Accounts Payable Supervisor - Ferndown, Dorset

We are recruiting a full-time Accounts Payable Supervisor in our Ferndown Group Office. Haskins is a family-owned, award-winning business with 5 destination garden centres across the South of England, each with a large restaurant. We constantly strive to improve the service and experience we offer our customers, that’s why the recruitment of our people is so important to us. If you are passionate about delivering excellent customer service, have a sense of humour and an eagerness to learn, we want you to join our friendly, happy team.

The role of Accounts Payable Supervisor is to support the Financial Controller by taking responsibility for all day-to-day Purchase Ledger functions ensuring the section runs both efficiently and effectively. To provide excellent customer service, develop the Purchase Ledger team and meet department targets.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Assist in the recruitment, training and development of all Purchase Ledger staff and ensure that they are equipped with a complete understanding and the motivation to achieve agreed department objectives.
• Conduct team appraisals and take full line management responsibility for the PL Team.
• Take responsibility for some of the day-to-day processing and take a hands-on approach.
• Process the Group Office and central overhead invoices, credit notes and statements.
• Responsible for the collation and checking of mid-month and monthly Bacs purchase ledger files.
• Submitting for payment authorisation ensuring all suppliers are paid on a timely basis.
• Ensure that supplier statements are reconciled correctly by the team and accurate payments are made to suppliers.
• Processing petty cash requests and company credit card expenses within set timeframes.
• To ensure the Company is compliant with VAT regulations in relation to Purchase Ledger processing.
• Ensure effective support for all internal departments of the business as well as providing a high-quality service to all our suppliers.
• Manage the Company’s credit note requests, ensuring the team maximise receipt of any credit notes due.
• Completing new supplier credit applications and communicating with the Buying Team.
• Managing the set up of new suppliers and modifications to the finance system.
• Understanding risks and guarding against fraudulent activity within the purchase ledger domain.
• Responsible for processing and managing the finance department’s interaction with the Buying Dept. as regards foreign currency payments.
• Ensure the GRNI accounts are investigated thoroughly and accurate balances are kept and they are fully reconcilable.
• Driving efficient processes and seeking opportunities for improvements.
• Take the lead in Purchase Ledger housekeeping, files, authorisation and direct debit lists etc.
• Contribute to Company projects when required.

About You

This role is well suited to a self-motivated, enthusiastic, and hardworking individual with experience managing a purchase ledger team including recruitment, training, appraisals, and disciplinaries. You will be experienced in handling high volumes of invoice transactions within a mid-to-large sized business. You will have strong time management skills, display a confident ability and initiative to solve problems via a logical and analytical approach, have good time management skills, and be able to plan and prioritise workloads for yourself and the team. You must also display strong computer literacy skills within Microsoft (Excel / Office), have excellent communication skills, be capable of demonstrating VAT knowledge, and have a broad understanding of how Finance departments function within a business.

Desirable Skills

• Have obtained or studying towards a recognized professional finance/accountancy qualification.
• Experience of Open Accounts finance software.
• Prior Retail Experience.
• High level of inter-personal skills.
• Effective communicator at all levels.
• Self-motivated.
• Assertive.
• Flexible ‘work ethic’.

In return we provide:

• Generous Haskins Discount, also eligible to use in Hobbycraft stores.
• Retail discount scheme, saving money on day-to-day spending, days out, and gifts.
• Cycle Scheme, helping spread the cost of a bike and saving on tax.
• Health Cash Plan, for a small monthly contribution access a 24-hour online GP service recover costs for dental and optical appointments and more.
• Time off to support local charities, with an annual paid Charity Day.
• Wellbeing support with internal Mental Health First Aiders and external Assistance Program providing free counselling and advice for you and your family.
• Company pension scheme for eligible employees.
• 28 days of annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 12 months service (pro-rata).