Programme and internal promotions. Many of our Senior Leadership Team have developed from Operational roles, such as one of our Contract Managers who started as a Street Cleanser.
- Employee recognition ‘Stand Out Award’ and long service awards. To celebrate our colleagues wherever they are on their journey with us, we recognise and celebrate talent.
- We recognise that everyone is different and strive to create an environment that supports all colleagues through flexible working. We have introduced a hybrid working model where possible and actively encourage part-time working, job sharing and flexibility on hours. If this interests, you please do get in touch, and we can start a conversation.
Everyone belongs:
At Bristol Waste everyone belongs – we are proud of being a truly inclusive organisation.
We give fair and equal consideration to all applications.
We encourage and welcome applications from people of all ages, genders ethnicities, nationalities, disabilities, religions or beliefs and of neuro divergence.
Important note on applying:
- Please apply as soon as possible and before 23:59 on the closing date. Sometimes we close vacancies early if we receive a high number of quality applications.
- Due to the high volume of interest, we won’t be able to receive late applications and we are currently unable to respond to all who apply.
- If you haven’t heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, it unfortunately means you won’t be invited to interview on this occasion.
Contact us:
Please contact our People Services team to discuss this role, your application, or any reasonable adjustments and support in applying for this position:
- recruitment@bristolwastecompany.co.uk
- 0117 440 6676
Thank you for your interest in joining Bristol Waste Company.