Senior Accounts Payable Clerk in Southend-on-Sea

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the only acute hospital provider in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a system of health and care partners working together for our local population.

Within Mid and South Essex there are 149 GP practices, operating from over 200 sites, forming 27 Primary Care Networks and one Ambulance Trust. There are also three main community and mental health service providers who work together through a community collaborative.

We collaborate with other valuable partners, including three Healthwatch organisations, nine voluntary and community sector organisations and three top tier local authorities, with seven district, borough and city councils, as well as our local universities.

Job overview

Here is an exciting opportunity for you to join us as an Senior Accounts Payable Clerk. The role is part of the Accounts Payable Team and involves carrying out various tasks relating to the maintenance of the Accounts Payable ledger, ensuring adherence to approved policies and procedures.

The role has the responsibility for the day to day management of the team, processing invoices, matching orders to invoices and resolving queries relating to invoices.

You will involve dealing with suppliers and service line managers and other internal members of staff, therefore well-developed interpersonal and communication skills are essential.

The role requires an approachable personality, good attention to detail, good computer skills and must be able to work without the need for direct supervision, being able to prioritise and allocate work to team members to meet weekly and monthly deadlines.

Main duties of the job

This role requires a knowledgeable Accounts Payable professional with experience of accounting procedures, including reconciliations, balances, VAT payments and deductions, and accounts payable systems/ledgers. The successful candidate will possess AAT Technician Level/NVQ Level 4 qualifications or equivalent experience, together with a strong understanding of financial legislation relevant to the role.

Key duties include matching invoices to purchase orders where automatic matching has failed, scanning and registering invoices, and processing invoices, credit notes and payment requests in line with approved policies and procedures. You will review invoices to ensure accurate coding, authorisation, VAT treatment and arithmetic accuracy prior to payment.

The post holder will investigate supplier statements, credit notes, discounts and payment discrepancies, taking appropriate action to resolve issues. Responsibilities also include responding to queries from managers, budget holders and suppliers, ensuring timely invoice approvals and payments, and handling sensitive matters relating to non-payment, incorrect payments and overdue invoices.

The role involves regular liaison with managers and budget holders to ensure correct authorisation and coding of both purchase order and non-purchase order invoices. In addition, the successful candidate will provide day-to-day supervision and support to Accounts Payable Clerks, maintain high standards of accuracy and efficiency, and undertake additional duties as required by the Financial Services Manager to support the effective operation of the team.

Working for our organisation

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For more details on this varied and rewarding role, please see the attached job description and person specification.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to A level standard or equivalent with a minimum grade C/4 in both Mathematics and English GCSE

Desirable criteria

• AAT Foundation Certificate level 2 or NVQ level 3, or actively studying AAT level 2

Knowledge and experience

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of financial system and processes

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of the NHS financial systems processes necessary for delivering excellence in healthcare

Communication

Essential criteria

• Good communication skills using a range of methods e.g. written and verbal.

Desirable criteria

• Ability to use Excel and Financial accounting packages

Please be aware as per the new Immigration guidelines we cannot sponsor candidates with a salary (full time or pro Rata) under the current minimum threshold.

Please note, the selection processes at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain vigilant against candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn't accurately reflect their skills, and you will be required to declare on your application if AI has been used before submitting your application.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

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

Documents to download

• Accounts Payable JD ( PDF , 560.5 KB )
• Privacy Policy ( PDF , 441.0 KB )
• AFC Pay Poster 26/27 ( PDF , 44.7 KB )
• Behaviours Framework ( JPG , 298.0 KB )
• Applicant MS Teams Checklist ( PDF , 560.5 KB )
• Trust 10 Year Strategy ( PDF , 2.1 MB )
• General Statements AFC - V5.2 ( PDF , 592.5 KB )