Senior Accounts Payable

We are looking for maternity cover for our Head of Accounts Payable. The cover of the duration will be a minimum of 18 months. The successful candidate will manage a team of two accounting technicians and will be responsible for ensuring timely and accurate processing of invoices, ad-hoc payments, employees personal expenses,  and overseeing the on-boarding of all third party vendors and ongoing oversight of such vendors. The successful candidate will report to the Assistant Financial Controller.

Responsibilities of our AP team

• Process purchase invoices and expense claims
• Process requisitions and turn into POs
• Set up suppliers and employees within the AP system, ensure company and employee information is kept up to date
• Set up and maintain vendor and employee bank account details
• Complete supplier statement reconciliations
• Deal with invoice queries/payment queries from suppliers, ensuring all invoice/expenses are authorised in line with limits
• Complete weekly payment runs and ensure all invoices and expenses are paid in a timely manner
• Complete T&E breakdowns and track any WFH allowances
• Processing of journals in relation to accounts payable
• Reconciling and analysing credit card and petty cash spend, chasing up receipts and preparing monthly journal
• Bi-annual and monthly payment reporting preparation
• Completion of monthly employee audit reports
• Performing manual payments
• Maintaining and tracking of Fixed Assets
• Booking and maintaining the cash breaks
• Raising any ad-hoc invoices and track through to payment
• Kick off any new vendor on-boarding requests and ensuring all relevant due diligence is actioned.
• Completing the ultimate and related party checks
• Ensuring that employees are following the correct vendor on-boarding and off-boarding processes, in-line with the vendor management policy
• Liaising with multiple departments across the firm to ensure adherence with the vendor management policy
• Maintaining the vendor management database
• Maintaining and quarterly testing of the AP system
• Promotion & communication of the Policy and Procedures for Accounts Payable and Vendor Management

Responsibilities:

• To manage the Accounts Payable team and ensure effective and efficient performance
• To ensure timely and accurate payments of vendor invoices and expenses and maintain accurate records and controls report
• To ensure all vendors have been on-boarded in line with company policy and escalate any breaches to the BCC
• Ensure all Critical and High risk vendor reviews have been requested ahead of the upcoming BCC
• Ensure all Medium and Low risk vendor owners complete their annual attestations
• To manage the fixed asset register and assist with annual inventory audits
• To ensure month end tasks in relation to Accounts Payable are completed in a timely manner
• Year-end audit requirements and assistance with statutory accounts
• Assist with the implementation of new systems and the development of existing systems
• Preparation of Office for National Statistics Purchases annual returns for the group and bi-annual and monthly payment reporting preparation
• Understanding the business and keeping up-to-speed with business developments and being able to communicate this effectively to team members
• Contribution to the implementation and maintenance of financial controls and systems to ensure regulatory compliance
• Review all invoice detail and coding before being submitted for approval
• Reviewing the leavers and joiners for the month to ensure they have been set up correctly
• Complete Accounts Payable month end close
• Review monthly transaction reports, ensure all files have been updated and reconcile to NT and AP system
• Review AP journal preparations
• Maintain relationship with vendor who provides support and consulting on our AP and GL systems
• Ensure all AP responsibilities are being carried out and completed
• Ensure AP policies and process notes are kept up to date
• Keeping up to date with any policy or organisational changes and ensuring systems and processes reflect these changes
• Provide support and motivation to the AP team

Skills and experience

• The ideal candidate would have prior experience managing an accounts payable function
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
• Strong organisation skills
• Strong excel skills
• Strong interpersonal, communication and influencing skills with the confidence and ability to operate effectively at all levels including third parties and external customers
• Ability to identity problems quickly and find suitable resolutions
• Ability to work under pressure maintaining tight deadlines, high concentration levels and keeping up with work flow requirements
• Experience of managing multiple suppliers and vendors
• Willing to work in a highly-driven team environment