Freelance Management Accountant

FREELANCE PART-TIME ACCOUNTANT

Terma UK | Haydock / St Helens area

About Terma UK

Terma UK is part of the Terma group and was re-established in 2018. It distributes products manufactured by its sister company, Terma Poland, and operates as a separate business with its own profit and loss account. Its customers include large retailers and e-commerce businesses, as well as small and medium-sized businesses, including radiator specialists, showrooms and merchants.

Terma Poland, based in Gdańsk, is the group’s manufacturing business and was established in 1990. Terma UK holds stock and also provides drop-shipping and made-to-order services. It holds approximately £300,000 of stock and operates from premises within a third-party logistics provider.

The opportunity

Terma UK is looking to appoint an experienced freelance accountant to provide senior-level finance support on a flexible, part-time basis, expected to be around 1–2 days per week as required. The work will be carried out alongside an in-house team responsible for routine, lower-level accounts processing, including an Accounts Clerk and colleagues covering sales ledger statements and purchase ledger invoicing.

A key responsibility will be to complete and finalise the monthly management accounts using the company’s financial analytical file and information from the accounting system. The Managing Director would also value practical financial advice and support with budgeting, cash flow, forecasting and forward planning.

Terma UK uses Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. Previous hands-on experience of AX 2012, particularly its finance and accounting functionality, is highly desirable.

The business returned to profitability in 2026 following a loss-making period. Further background on the company’s financial restructuring can be discussed with shortlisted applicants.

Key responsibilities

The responsibilities below distinguish work expected to remain with the internal team from the senior accounting and review work expected from the freelance accountant. The precise division may be agreed with the successful applicant.

1. General finance support

Handled by the internal team

· Act as the first point of contact for routine customer and supplier finance enquiries.

· Maintain and update day-to-day finance procedures as required, with input from the freelance accountant where appropriate.

Freelance accountant

· Provide senior-level guidance on finance processes, controls and accounting queries.

· Recommend improvements to procedures and reporting where appropriate.

2. Sales ledger and credit control

Handled by the internal team

· Manage the routine processes supporting customer invoicing, including invoices issued by email, EDI and customer portals; understand how these processes operate across the Sales Department.

· Prepare and send customer statements, including weekly statement activity and customer-specific requirements.

· Provide copy invoices and credit notes when requested.

· Handle routine customer queries, referring matters to the Sales Manager where necessary.

· Monitor overdue accounts and follow up with customers using statements and copy invoices.

· Process customer debits and rebates for customers including B&Q, Amazon, eBay, Wayfair, Wilko and Online Home Retail.

· Monitor the finance/invoices inbox and respond or route queries as appropriate.

Freelance accountant

· Provide guidance on more complex accounting, reconciliation or control issues arising from sales ledger and credit control activity.

· Review escalated issues and recommend corrective action where required.

3. Purchase ledger, supplier invoices and expenses

Handled by the internal team

· Process and file supplier invoices, including Terma Poland invoices, other stock purchases and non-stock purchases.

· Check and file supplier statements and carry out supplier account cleansing.

· Process credit-card receipts, reconcile them to the credit-card statement, and post purchases and payments in Dynamics AX 2012.

· Monitor the finance/invoices inbox and respond to or route supplier queries as appropriate.

Freelance accountant

· Oversee or advise on more complex supplier reconciliations and purchase-ledger issues.

· Make or authorise supplier payments only where specifically agreed and where appropriate banking access and controls are in place.

4. Banking, reconciliations and cash flow

Handled by the internal team

· Download and prepare marketplace remittance information for Wayfair, B&Q Marketplace, Amazon and eBay, including any required updates before settlement.

Freelance accountant

· Maintain the cash-flow forecast/spreadsheet, including anticipated receipts and pending payments.

· Ensure incoming customer payments are correctly matched to remittances and settled in Dynamics AX 2012.

· Ensure outgoing supplier payments are correctly recorded and vendor balances settled in Dynamics AX 2012.

· Reconcile the cash-flow spreadsheet to bank statements and the bank general-ledger balance in the trial balance.

· Work with the Managing Director to manage cash and plan payments.

5. VAT

Handled by the internal team

· Prepare the monthly VAT return using the company’s Absolute Excel Filer process (subscription based service).

· Update the cash-flow spreadsheet with the VAT payable amount and payment date.

Freelance accountant

· Provide review and guidance on VAT treatment or return queries that require senior accounting input.

6. Payroll coordination

Handled by the internal team

· Maintain the payroll spreadsheet and prepare payroll information, including bonus deductions based on the credit review and RS04 sheet.

· Send bonus result emails to staff.

· Coordinate the submission of payroll information to the external payroll accountant/provider.

· Review payroll documents and obtain approval from the Managing Director.

· Arrange the bulk payroll payment through the banking app, in line with agreed approval controls.

· Update the cash-flow spreadsheet with the PAYE payment amount and due date.

Freelance accountant

· Review payroll accounting entries and process the payroll journal in Dynamics AX 2012.

· Liaise with the external payroll accountant/provider as needed. The existing arrangement for payroll processing and issuing payslips may remain in place.

7. Month-end and management accounts

Handled by the internal team

· Provide routine accounting records and supporting information needed to complete the month-end process.

Freelance accountant

· Maintain the fixed-asset register and depreciation records.

· Prepare and post the monthly depreciation journal.

· Prepare and post journals for hire purchase, loan interest and credit-card interest.

· Maintain the prepayments and accruals spreadsheet and prepare/post the monthly journal.

· Update the financial analytical file using the final trial balance, ensuring balances and calculations are correctly mapped for management reporting.

· Liaise with the Managing Director on final adjustments and complete the monthly management accounts.

8. Budgeting, forecasting and commercial support

· Work with the Managing Director on budgets, cash-flow planning and financial forecasts.

· Provide practical financial analysis, explain significant variances and highlight issues or opportunities.

· Offer forward-looking advice to support business planning and decision-making.

Annual accounts and qualifications

The company currently uses an external accountancy firm to sign off the annual accounts and process payroll. If the successful freelancer has the appropriate qualifications and experience to take responsibility for annual accounts and sign-off, this could be discussed. Otherwise, the existing annual-accounts arrangement will remain in place.

Experience and skills

· Strong practical accounting experience, ideally in a small or medium-sized trading, distribution or stock-holding business.

· Hands-on experience of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 is highly desirable, particularly the finance modules.

· Experience of month-end close, journals, reconciliations and preparation of management accounts.

· Good understanding of cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting.

· Able to work independently, prioritise work and communicate clearly with the Managing Director and internal team.

· A relevant accounting qualification would be an advantage; the level of qualification required will depend on the scope agreed, particularly if annual accounts sign-off is included.

Working arrangement

· Freelance, part-time engagement.

· Expected commitment: approximately 1–2 days per week, arranged as required.

· The role is intended to provide on-site support in the Haydock / St Helens / Newton-le-Willows area; exact attendance arrangements and any remote working can be agreed.

· Rate, start date and duration to be agreed.

Points to confirm before publication

· Confirm the exact work location and whether on-site attendance is required for every working day.

· Confirm whether the expected commitment is 1–2 days per week or a set number of days per month.

· Confirm whether the freelance accountant is expected to submit the VAT return or whether this remains an internal task; the original document lists VAT as an internal task.

· Confirm who is responsible for releasing supplier payments and payroll payments, and what bank access/approval controls apply.

· Confirm whether annual accounts preparation/sign-off is genuinely part of the vacancy or only an optional possibility for a suitably qualified person.

· Confirm whether payroll processing will remain with the current external provider.

· Check that the references to customers, internal job titles and named procedures remain current before the advert is published.

Pay: £120.00-£150.00 per day

Benefits:

• On-site parking

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Haydock WA11 9UA