Purchase Ledger Controller

Job title: Purchase Ledger Controller

Location: Edmonton, London N18 3BH

Salary: Circa £35K depending on experience

Duration: Permanent, full-time

Working Hours; Monday to Friday, 8.00am – 5.00pm

Report to: Finance Manager

About the Role

Our client is looking for an organised, accurate and proactive Purchase Ledger Controller to join their Finance team. This is a varied, hands-on role with primary responsibility for day-to-day management and control of the purchase ledger, including supplier accounts, invoice processing, payment runs, reconciliations, and purchase ledger analysis.

Key Responsibilities

Purchase Ledger & Supplier Management

• Monitor and manage the Finance inbox, dealing with supplier invoices, payment requests, statements and account queries.
• Receive, process, code and accurately enter supplier invoices into Sage.
• Allocate expenditure to the correct nominal codes, departments and cost centres.
• Manage invoice approval workflows and proactively follow up outstanding approvals to prevent payment delays.
• Verify invoices relating to haulage, tipping, aggregates and other services against agreed rates, operational records and supporting documentation.
• Maintain accurate supplier accounts and investigate and resolve discrepancies, credits, duplicate invoices and unusual balances.
• Reconcile supplier statements to the purchase ledger and investigate and resolve differences promptly.
• Monitor aged creditors and ensure suppliers are paid in accordance with agreed payment terms.
• Process supplier onboarding documentation and ensure new supplier accounts are set up accurately and in accordance with company procedures.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date purchase ledger records at all times.
• Work closely with the Finance Manager and Finance Director to provide accurate purchase ledger information and analysis as required.
• Prepare purchase ledger reports and analysis accurately, on time and within tight reporting deadlines.
• Identify and investigate unusual balances, significant movements, outstanding invoices and other purchase ledger issues, providing explanations where required.

Payments & Financial Controls

• Prepare weekly and ad hoc supplier payment runs, ensuring invoices have been appropriately authorised before payment.
• Verify supplier details and complete appropriate due diligence, including independent verification of new or amended bank details, to minimise the risk of payment fraud.
• Process and allocate Direct Debits, recurring payments and other bank transactions.
• Maintain appropriate supporting documentation and a clear audit trail for invoices and payments.
• Ensure company financial controls and approval procedures are followed at all times.
• Escalate unusual transactions, discrepancies or potential control issues to the Finance Manager where appropriate.

Bank, Credit Card & Account Reconciliations

• Complete regular bank reconciliations, ensuring transactions are accurately recorded and allocated.
• Reconcile monthly company credit card statements, ensuring expenditure is correctly coded and supported by appropriate receipts or documentation.
• Investigate and resolve unreconciled transactions and discrepancies in a timely manner.
• Assist with purchase ledger and other balance sheet reconciliations as part of the month-end process.

Customer Invoicing & Recharges

• Review supplier invoices to identify costs that need to be recharged to customers.
• Check the rates to be charged to customers and ensure the appropriate margin is being achieved.
• Investigate any differences between supplier costs, customer charge rates and expected margins.
• Raise customer recharge invoices where required, ensuring they are accurate and supported by the appropriate supplier invoices and other relevant documentation.
• Ensure customer recharges are raised promptly so that rechargeable costs are not missed or delayed.

Month-End, Reporting & Finance Administration

• Assist with month-end procedures and reconciliations to ensure accurate and timely financial reporting.
• Ensure purchase ledger information is complete, accurate and ready within agreed month-end deadlines.
• Provide accurate purchase ledger analysis and supporting information to the Finance Manager and Finance Director within required reporting timescales.
• Investigate purchase ledger variances and provide clear explanations and supporting information when requested.
• Provide supporting information and documentation for Finance management, auditors and other stakeholders when required.
• Support card payment processing and other ad hoc finance requests.
• Respond promptly and professionally to queries received by telephone, email and other communication channels.
• Maintain accurate, complete and well-organised financial records.
• Provide general support to the wider Finance team and undertake other reasonable finance and administrative duties as required.

Key Attributes

We are looking for someone who is:

• Accurate and detail focused.
• Organised, dependable and able to manage their own workload.
• Proactive and willing to take ownership of issues through to resolution.
• Commercially aware, with an understanding of costs, customer recharge rates and margins.
• Confident analysing financial information and questioning discrepancies.
• Comfortable working closely with the Finance Manager and Finance Director.
• Able to produce accurate information while working to tight deadlines.
• Confident when dealing with suppliers, customers and colleagues.
• Comfortable working in a busy and fast-paced environment.
• Trustworthy and able to handle confidential financial information appropriately.
• A strong team player with a practical and flexible approach.