JOB DESCRIPTION
Department:
Administration
Unit:
Finance
Post:
Assistant Financial Accountant (Accounts Payable)
Reporting to:
Financial Accountant
Grade:
6
Staff Reporting to the Post:
5
Scope of the Post
The post-holder is responsible, through management of the Accounts Payable staff and workload, for
ensuring that transactions on the Accounts Payable ledger are accurate and comply with School
financial regulations and policies, and that payments to suppliers and staff are made securely and on
time.
Duties of the post:
FINANCIAL CONTROLS
Responsible for the integrity of supplier accounts within the Accounts Payable Ledger, in particular:
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ensuring that all transactions are processed accurately, on time and in line with the School’s
Financial Regulations and policies, HMRC and other relevant regulations;
the security of supplier and staff bank details;
the processing of BACS and Bankline payments;
the preparation of the monthly Aged Creditors Reconciliation, including the investigation of debit
balances and other exceptional items.
STAFF MANAGEMENT
Responsible for:
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monitoring and managing the workload of the section so that work is distributed fairly and
backlogs are avoided;
ensuring that all staff within the Section are fully trained;
having one-to-one meetings on a regular basis;
carrying out annual staff appraisals under the School’s Appraisal Scheme;
ensuring that cover is provided during periods of sickness or annual leave.
MONITORING AND REPORTING OF ACCOUNTS PAYABLE TRANSACTIONS
Responsible for:
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monitoring the operation of the Accounts Payable electronic workflow within the Agresso
computer system and ensuring, in conjunction with the Systems Administrator, that invoices are
processed on time;
reviewing, in conjunction with Procurement staff, the operation of the Agresso purchase order
workflow to ensure that commitments are correctly recorded in the Agresso system;
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ensuring that paper based payments, such as staff expenses, are processed on time and in line with
financial regulations;
producing periodic statistical reports from the Accounts Payable Ledger.
SCHOOL CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS
Responsible for:
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ensuring that transactions made using School business credit cards are fully authorised and
processed in line with Financial Regulations.
RELATIONSHIP WITH SUPPLIERS
Responsible for:
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liaison with School suppliers, to ensure that queries or other problems preventing payment are
resolved and suppliers and relevant School staff kept informed.
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsible for:
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ensuring that all Accounts Payable journals including foreign payments and direct debit journals,
and all requests for inter-account transfers, comply with the School’s Financial Regulations, are
correct and are processed on time;
ensuring that the monthly internal recharges are processed accurately and on time. The post holder
will be required to process some recharges;
processing transactions at very busy periods;
preparing and posting year end journals, relating to Accounts Payable;
providing assistance to internal and external auditors;
preparing/reviewing the reconciliation of monthly suppliers’ statements.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE FINANCE COMPUTER SYSTEM
Responsible for:
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ensuring, in conjunction with the Systems Administrator and IT technical staff, that the AP system
is functioning correctly and effectively;
contributing to the continuing development of the Agresso AP system, to maximise opportunities
for more efficient and effective financial processes;
undertaking training in, and acceptance testing of, new versions of the software.
GENERAL
Responsible for:
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provision of holiday or sickness cover for staff within the section, including processing transactions
on Agresso;
any other relevant duties as notified by the Financial Accountant or Finance Director.
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Job Requirements
Experience
Essential
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Substantial experience of working in Accounts Payable in busy medium or large accounting
departments;
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Experience of working with a computerised accounting system (preferably Agresso);
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Evidence of a clear understanding of the purpose and operation of financial controls on
payments;
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Experience of working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders;
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Proven experience of managing staff, by giving clarity regarding targets, standard expectations
and monitoring performance.
Desirable
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Experience of working for a Higher Education Institution or charity.
Technical knowledge/skills/aptitude
Essential
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AAT qualification or substantial technical knowledge gained through experience of Accounts
Payable systems;
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Experience of working with multi currencies.
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Intermediate – Advanced excel skills (i.e familiar with formulae, filters, pivots, vlookup).
Person specification
Essential
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The role holder will need to be customer-focused, ensuring services meet requirements and are
responsive to change requests;
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Well-organised with the ability to remain effective when working under pressure and achieve
deadlines;
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Good written and oral communication skills;
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Demonstrate a methodical and analytical approach to problem-solving, planning and decision
making;
Commitment to continual improvement and professional development.
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