Senior Accounts Assistant

About the role

The Department of Pharmacology at the University of Cambridge is seeking a Senior Accounts Assistant to join the Accounts team. Reporting to the Finance and Research Grants Coordinator, the role provides the administration of accounts and maintenance of financial records so that departmental finances can be managed effectively. It is a full-time, permanent position based in central Cambridge.

Key responsibilities

• Process supplier invoices, credit notes and expense claims; manually code and match invoices to purchase orders; investigate invoice holds and amend distributions against supplier invoices
• Reconcile statements, resolve supplier and staff queries including payment of VAT, and arrange credit accounts with suppliers
• Set up bank transfers and carry out month-end procedures
• Review and close or cancel purchase orders, check that they match the invoice and liaise with suppliers on goods received, returns and anomalies
• Raise customer invoices and credit notes, set up customer receivables, collect and bank monies received and resolve queries
• Run and review University Finance System (CUFS) reports, export data to Excel, run COGNOS reports for budget holders and resolve queries
• Maintain, file and archive financial records, keep supplier databases accurate and ensure documentation is available for audit
• Act as first point of contact for financial matters, advise staff on financial procedures and attend Finance User Group meetings

Required profile

• A-level or equivalent education, with GCSEs in Maths and English
• Experience working in an accounts environment
• Excellent communication, organisational and time-management skills, and the ability to work under pressure and manage multiple deadlines
• Attention to detail and a high level of accuracy
• Desirable: experience in University systems and in an academic environment

Required skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel
• Knowledge of CUFS and experience with relevant reporting tools
• Teamwork and flexibility

Salary is Grade 4, £27,865 to £31,861. Applications are made online through the University's recruitment system, quoting reference PL51587; the closing date is 25 November 2026.