Assistant Accountant

Application Deadline: 21 June 2026

Department: Finance

Location: Torbay Council

Compensation: £31,537 - £34,434 / year

Job Description & Person Specification >

There has never been a better time to join our Finance team at Torbay Council. We have a real momentum building with a shared sense of purpose and ambition.

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Corporate Finance service team for an Assistant Accountant - VAT. This is a varied and engaging role offering exposure to a wide range of technical VAT responsibilities within a local authority environment.

The role includes, but is not limited to:

• Preparation and submission of monthly VAT returns.
• Assisting with reconciliations between VAT ledger accounts and HMRC reclaim totals.
• Responding to routine VAT coding and treatment queries from finance colleagues and service areas.
• Supporting the preparation of schedules and evidence for internal and external audit, including HMRC information requests.
• Assisting with the maintenance and update of VAT policy documents and procedure notes.
• Contributing to the effective management of daily cashflow activities.

This role sits within a highly specialist and technical area of finance (VAT), providing an excellent opportunity to develop in-depth knowledge of VAT legislation and its application within a complex public sector setting. You will join a supportive and experienced team, with access to structured training, on-the-job learning, and opportunities for professional study.

As part of this role, you will be supported to build your expertise and progress within this specialist field, with a clear pathway towards more senior VAT role. This makes the role an ideal opportunity for someone looking to establish and grow a career in a technical area of public sector finance.

If you are viewing this advert on a job board, you can access the full job description by placing the below URL into your browser:

https://www.torbay.gov.uk/jobs/job-descriptions/assistant-accountant/

For an informal chat please contact Sarah Davis on 01803 201201 or ***email_hidden***.

Interviews are expected to be conducted during the week commencing 22th June 2026.

This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Our adverts do sometimes close early - even where there's a published deadline - so if you're keen, please apply as soon as possible.

Skills

Essential:

• Effective interpersonal skills and the ability to work both independently, using own initiative and as part of a team.
• Ability to undertake a diverse workload and produce desired outcomes with deadlines, working with conflicting demands and priorities to meet deadlines.
• A flexible and adaptable communication style and able to communicate to a wider range of audiences.
• To be willing to learn and develop new skills.
• A high level of numeracy, literacy and IT skills.

Knowledge

Essential:

• Basic knowledge and understanding of accounting standards.
• Basic knowledge and understanding closing annual accounts.
• Basic knowledge and understanding book keeping of financial records.
• Basic knowledge and understanding costing, cashflow management and forecasting.

Experience & Qualifications

Essential:

• Educated to A level standard or equivalent.
• Experience of working within a financial/accountancy environment.
• Experience of working with information technology-based systems and PC based software.