Accounts Assistant

HYBRID / HOLBON, LONDON (2 days/week in the office) – SALARY: £33,000

Times Higher Education is the data provider underpinning university excellence in every continent across the world. As the company behind the world’s most influential university ranking, and with almost five decades of experience as a source of analysis and insight on higher education, we have unparalleled expertise on the trends underpinning university performance globally. Our data and benchmarking tools are used by many of the world’s most prestigious universities to help them achieve their strategic goals and our events series act as the home of higher education thought leadership around the world.

Scope and Objectives

Reporting to the Billing & Accounts Manager, the Accounts Assistant will work with them to deliver a professional and successful service within, and on behalf of, the Finance department. The role will provide an efficient service with targets and processes in all areas.

Key Responsibilities

• B2C Membership Subscription Business
  • Export the Credit card receipts data from the payment gateway and generate journals to post this against the bank accounts and debtor accounts in Netsuite.
  • Export the Direct Debit receipts data from the payment gateway and generate journals to post this against the bank accounts and debtor accounts in Netsuite.
  • Export sales reports from Recurly and process the billing and revenue recognition journals monthly for sales and revenue.
  • Work with the Customer Service team to allocate Direct Debit or direct bank payments received on a daily basis into Recurly, our membership subscription system.
  • Work with the Customer Service team to ensure that any cancelled, recalled, or failed payments are followed up and recorded in the finance and customer service systems.
  • Reconcile relevant balance sheet accounts on a monthly basis.
  • Work with the Customer Service team to find a better way of working with agency collections.
• Events Delegate Business
  • Work with the Events team to set up finance processes for the delegate bookings in Bizzabo, the event platform.
  • Work with the Finance Manager and Events team to ensure that the correct VAT rates are allocated to each event before ticket sales go live.
  • Work with the Events team to allocate ad‑hoc payments received on a daily basis.
  • Process cash sale/refund transactions in the finance system (Netsuite) for the B2C event delegate sales.
• US Online Sales Processing
  • Process cash sale/refund transactions in the finance system (Netsuite) for the US online transactional sales.
  • Allocate credit card payments received via the Pay By Link option on Customer Invoices.
  • Manually generate payment links for any ad‑hoc requests.
  • Work with the Finance Manager on projects to implement other business processes that use card payments.
  • Document processes and key controls and maintain as required, making recommendations for improvement where necessary.
  • Ensure strong financial controls are in place, making improvements where necessary.
  • Backfill for other members of the finance team when required.
  • Assist with system testing where appropriate.
  • Work closely with all members of the Finance team to ensure that processes and procedures are being followed.
  • Assist the Billing & Accounts Manager and/or other members of the Finance team, with any ad‑hoc tasks as and when required.
• Billing
  • Undertake the billing process for all the business entities ensuring that all information on invoices is correct and that we hold required information relating to VAT/GST dependant on the service/country/product we are billing.
  • Process credit notes and recharges where required, ensuring the correct approval processes are followed.
  • Work with the order entry team and finance team to ensure that billing is correct and that we are satisfying all of the customer’s requirements.
  • Complete weekly billing reports to be shared with the Finance Manager and CFO.
  • Ensure timely customer and internal query resolution.
  • Ensure that VAT/GST/Sales Tax rates are correct on all billing dependant on service provided, country, product and customer status.
  • Maintain charity status and VAT/GST documentation.
  • Build and develop external and internal relationships.
  • Maintain and highlight system issues or reporting needs.
  • Work with the wider Finance team and the business to ensure billing processes for any new products or acquisitions are in line with business requirements.
  • Work with the International Credit Control Manager to ensure customers are satisfied with the service they are receiving and that payment terms are correct and that On‑Stop customers do not receive any further billing.
  • Document billing processes and key controls and maintain as required, making recommendations for improvement where necessary.
  • Ensure strong financial controls are in place surrounding billing, making improvements where necessary.
  • Ensure that key billing financial controls are working effectively.
  • Ensure that the billing functionality of the accounting system is being fully utilised in an efficient manner.
  • Backfill for other members of the finance team when required.
  • Assist with system testing where appropriate.

Essential Skills / Qualifications / Attributes

• Degree qualified or equivalent experience.
• Systems knowledge including Microsoft applications and ideally NetSuite or similar cloud‑based enterprise solutions.
• Ability to manage high volume without compromising quality.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills with impeccable attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
• Excellent administration skills.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills.
• Strong intellect, ability to work with verbal & numeric issues.
• Calm, self‑motivated and customer‑orientated.
• Proactive, conscientious and has a can‑do attitude.
• Able to work on own initiative and with a team in a fast‑paced environment.
• Desire to provide an excellent service to the business.
• Has a common sense approach and is realistic and practical in their advice and ways of working.
• Takes care and pride in their work.

Experience

• Previous billing experience in an international environment.
• Previous UK VAT experience.
• Previous B2C processing experience.
• Experience of processing transactions through card payment providers, ideally Adyen.
• Strong communications skills.
• Intermediate Microsoft skills.

With colleagues located around the world, we know that our individuality and diversity of experiences are our greatest strengths. That’s why we want THE to be a place where you are welcome to be who you want to be at work; where you can share whatever part of your life or self‑identity you want, without obligation or facing discrimination; and where all abilities and perspectives are recognised and accommodated.