Senior Bookkeeper

Hire Purpose is proudly partnering with Starfish Accounting, an independent and growing purpose-led accountancy practice that champions a high-quality, human-centred, and compassionate experience which their customers confidently depend on.

Excitingly, Starfish are growing!

This year, they were announced as finalists for the Accounting Excellence Small Firm of the Year, and again in 2025 (and 2023) for Xero’s ‘Small Firm of the Year’ award.

Starfish’s ambitions to expand their technical team, enhance operational capacity, and deepen personable support to small businesses is happening in real time, and this brand-new appointment reflects this exciting phase in their journey.

As part of a dedicated pod, you will:

* Attentively manage a portfolio of bookkeeping clients; ensuring their Xero records accurate, compliant, and consistently delivered ahead of deadline, including reconciliations and VAT returns to invoicing, credit control, and month-end closing.

* Lead front-end client onboarding: setting up new bookkeeping customers on Xero and cloud accounting, while also uncovering and resolving any historic errors.

* Build productive customer relationships; acting as a responsive and approachable point of contact, communicate bookkeeping and VAT matters clearly and confidentially, keeping clients happy and informed.

* Drive process improvement and efficiency; identifying opportunities to automate routine processes, while also recommending practical improvements to make better use of cloud accounting technology. Using tools like Xenon Connect, run bookkeeping health checks, and identify areas requiring attention.

* Support the wider team's development; mentor less experienced colleagues, share best practice, and contribute ideas that improve internal processes and enhance the client experience.

This is a unique opportunity for someone who enjoys interacting with people, comfortable with responsibility, and is excited by the value that digital innovation can bring.

Please be aware that this is not a ‘heads down’ Bookkeeping role. If you struggle to pick up the phone or dislike being on video when meeting with clients, this position isn’t for you.

Therefore, we are only considering:

* Experienced Bookkeepers with a background delivering in practice and significant working knowledge of Xero.

* Personable people with excellent interpersonal skills and a proactive, positive, and collaborative approach.

* Organised and calm professionals who can manage a portfolio with competing priorities.

* Proactive and adaptable leaders with familiarity towards continuous improvement.

Ideally you will also be fully AAT qualified, if not part qualified. However, we still welcome applicants from people who are also qualified by experience.

Starfish’s culture reflects the ethos of their business, which is genuinely invested in their community. In 2025, Starfish became B Corp certified having undergone a rigorous process that reflects its sound and ongoing commitment to social and environmental impact.

To apply:

Please submit a CV and a covering letter, which must capture your interest in joining Starfish in this capacity while highlighting your suitability which will enable you to succeed.

The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Tuesday 18th August.

Interviews will be taking place over w/c 24th August and w/c 31st August 2026.

Hire Purpose champions inclusive recruitment.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences. We uphold equal opportunity principles and challenge bias at every stage, partnering only with organisations that share our commitment to integrity, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Hire Purpose is also proudly a B Corp certified business that has met B Lab UK’s high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed