Senior Bookkeeper

Overview

We are seeking an experienced, proactive, and highly organised Senior Bookkeeper to support our growing UK accountancy practice on a contractor basis.

This role is suited to someone based in South Africa with strong bookkeeping experience, excellent knowledge of Xero, excellent attention to detail, and the confidence to communicate professionally with clients.

The ideal candidate will be dependable, client-focused, and comfortable taking ownership of bookkeeping records, VAT preparation, reconciliations, month-end processes, and client queries across a portfolio of clients.

Key Responsibilities

· Prepare and maintain accurate bookkeeping records for a portfolio of clients

· Process sales invoices, purchase invoices, bank transactions, expenses, and journals

· Complete bank, supplier, customer, payroll, loan, and control account reconciliations

· Review bookkeeping records for accuracy, completeness, and consistency

· Prepare VAT return workings and identify VAT-related queries

· Use Xero confidently across multiple client accounts

· Maintain accurate digital records and supporting documentation

· Liaise with clients to request information and resolve queries professionally

· Support the wider team with bookkeeping, VAT, and management accounts preparation

· Ensure work is completed accurately and in line with internal deadlines

Candidate Requirements

· Strong bookkeeping experience, ideally within an accountancy practice environment

· Excellent working knowledge of Xero

· Experience managing bookkeeping for multiple clients

· Strong understanding of reconciliations and VAT return preparation

· Excellent attention to detail and accuracy

· Strong organisational skills and ability to manage deadlines

· Confident and professional client-facing communication skills

· Ability to work independently in a remote contractor role

· Reliable, proactive, and able to take ownership of tasks

· Good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets

Desirable

· Experience working with UK clients or a UK accountancy practice

· Experience with Dext, Hubdoc, QuickBooks, or similar systems

· Understanding of UK VAT rules

· Experience using workflow management software such as Bright Manager

· Experience working with small businesses, contractors, and owner-managed companies

Personal Qualities

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys taking ownership of their work, takes real pride in delivering accurate bookkeeping, and thrives in a professional, well-organised environment. The successful candidate will be proactive, dependable, detail-focused, and confident communicating directly with clients. We are looking for someone who values clear processes, teamwork, and the opportunity to become a trusted part of a growing UK accountancy practice.

Benefits

This role offers the opportunity to work fully remotely with a growing UK accountancy practice while enjoying the flexibility of a contractor arrangement. You will benefit from regular workflow, clear internal processes, exposure to a varied client portfolio, and the chance to develop your experience with UK bookkeeping, VAT, Xero, and cloud-based accounting systems.

For the right person, this is a fantastic opportunity to build a stable, rewarding remote role with real ownership, responsibility, and room to grow.