We’re seeking for a highly organised and proactive Accounts Payable Manager to join our Finance Department at the Royal United Hospital in the beautiful City of Bath.
This role will be responsible for the day to day management of the Accounts Payable Team and will ensure payments on behalf of the Trust are made in accordance with Standing Financial Instructions and the Better Payment Practice Code.
This role will also be responsible for ensuring accounts payable reporting is prepared and delivered in accordance with both internal requirements and statutory deadlines and to also develop systems and processes over time to maintain and improve efficiency and effectiveness.
The role is full time and hybrid working is available.
The main duties of the role is:
to manage the Accounts Payable Team, ensuring the smooth day to day running of the department and ensuring all team members are appropriately trained and developed in accordance with Trust needs and individual requirements.
manage annual leave, flexi time and sickness and ensure correctly reported
carry out annual appraisals for the team
deal with performance issues as needed
ensure reporting is prepared and delivered in accordance with both internal requirements and statutory deadlines
develop systems and processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness
understand the VAT rules for the NHS and ensure they are applied correctly by the team
contribute to the production of the Trusts annual accounts and report for the accounts payable function
liaise with internal and external auditors along with the Counter Fraud Team and provide information as required
ensure the department adheres to internal policies and procedures as well as statutory polices.
ensure the Trust meets the requirements of the Better Payment Practice code
monitor aged payables and escalate any problems
produce and monitor KPI's for the section
support the team in dealing with financial queries from internal and external stakeholders
implement policies and procedures in relation to the accounts payable function
We are proud to be part of BSW Hospitals Group - a formal partnership between the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. With a combined workforce of over 17, 600 colleagues, and budget of 1.6 billion the Group is united by a common purpose to deliver the best possible care to over 1 million people.
We are creating a health and care system that works with the people we care for, reducing the differences people currently face in access, experience and outcomes, improving the experience of our colleagues and tackling shared challenges like sustainability and finances. Every improvement we make across our Group will be guided by what creates the greatest benefit for our colleagues, our patients, our communities and our partners.
By working together, we make a real difference for our patients, each other, and our community. Every role matters in delivering the exceptional, person‑centred care we’re proud of.
We’re committed to a compassionate, inclusive culture where kindness is championed, differences are valued, and diversity makes us stronger.
We want to support you to thrive, taking your career to its full potential. We prioritise staff wellbeing – and yes, we even have a pool!
Discover what it’s like to live and work in Bath , explore our RUH staff benefits , and learn how we’re building healthcare for the future through the Dyson Cancer Centre and our commitment to research .
Main responsibilities of the role:
to manage the Accounts Payable Team, ensuring the smooth day to day running of the department and ensuring all team members are appropriately trained and developed in accordance with Trust needs and individual requirements.
to oversee the work of the Team Leaders, supporting them in ensuring work is allocated appropriately and all processes are completed in line with deadlines and performance targets.
ensures procedures are in place to ensure invoices are logged and payment is made in a timely manner to help the Trust meet the Better Payment Practice Code target. Identify areas of weakness and poor practice and work with Team Leaders to improve performance
monitor data weekly for aged payables, analysing the current position and reporting to the Charities, AR, AP and VAT Accountant any significant changes that may cause concern or may require escalation.
regularly review the level of aged payables to assist Senior Management in managing and maintaining the Trusts cash balances and take any action as needed.
produce and monitor KPI's for the team and complete reports, as needed, on the performance of the Accounts Payable service for both internal and external stakeholders ensuring local and national deadlines are met
support the team in dealing with financial queries from RUH staff, suppliers or Procurement, stepping in to resolve contentious or sensitive queries if needed internal and external stakeholders
produce data for the payables figures submitted for the national agreement of balances exercise at Month 9 and Month 12, supporting in any negotiations as required to resolve disputes and mismatches reported by Department of Heath
implement policies and procedures in relation to the Accounts Payable Team to ensure compliance for statutory reporting and consistent service delivery and propose changes to practices when necessary to aid compliance and improvement
ensure the departments annual leave, flexi leave and sickness episodes are authorised and recorded appropriately, locally and centrally, and ensure that suitable staffing is always available to cover the required workload.
carry out Teams yearly appraisal and ensure the team complete their mandatory training on time
take responsibility for recruitment for the Team as and when needed
deal with team members performance as and when needed and follow appropriate Trust processes to resolve, escalating issues to senior management if needed
work as part of the wider Finance Team to deliver training opportunities for staff in the Team as well as across the wider department and organisation, sharing the understanding of the role that Accounts Payable Team has within Finance
ensure the Team understand the rules around VAT and the NHS. Work with the Financial Accounts Team to ensure the correct coding of VAT is being applied by the processing team to maximise VAT reclaim and support the Team Leaders in enabling the necessary changes within the team in improving coding
to understand and ensure the Accounts Payable Team adheres to the Trusts Standing Financial Instructions and Standing Orders
have an understanding of the accounting structure and support the team in ensuring invoices are coded accurately
ensure any Balance Sheet reconciliations relating to the Accounts Payable function are completed within agreed timescales
understand the full procurement function from requisitioning through to invoice payment. Work with Procurement Team to ensure the No Purchase Order, No Pay policy is implemented and adhered to in Accounts Payable
Work alongside the rest of the Finance Department in the production of the annual accounts and to take part in planning and contributing information relating to the accounts payable function for the accounts and annual report
liaise with internal and external auditors, providing relevant information as required relating to Accounts Payable and implementing agreed recommendations as necessary. Supporting in any other audits as required
Work with Counter Fraud to ensure the Accounts Payable function is compliant and to support in the National Counter Fraud initiative
to provide accounts payable information for Freedom of Information requests
ensure high standards of performance and behaviour are maintained throughout the Accounts Payable Team, promoting a culture of openness, transparency, responsiveness, efficiency and customer-focused service.
