Purchase Ledger Manager

Were First Central Insurance & Technology Group (First Central for short) an innovative marketleading insurance company. We protect the things customers love so they can get on with what matters to them in life.

Data drives us. It fuels our outstanding distribution finance technology and legal services. Our underwriting skills are built on data expertise; it creates the insights we need to give the right cover to the right customers at the right price. But its the people inside and outside our business that power us. They make us stand out help us succeed. Were ambitious. Were growing. Weve won awards.

Are you a finance expert who loves leading a team and making things run smoothly Were looking for a Purchase Ledger Manager to join our Finance Operations team. If youre all about organisation efficiency and delivering a great service this could be your next big move!

Thriving in fastpaced environments youll be great at building relationships across the business and have a real passion for leading teams. Ideally youll be AAT qualified with significant Purchase Ledger experience Purchase Order process knowledge and a knack for driving improvements.

Youll be proactive and confident in stakeholder management and play a key role in championing the purchase order process across the business ensuring they are raised prior to invoice and take the lead in designing clear and engaging training materials including how to videos and guides to help educate the wider business improving theprocess!

Were big on working flexibly youllspend most of your time working from home with 1 day per week in the office atHaywards HeathWest Sussexbecause collaborating with colleagues is always great rightBut of courseitsyour choice if you prefer to be in the office more thats good with us too.

Musthave skills to be successful in this role:

• Strong team management and leadership skills youre a great leader have previous experience in highperforming purchase ledger teams and your known to develop your teams to the next level!
• Significant experience in running a highperforming purchase ledger team within a shared services function your able to demonstrate expertise in managing financial operations efficiently.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and ability to communicate effectively with senior managers colleagues internal and external stakeholders you know collaboration teamwork makes the dream work) how to get your message across how to resolve issues all whilst ensuring adherence to SLAs.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to drive process improvement based upon analysis of data you know your financial processes and have proven experience in enhancing efficiency.

Whats involved:

Leadership:

• Manage the Purchase Ledger team to provide an excellent service and to provide assurance that there are no financial control issues that could impact the business.
• Develop and implement a team structure that is efficient and effective.
• Manage the team to ensure it is high performing and a great place to work.
• Deputise for the Group Financial Operations manager when appropriate.
• Provide support and cover for the other Financial Operations Team Managers.
• Drive efficient issue resolution both within the team and with the wider business.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders across the business areas
• Conducting colleague management duties including: Coaching and feedback to team leads to achieve KPIs and SLAs; All colleague issues including monitoring absence and conducting disciplinaries; Assist the recruitment process where necessary

Purchase Ledger Management:

• Responsible for ensuring external payments are paid timely within terms to suppliers and colleagues
• Proactively identify and manage issues to resolution. Signpost issues to upper management with clear routes to green and manage expectations.
• Drive the Procure to Pay process with the business to ensure adherence and liaise with senior stakeholders where appropriate
• Provision of monthly dashboards and other MI to demonstrate team metrics and adherence to SLAs
• Run the monthly Payment control meetings with senior stakeholders ensuring actions are captured and completed
• Run the monthly PO Review meetings with finance peers for identification of problem areas capture minutes and actions
• Ensure easy access to guides training and information for the wider business for the Purchase Ledger activities.

Operations:

• Responsible for the smooth and timely running of the Purchase Ledger activities.
• Responsible for ensuring all procedures are effectively operated documented and adhered to the financial policy framework.
• Identification and deployment of corrective activity if operational performance drops and manage issue resolution.
• Ensure all daily weekly and monthly procedures are performed within the agreed SLAs.
• Ensure queries from across the business is resolved in a timely manner including the timely and accurate processing of the Finance Operations inbox.
• Ensure up to date Process Notes and Process Maps for the Purchase Ledger area.
• Management and administrator of the groups corporate credit card programme

Change Management:

• Identify and implement changes to improve process and accommodate business and commercial changes across the Group.
• Lead and drive the identification and implementation of automation and other process improvements to increase the efficiency of the team.

Financial Control:

• Provide the Purchase Ledger updates for the Monthly Control Dashboard for Finance Operations
• Responsibility for maintaining department risk registers (as applicable) providing evidence and commentary for controls updates for Mitigation Actions and maintaining control matrices and attestations. Also to ensure that your employees are aware of their responsibility to identify and report risk.
• Comply with the requirements and act in accordance with the Group Code of Conduct and Fitness and Propriety policies at all times.
• Ensure compliance with Company Policies Values and guidelines and other relevant standards/ regulations at all times including compliance with the Senior Managers Certification Regime (SMCR) Conduct Rules
• Adhere to the groups financial control framework. Ensuring timely and accurate financial record keeping is maintained at all times.
• Maintain first line controls within the team through accurate processing and maintaining audit trails to ensure proportionate safeguarding the risk of fraud error or omission.

Experience knowledge and skills

• AAT qualified (or equivalent) or significant relevant experience; partqualified accountant desirable.
• Proven experience leading a highperforming Purchase Ledger team within a shared services function.
• Strong leadership and team management skills including colleague development motivation and issue resolution.
• Experience working in fastpaced highgrowth and changedriven environments.
• Skilled in managing multiple operational stakeholders ensuring adherence to SLAs and resolving issues efficiently.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to engage effectively at all levels including senior management.
• Proficient in Microsoft applications particularly advanced Excel.
• Strong analytical numerical and organisational skills with a keen eye for process improvement.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure maintaining a logical and solutionfocused approach in challenging situations.

Behaviours

• Results driven with a constant eye on the detail but understand the audience.
• Empathetic approach to leadership with an ability to get the best out of a wide range of stakeholders.
• A driven attitude to deliver controlled change and rapidly overcome obstacles.
• An agile approach to project management and able to rapidly react to changes in business priorities to take advantage of emerging business and customer opportunities.

So if you want to be at the heart of our Purchase Ledger operations managing a fantastic team and ensuring everything runs like clockwork get in touch and hit the apply button now!

What can we do for you

People first. Always. Were passionate about our colleagues and know the best people deserve an extraordinary working environment. We owe it to them so thats what we offer. Our workplaces are energetic inspirational supportive. To get a taste of the advantages youll enjoy take a look at all our perks in full here.

Intrigued Our Talent team can tell you everything you need to know about what we want and what were offering so feel free to get in touch.