Associate

Salary & package:

£40,000 – £50,000 (depending on experience)

• up to 10% performance bonus
• standard pension
• share option scheme
• BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) allowance
• 25 days annual leave + 3 additional days at Christmas

Role overview:

We are building a dedicated Compliance Business Unit within Ascendant, focused on delivering high-quality accounts, tax, bookkeeping, VAT, and personal tax services to entrepreneurial businesses and scaling SMEs.

This is a portfolio-owning role, responsible for a book of ~150 compliance-only clients with annual recurring revenue of approximately £400k. You’ll be the primary contact for clients, supported by two offshore team members and a Head of Compliance. You will play a key role in shaping how we deliver efficient, scalable compliance services. You’ll be working with a best in-class, AI-powered tech stack to support speed, accuracy, and automation in delivery.

Core responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of ~150 compliance-only clients
• Delivery of year-end accounts, CT600s, VAT returns, bookkeeping, and personal tax returns.
• Coordinate and manage workflow with delivery team (inc. offshore team members).
• Take ownership of client communication, queries, and delivery timelines.
• Identify and flag potential upsell opportunities to internal stakeholders.
• Maintain high standards of accuracy, timeliness, and client service.
• Contribute to process improvements and help shape the operating model.

Must haves:

• 4+ years’ experience in a UK accounting practice
• AAT Level 4 qualified or newly qualified ACA/ACCA
• Recent personal tax return experience
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Confident in managing client relationships
• Proactive communicator with good interpersonal skills
• Desire to lead and manage others as the unit scales

Nice to haves:

• Experience preparing more complex personal tax returns (e.g. foreign income, crypto assets, rental property, EIS/SEIS)
• Tax planning experience
• Prior experience using TaxCalc
• Experience managing or coordinating offshore delivery team
• Familiarity with cloud-based workflows and automation tools

Team Structure

• Reporting to: Head of Compliance
• Support: Two offshore team members (bookkeeping, VAT, accounts preparation, PTR preparation)
• Collaborating with: Group Services (e.g. payroll, tax), BD team, and sector lead