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Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Main responsibilities of the role:

• to manage the Accounts Payable Team, ensuring the smooth day to day running of the department and ensuring all team members are appropriately trained and developed in accordance with Trust needs and individual requirements.
• to oversee the work of the Team Leaders, supporting them in ensuring work is allocated appropriately and all processes are completed in line with deadlines and performance targets.
• ensures procedures are in place to ensure invoices are logged and payment is made in a timely manner to help the Trust meet the Better Payment Practice Code target. Identify areas of weakness and poor practice and work with Team Leaders to improve performance
• monitor data weekly for aged payables, analysing the current position and reporting to the Charities, AR, AP and VAT Accountant any significant changes that may cause concern or may require escalation.
• regularly review the level of aged payables to assist Senior Management in managing and maintaining the Trusts cash balances and take any action as needed.
• produce and monitor KPI's for the team and complete reports, as needed, on the performance of the Accounts Payable service for both internal and external stakeholders ensuring local and national deadlines are met
• support the team in dealing with financial queries from RUH staff, suppliers or Procurement, stepping in to resolve contentious or sensitive queries if needed internal and external stakeholders
• produce data for the payables figures submitted for the national agreement of balances exercise at Month 9 and Month 12, supporting in any negotiations as required to resolve disputes and mismatches reported by Department of Heath
• implement policies and procedures in relation to the Accounts Payable Team to ensure compliance for statutory reporting and consistent service delivery and propose changes to practices when necessary to aid compliance and improvement
• ensure the departments annual leave, flexi leave and sickness episodes are authorised and recorded appropriately, locally and centrally, and ensure that suitable staffing is always available to cover the required workload.
• carry out Teams yearly appraisal and ensure the team complete their mandatory training on time
• take responsibility for recruitment for the Team as and when needed
• deal with team members performance as and when needed and follow appropriate Trust processes to resolve, escalating issues to senior management if needed
• work as part of the wider Finance Team to deliver training opportunities for staff in the Team as well as across the wider department and organisation, sharing the understanding of the role that Accounts Payable Team has within Finance
• ensure the Team understand the rules around VAT and the NHS. Work with the Financial Accounts Team to ensure the correct coding of VAT is being applied by the processing team to maximise VAT reclaim and support the Team Leaders in enabling the necessary changes within the team in improving coding
• to understand and ensure the Accounts Payable Team adheres to the Trusts Standing Financial Instructions and Standing Orders
• have an understanding of the accounting structure and support the team in ensuring invoices are coded accurately
• ensure any Balance Sheet reconciliations relating to the Accounts Payable function are completed within agreed timescales
• understand the full procurement function from requisitioning through to invoice payment. Work with Procurement Team to ensure the No Purchase Order, No Pay policy is implemented and adhered to in Accounts Payable
• Work alongside the rest of the Finance Department in the production of the annual accounts and to take part in planning and contributing information relating to the accounts payable function for the accounts and annual report
• liaise with internal and external auditors, providing relevant information as required relating to Accounts Payable and implementing agreed recommendations as necessary. Supporting in any other audits as required
• Work with Counter Fraud to ensure the Accounts Payable function is compliant and to support in the National Counter Fraud initiative
• to provide accounts payable information for Freedom of Information requests
• ensure high standards of performance and behaviour are maintained throughout the Accounts Payable Team, promoting a culture of openness, transparency, responsiveness, efficiency and customer-focused service.

Person specification

Qualifications And Training

Essential criteria

• GSCE Maths and English
• AAT qualified or studying towards full completion

Desirable criteria

• Studying towards a professional qualification in Finance or educated to degree level in a financial qualification
• VAT rules in the NHS

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• At least 2 years previous Accounts Payable experience
• Experience of using Microsoft Office software, especially Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint
• 2 years experience of staff management within a Financial environment
• Able to advise finance and non-finance managers on matters relating to Accounts Payable
• Ability to analyse, investigate and resolve financial queries

Desirable criteria

• Previous NHS finance experience
• Knowledge of Unit 4, especially within an Accounts Payable function
• Knowledge of Standing Financial Instructions & Standing Orders within the NHS

Please note - Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered unless an alternative right to work solution can be provided. Candidates requiring sponsorship (or will need sponsorship at the end of a current visa e.g. those with graduate visa's) should review the eligibility criteria on the gov.uk website before applying: Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK

Applicant requirements

This post will require a submission for Disclosure to be made to check for any unspent criminal convictions.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if we receive a high number of applications. We strongly encourage you to complete and submit your application in good time to ensure it can be considered.

Documents to download

• Accounts Payable Manager (PDF, 437.3KB)
• Join the RUH (PDF, 1.3MB)

Further details / informal visits contact

• Name: HELEN BOSTOCK
• Job title: Charities, AR, AP and VAT Accountant
• Email address: helen.bostock@nhs.net