Purchase Ledger Accounts Assistant (6 Month FTC) in Haywards Heath

At 1st Central, everything starts with our people. As one of the UK's leading motor and home insurers, we use smart technology, data and great service to make insurance fast, fair and simple for over 1.4 million customers. We’re proud to create an environment where people feel supported, trusted and able to grow - whether that’s developing new skills, taking on fresh challenges or making a real impact every day. If you’re looking for a role where you can make a difference, we’d love to hear from you. If you're someone who’s great with numbers, detail-obsessed, and enjoys making systems tick, this could be right up your street. We’re looking for a Purchase Ledger Accounts Assistant to join our Finance Team on a 6-month fixed term contract based in our Haywards Heath, West Sussex office. You’ll be helping us stay on top of payments, processing, and all things bookkeeping for our group’s payable ledgers and subsidiaries. You’ll be making sure everything lines up across our finance systems - keeping records accurate, up to date, and in line with internal policies. From managing the daily purchase ledger to handling key reconciliations, you’ll play an important part in keeping things running smoothly.

Working flexibly, you'll spend most of your time working from home, with one day a week in the office. If you prefer to be in the office more, that's good with us too.

Core skills we’re looking for:

• Communication: you're confident chatting with managers, colleagues, and suppliers
• Ledger and reconciliation experience: you’ve handled complex data before and know how to present it clearly (desirable but not essential for early-career applicants)
• Analytical: you enjoy spotting patterns and using data to improve how things work
• Time management: you know how to prioritise, stay focused under pressure, and stay calm when things get busy

What’s Involved:

• You’ll maintain the accounts payable in a timely fashion. Ensuring accurate recording and processing of transactions
• You’ll ensure the prompt processing and payment of supplier invoices across the business
• You’ll maintain the credit card programme and ensure prompt submission of credit card expenses monthly
• You’ll facilitate the processing of colleagues’ expense, ensuring these align to the group’s policies and procedures
• You’ll support a monthly reporting process for key accounts on the payable ledgers
• You’ll handle supplier queries and disputes with appropriate business engagement in a timely and professional manner
• You’ll assist the business with purchase order queries and ensure these are raised timely and accurately
• You’ll support the reconciliation team with processing supplier payments and resolve unreconciled items promptly
• You’ll attend meetings across the organisation to ensure operational functions are aware of purchase ledger issues and promote timing resolution and safeguarding against future issues
• You’ll ensure proportionate reporting and oversight is supported for accounts payable activities that are operated both within and outside of finance
• You’ll provide analysis of outstanding items showing monthly ageing and supporting business ownership for resolution, ensure SLAs are met
• You’ll identify and recommend process and system changes for first line control failures leading to outstanding items being created
• You’ll support in preparation of the Group’s audit by providing backups as requested, supporting the year-end audit process runs smoothly
• You’ll adhere to the Group accounting policies and procedures
• You’ll support activities in other finance teams as required
• You’ll ensure compliance with company and other relevant standards / regulations at all times. Maintain department risk registers (as applicable), providing evidence and commentary for controls, updates for Mitigation Actions and maintaining control matrices and attestations.

Experience, Knowledge & Skills

• AAT qualified or equivalent, or significant relevant experience
• Experience in purchase or sales ledger, ideally within a shared services function and a high-growth, fast-changing environment
• Strong communication skills – able to work effectively with managers, colleagues, and external suppliers, both verbally and in writing
• Skilled in reconciling complex data, with the ability to analyse, summarise, and clearly present key findings to stakeholders
• Proficient in Microsoft applications and confident using data to drive process improvements
• Able to manage pressure and think clearly and logically in challenging situations
• Preferably, knowledge of the UK financial services or regulated industry, with an awareness of internal and external fraud risks in finance

Behaviours

• Results-driven with strong attention to detail, while adapting communication to suit the audience
• Collaborative and engaging, able to get the best out of a wide range of stakeholders
• Proactive and resilient - driven to deliver change and overcome obstacles quickly
• Agile and adaptable - able to pivot in response to shifting priorities and seize new opportunities