Audit Assistant Manager

Who we are

Here at MHA, we take the time to create great relationships with our clients to become not just their trusted advisers, but valued partners that face the future together. 

As a Top 14 firm of chartered accountants, tax and business advisers, we work in partnership with clients ranging from entrepreneurs and individuals to multi-national corporations. We work together to navigate an ever-changing business world and proactively identify the opportunities that tomorrow presents. 

Leveraging our national network of offices, we offer a comprehensive range of financial and business strategy services to clients across the UK, enabling them to achieve profitable growth and build sustainable long-term success. 

As a member of Baker Tilly International, we have a global reach that allows us to offer our insight and expertise wherever our clients need us to be. We believe this makes us a national and international partner of choice for entrepreneurs and multi-national enterprises across the world. 

Our agile and responsive approach means we are always on hand to have the right conversations about with clients at the right time, allowing us to identify their goals and business needs both now, and in the future. 

Purpose of the role

To manage a portfolio of clients. Acting as an Assistant Manager on audit work, ensuring deadlines are met in compliance with necessary regulations and reporting directly to Managers, Directors and Partners.

Main responsibilities

Technical role

• Deal with correspondence from clients
• Agree timing of work/scheduling with clients
• Regularly review and give feedback on work
• Manage own portfolio of clients (where appropriate)
• Ensure the planning memorandum is produced, identify risk areas and most efficient method of gathering audit evidence

• Produce draft budget if required
• Delegate, supervise and review work of seniors and juniors, ensuring the file is complete and all review points addressed before it is passed to the Partner or Manager
• Monitor work in progress on all jobs within the portfolio, communicating any potential problems and write offs to the Partners or Managers on a timely basis
• Occasional advisory work
• Undertake critical audit areas (in a few key jobs where appropriate)

• Monitor budgets for fieldwork
• Excluding audits, be aware of other MHA services and products which may be appropriate to the clients
• Monitor filing deadlines and ensure deadlines are achieved, including corporation tax and Companies House filings.

Supervisory role

• Review work and complete staff assessment forms

• Provide technical advice and guidance to more junior staff and give detailed help and training as required, to ensure skills are improved to enhance future effectiveness
• Monitor the performance of staff working on jobs; including giving feedback after files have been reviewed and completing audit review form at the end of each job, noting any training and development needs that have been identified
• Brief staff and allocate tasks and timescales
• Conduct 6 monthly appraisals of trainees (where appropriate)
• Act as point of liaison with client re: information or queries where appropriate

• Complete on site visits to clients.

Business Development

• Be involved in tenders and presentations on audits & accounts
• Identify new business opportunities
• Establish local business contacts/networking.

Portfolio Management (where appropriate)

• Plan, control and review client work to ensure that the jobs are completed as efficiently and effectively as possible by allocating the resources available
• Hold pre-audit meetings with clients where appropriate, to establish the events that have had an impact on the business and any areas needing particular attention
• Prepare a time budget for each assignment. Ensure where possible that this is set at a level to enable the office to make money on the job taking into account the level of the fees and other non audit work to be included within that fee
• Ensure a detailed audit or accounts planning memorandum is completed by the senior, with the information they will need to approach the audit work in the most efficient manner. This will include details of any potential anomalies or any difficulties that have been encountered during previous audits
• Brief audit or accounts staff on the client and the nature of its business ensuring that the most cost effective approach to the job is clearly communicated. Carry out debrief and provide feedback at end of assignments
• Review all work received as soon as possible, ensuring that any issues arising are referred back to the audit staff for completion before any outstanding issues are drawn to the attention of the Partner
• Ensure that files are complete and that audit or accounts work is sufficient to enable the Partner to form an opinion on the accounts, bearing in mind the balance between cost and benefit
• Monitor work in progress on all jobs within the portfolio, communicating any potential problems and write offs to the Partner’s attention on a timely basis
• Ensure all hours worked on any client are recorded correctly, enabling a true reflection of the profitability of the job to be shown
• Prepare fee schedules and bill for Partner review and approval, explaining any extra charges, also identifying and explaining any write offs or profits
• Draft all management letters, finalising of accounts, letters of engagement etc.
• Attend client meetings (where appropriate).

Qualification and skills required

• ACCA/ACA fully qualified with strong experience leading audits (planning to completion)
• At least 2 years post qualified experience
• Up-to-date CPE and recent developments in accounting standards (SORP, FRS 102)
• Computer packages – Excel, Word, Sage, Alpha Tax, CaseWare, VPM/Central

• Supervisory experience – ability to manage and delegate effectively
• Client focus and commercially aware
• Communication – oral and written, ability to deal with variety of people in different environments
• Organisation skills – the ability to juggle a number of different tasks at once
• Team building skills

• Problem solving skills
• Ability to work under pressure
• Be positive and committed to MHA in dealings both with clients and staff.

What we can offer you

• Genuine work life balance. 
• Accredited Investor in People. 
• New and improved programme for Succession planning and supportive management structure to help you realise your potential. 
• Up to 33 days holiday including bank holidays, plus the opportunity to buy up to 5 days. 
• Competitive salary. 

• Amazing employee referral scheme, paying up to £4000 for a successful referral. 
• Paid CSR time. 
• Car lease scheme. 
• And more! 

Our application form takes just a few minutes to complete and includes some diversity questions. MHA is a committed member of Access Accountancy and as such, we track our diversity stats and actively work to improve on these, year on year, looking at new ways to promote our roles to the widest audience. Any data collected is fully anonymised before sharing with any external parties, as per our Data Protection Policy and is not visible to hiring managers, or used in any way during the selection process.