Full job descriptionAccounts Manager
Salary: Competitive, depending on experience
Location: Hertford
Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday
Working pattern: Flexible, hybrid working
Holiday: 25 days plus bank holidays, plus your birthday off
Employment type: Permanent, full time
You’re not just preparing accounts anymore. You’re the person clients and juniors look to.
At Manager level, the job changes.
Yes, the technical work still matters. The accounts need to be right. The deadlines still exist. The client service still has to be sharp.
But the real value you bring is bigger than that.
You’re the person who keeps the portfolio moving, makes sure the team knows what they’re doing, spots issues before they become problems, manages WIP and billing, and builds the kind of client relationships that make people come back to you for advice.
That is what this Accounts Manager role is about.
Based in Hertford, you’ll be joining the local office of a fast-growing Top 20 accountancy firm at a point where the team is growing and the wider business is moving quickly. This is a good fit if you want the scale and opportunity of a larger firm, but still want a role where your clients, your team and your contribution are visible.
What makes this worth a look?
Because it is a proper portfolio management role, not a glorified senior job with a Manager title.
You’ll manage your own portfolio of clients, taking responsibility for workforce planning, WIP, billing, client relationships and the quality of work delivered by the team.
You’ll brief team members properly, delegate work, review and sign off files, and make sure assignments are completed within budget.
You’ll also play a part in improving how the team works. That means contributing to process improvement, sharing best practice and helping create a more efficient, consistent service for clients.
If you enjoy the mix of technical accounts work, client contact, team management and commercial responsibility, this should feel like a natural next step.
The role in plain English
You’ll be responsible for making sure clients are looked after, work is delivered properly and the team around you has clear direction.
That means:
*Managing a portfolio of clients
*Planning workload across the team
*Managing WIP, billing and recoverability
*Briefing team members on assignments
*Making sure everyone understands the plan before work begins
*Delegating work across the team
*Reviewing and signing off files prepared by junior colleagues
*Ensuring assignments are completed on time and within budget
*Strengthening existing client relationships
*Building rapport with new clients
*Helping improve internal processes and best practice
It is a practical, visible role. You’ll need to be technically strong, commercially aware and good with people.
Who this will suit
This role will suit someone ACA or ACCA qualified with at least five years’ experience gained within an accountancy practice.
You’ll probably already be managing client work, reviewing files and supporting junior colleagues. You may already have the title of Manager, or you might be an experienced Senior or Assistant Manager who is ready to step up.
Either way, you’ll need to be confident managing a workload of your own while also helping the team deliver.
You’ll be organised, proactive and comfortable speaking to clients. You’ll also need strong written and verbal communication skills, because this is a role where clear expectations matter — with clients, juniors and senior colleagues.
You’ll be a strong fit if you have:
*ACA or ACCA qualification
*At least five years’ experience in accountancy practice
*Experience managing a client portfolio
*Strong accounts preparation and review experience
*Confidence managing WIP and billing
*Experience delegating work and reviewing junior output
*Good attention to detail
*Strong organisational skills
*Confidence building client relationships
*A proactive, positive approach
*Strong communication and interpersonal skills
What’s in it for you?
You’ll get a competitive salary depending on experience, flexible hybrid working, 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, and your birthday off.
The wider package includes pension, group life assurance at 4x salary, health cash plan, car parking, quarterly functions and events, an employee benefits portal with online GP and prescription services, cashback and vouchers, an Employee Assistance Programme, referral bonus scheme, and regular training and development.
There is also ongoing support for professional development and personal career goals, so this is not just a role where you inherit a portfolio and get left to it.
Apply
If you’re an Accounts Manager, or an experienced practice professional ready to step into a Manager role, and you want portfolio ownership, team responsibility and room to keep progressing, apply with a copy of your CV and our team will be in touch.
Please note, applicants must be based in the UK, and sponsorship is not available for this role.