Senior Bookkeeper | Real Estate Group | Central London / Office-Based

The Client

Harmonic is delighted to be partnering with a growing real estate group in central London, with a substantial commercial and residential portfolio and further building acquisitions underway. With more than 100 employees, the business has grown from a very small company into a significant property owner and is now bringing its bookkeeping in-house to gain greater control as the portfolio scales.

The Role

Reporting into the Finance Director, the Senior Bookkeeper will take ownership of the day-to-day bookkeeping across a group of commercial and residential real estate entities, bringing a function that is currently outsourced in-house. This is a hands-on, high-responsibility role: you will run the month-end close, manage intercompany and loan interest accounting, and handle CT61, VAT and payroll, working closely with the finance team and external accountants. It suits an experienced bookkeeper who wants to build long-term expertise in property accounting and who is comfortable taking responsibility in a close-knit, open-plan team.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end bookkeeping for a group of commercial and residential real estate entities, maintaining accurate, up-to-date records in Xero, including chart of accounts, coding and record-keeping across multiple companies.
• Prepare, post and reconcile intercompany journals, ensuring balances agree and are properly supported across the group.
• Calculate and post interest on intercompany and director/shareholder loans in line with agreed rates and terms.
• Prepare and submit quarterly CT61 returns, ensuring income tax withheld on interest payments is accounted for and paid correctly and on time.
• Take ownership of the month-end close, including accruals, prepayments and journal postings, to internal reporting deadlines.
• Perform regular bank and credit card reconciliations across all group accounts, matching expense claims to supporting documentation.
• Prepare and submit MTD-compliant VAT returns, applying property-specific VAT treatment such as the option to tax and mixed-use developments.
• Process payroll for group employees, including PAYE, pension contributions and statutory submissions.

Essential Experience

• Minimum 5 years' bookkeeping experience, with demonstrable experience in commercial and residential real estate.
• Experience preparing and filing CT61 returns.
• Hands-on experience of intercompany journals, intercompany reconciliations and loan interest calculations.
• Proven ability to own the month-end process to deadline across multiple entities.
• Solid experience of bank and credit card reconciliations, MTD-compliant VAT returns and payroll processing.
• High accuracy and attention to detail, strong organisational skills and strong Excel skills.

Desirable Experience

• Xero experience, ideally across multiple entities.
• AAT qualification (or equivalent), or qualified by experience.
• Experience of property or lease management software used alongside Xero.
• Working knowledge of real estate VAT issues, such as the option to tax and partial exemption.

Salary: £40,000 - £50,000

Location: Central London, office-based 5 days a week (Monday to Friday, 9:00-17:30)

Start Date: Flexible, with notice periods of up to two months considered

At Harmonic, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. We actively welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and assure you that every candidate will be thoughtfully considered for the roles we represent, without regard to race, religion, gender expression, disability, or sexual orientation.

At Harmonic, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. We actively welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and assure you that every candidate will be thoughtfully considered for the roles we represent, without regard to race, religion, gender expression, disability, or sexual orientation.