Accounts Payable Specialist job at Salford Full Time NEW

Job description

We are looking for a technically capable Accounts Payable Specialist to join our finance team. This role goes beyond transactional processing — you will take ownership of key balance sheet areas, including the preparation and reconciliation of accruals and prepayments, and will be expected to apply strong technical accounting knowledge to ensure accuracy and completeness of our financial records. You will also champion the digitalisation of our finance function, leading the end-to-end integration of automated systems across all accounts payable processes. This includes evaluating and implementing AP automation tools, streamlining invoice workflows, and ensuring seamless connectivity between procurement, ERP, and finance platforms. You will act as the finance team’s subject matter expert on process improvement, driving efficiency gains and reducing manual intervention through smart, scalable technology solutions.

Job requirements

Essential Qualifications

• Proven experience in an accounts payable or purchase ledger role, with hands-on responsibility for accruals and prepayments reconciliations
• Strong technical accounting knowledge, including a clear understanding of accruals-basis accounting, period-end cut-off, and double-entry bookkeeping
• High attention to detail and a methodical approach to problem-solving and variance investigation.
• Proficiency in a recognised accounting system (e.g. Syspro, Sage, Xero, NetSuite, SAP, or similar) and strong Excel skills including pivot tables and VLOOKUP
• Ability to effectively communicate and deliver training to departmental staff

Beneficial Qualifications

• AAT qualified or part-qualified ACCA/CIMA, or equivalent relevant experience
• Experience working within a structured month-end close process in a medium-to-large finance team
• Demonstrates advanced understanding of financial accounting

Skills and Knowledge

• Strong commercial mindset with experience engaging with senior stakeholders across departments to align financial strategies with business goals.
• Ability to problem solve and provide recommendations that enhance controls and processes.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and strong skills in PowerPoint and Word for preparing presentations and reports.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills, in order to convey complex information in a clear and understandable manner.
• In-depth regulatory knowledge and compliance expertise

Job responsibilities

Accounts payable operations

• Manage the purchase ledger, including supplier statement reconciliations, resolving queries and maintaining clean aged creditor reports.
• Prepare weekly and monthly payment runs, obtaining appropriate approvals and ensuring timely settlement.
• Liaise with internal stakeholders and external suppliers to resolve invoice and payment discrepancies promptly.
• Supports the trainings and knowledge base of the P2P team by sharing best practices within the team.

Balance sheet reconciliations – accruals and prepayments

• Prepare and post monthly accrual journals, ensuring all known and estimated liabilities are captured at period end in accordance with the matching principleBudget variance analysis
• Maintain and reconcile the prepayments schedule, accurately spreading costs across the correct accounting periods and unwinding balances on time.
• Perform detailed balance sheet reconciliations for accruals and prepayments accounts, identifying and investigating variances, and presenting clear reconciliation packs
• Maintain supporting schedules and audit-ready workpapers for all balance sheet positions under your ownership
• Identify opportunities to strengthen AP processes and internal controls, and work collaboratively to implement improvements.
• Assist with the year-end audit, providing schedules and explanations for accruals, prepayments, and creditor balances

VAT compliance & payment

• Handle cross-border transaction tax treatments, including import VAT/GST recovery, reverse charge mechanisms, and the correct treatment of services received from overseas suppliers.
• Accurately process and validate supplier invoices, ensuring the correct VAT and indirect tax treatment is applied
• Support VAT reporting and reconciliations, helping to ensure timely and accurate submissions

Technology adoption and AI transformation

• Actively embrace and champion the fast-paced transformation of finance work processes, demonstrating a genuine openness to adopting modern technologies that improve efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.
• Demonstrate curiosity and willingness to explore, experiment with, and adopt new AI tools as they become available, applying them practically to AP workflows, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement by sharing learnings from technology experiments and helping the broader finance team build confidence and capability with emerging digital tools.
• Stay abreast of development in AI-assisted finance tools and automation platforms, proactively identifying opportunities where new technology can reduce manual effort and enhance decision-making.

Job benefits

• 25 annual leave days
• 4 weeks paid sick leave per year
• Hybrid working environment (2 – 3 office days as determined by the function/ manager)
• Pension contribution
• Medical aid to eligible employees
• Life insurance
• Group income protection to eligible employees
• Bonus/ commission programmes
• Maternity: 10 weeks at 100% then 10 weeks paid at 50%
• Paternity: 2 weeks full pay

Pay: £45,000.00-£60,000.00 per year

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Salford M50 2AB