Bookkeeper & Executive Assistant (Contract, 2 days per week)

Essential Counsel provides strategic guidance to businesses at critical moments, and we are building a new AI legal world alongside it. We move fast, we play offence, and we finish the job. Always.

We are looking for a contractor to keep our numbers clean and our operations running, two days a week. This is a startup. If you want a quiet back-office role with rigid processes and someone checking your work at every step, this is not for you. If you want to own the finances of a growing business and keep its leaders organised, keep reading.

The Role

The role is mainly bookkeeping, with some EA support for senior leadership alongside it.

You will be trusted with sensitive financial and business information, and you will be

expected to handle it with discretion and precision.

Bookkeeping:

● Maintain accurate books in Xero.

● Do bank reconciliations and keep the purchase and sales ledgers up to date.

● Raise invoices, chase payments and manage credit control.

● Process supplier payments and expense claims.

● Prepare VAT returns and support payroll.

● Work with our external accountants on month-end and year-end.

● Produce clear, simple management reporting so we always know where we stand.

Executive Assistance:

● Manage diaries and inboxes for senior leadership.

● Coordinate meetings, travel and client logistics.

● Prepare documents, correspondence and presentations.

● Track deadlines and renewals, and handle general office administration.

● Make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

What You Need to Bring:

● Solid, hands-on bookkeeping experience (AAT or similar is helpful, but what you can do matters more than what is on paper).

● Confidence with cloud accounting software and Excel.

● Experience supporting senior people as an EA or PA.

● Absolute discretion with confidential information.

Useful but not essential:

● Experience working across more than one entity.

● A background in a law firm, professional services or a startup.

● Familiarity with HMRC, Companies House and payroll processes.

Who You Are:

We care about the person, not the pedigree. You are someone who:

● Takes ownership. You see what needs doing and you do it, without waiting to be

asked.

● Is relentlessly positive. We mean real forward momentum, not performed positivity.

● Is forensically accurate. Numbers either reconcile or they do not.

● Uses common sense. You think before you ask.

● Is highly organised. With two days a week, you make every hour count.

● Thrives in a startup. Change, ambiguity and pace give you energy.

Terms:

● Contractor (self-employed) engagement

● 2 days per week (days flexible), London-based

● £175–£200 per day, depending on experience

● Invoiced monthly