Finance Assistant

Nottingham Source: WhatJobs

See advert for pay

Nottingham, UK

Details

About us:

At Cerca Magnetics Limited (Cerca), our purpose is clear — to make a tangible difference to people’s lives through the development and delivery of groundbreaking neuroimaging technology. If you are a technically minded leader with a passion for precision, process, and performance, this is your opportunity to help scale a world-class product that is changing the future of brain health.

Founded in 2020 through a collaboration between The University of Nottingham and Magnetic Shields Limited, Cerca has commercialised the world’s most advanced functional brain scanner — a lightweight, wearable system based on Optically-Pumped Magnetometers (OPMs) that detect magnetic fields generated by brain activity.

Unlike traditional MRI, our scanners allow participants to move freely, enabling new clinical and research insights into conditions such as epilepsy, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), and dementia.

The Finance Assistant will have a real eye for detail due to the complexity required from the role, whilst supporting the team and other departments to deliver an efficient service for a growing venture capital backed company. They will be responsible for sales and purchase ledger ensuring tidy accounts are kept, processing payments, stock and WIP management, analysis of profit margins and assisting with processing management accounts. This role could progress further in the company as it grows and would be open to a training agreement for a financial qualification.

This is an exciting new role and is the first finance role to be fully based at Cerca Magnetics with support from Head of Finance who works across multiple businesses. This provides a real opportunity to make this role your own and with the Company growth an opportunity to progress at pace. We would also be prepared to provide training support to gain or continue a formal accounting qualification.

Key Responsibilities:

Maintaining the sales and purchase ledgers accurately and on time
Processing and maintaining accurate credit card reconciliations monthly
Processing bank reconciliations and month end processes · Fraud awareness and confidentiality
Assisting with VAT returns and ensuring compliance with HMRC
Raising stage payment invoices and managing credit control of large sales invoices for complex projects
Processing and maintaining accurate stock reports
Processing and maintaining accurate work in progress reports
Maintaining accurate accruals and prepayments schedules
Assisting with management accounts preparation
Maintaining the system to be up to date and accurate including routinely performing checks to ensure this
Ensuring monthly reporting is undertaken in a timely manner and is accurate
Assisting with year-end processes such as stock and WIP checks, creating audit file and answering audit queries with support
Assisting with processing of government grant claims
Support the development, refinement, and implementation of SOPs, work instructions, and structured operational processes.
Identify workflow inefficiencies and bottlenecks, proposing practical improvements.
Promote consistency, speed, and accuracy across business operations through structured process support.
Actively contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across the organisation.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

Work closely with multiple departments to keep activities aligned and well-coordinated.
Support data collection, reporting, and internal communication processes for wider company initiatives.
Assist teams with ad-hoc operational tasks, hands-on problem solving, and issue resolution as required.
Adapt to shifting priorities to ensure operational continuity.
3+ years in a finance environment
AAT level 3 or equivalent experience
Knowledge of stock and work in progress processes
High attention to detail and accuracy in documentation and identifying errors
Strong organisational and time-management abilities, able to manage multiple priorities calmly and clearly.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; competent in business writing.
Experience in a dynamic, growing business environment. ·
Confident dealing with suppliers, customers, and internal teams.
Solid IT skills (Excel, Word, Outlook) and the ability to learn new tools quickly including AI driven tools.
Practical, proactive mindset — willing to roll up your sleeves and support wherever needed.
Ability to anticipate needs, problem-solve, and maintain professionalism in a fast-paced environment.
Experience of managing or working to certain quality standards, such as ISO 13485 or ISO 9001
Experience of system transformation
Experience supporting operational processes, audits, or continuous improvement work.
Interest in business operations, efficiency, and workflow optimisation.