Senior Finance Associate

Key Accountability Accounts Payables:

• Invoice Processing: Review, verify, and process supplier invoices, credit notes, and payment requests in line with the University's financial procedures.
• Payment Processing: Prepare and execute payments including BACS, cheque, and international payments, ensuring payments are made on time to suppliers. Collating backup documentation and setting up Bankline payments while gaining the appropriate authorizations.
• Reconciliation: Reconcile accounts payable transactions and resolve discrepancies with suppliers. Regular review of any unallocated cash receipts and posting to student accounts. Perform daily and monthly bank reconciliations for all bank accounts ensuring that all outstanding items are investigated, that they are completed in a timely manner and the appropriate actions are taken.
• Record Keeping: Maintain accurate records of all accounts payable transactions including updating contact details and payment terms in the accounting system. Set up new supplier accounts in the finance system, ensuring compliance with university procedures. Reconcile supplier statements regularly, investigating and resolving any discrepancies.
• Vendor Management: Communicate with Suppliers regarding billing inquiries, payment statuses, and disputes.
• Expense Reporting: Review and process staff expense claims and corporate credit card statements, ensuring they comply with university policies. Verify receipts and supporting documentation for expenses, ensuring correct coding and authorization.
• Financial Reporting: Assist in preparing financial statements and reports related to accounts payable.

Accounts Receivable:

• Invoice Generation: Create and send invoices to customers based on sales agreements or service contracts. To ensure that all invoices and fees (currently in the form of student payment plans) have been produced in a timely and accurate manner, and that queries have been dealt with efficiently and professionally.
• Payment Collection: Monitor customer accounts manage the collection of overdue student fees, tuition fees, and other receivables. Contact students, sponsors, and external bodies via phone, email, and written correspondence to follow up on overdue accounts.
• Reconciliation: Reconcile the accounts receivable ledger to ensure that all payments are correctly accounted for and posted. And Investigate ,resolve any discrepancies or disputes by liaising with internal departments and debtors. Regularly review aged debt reports and take necessary actions for debt recovery.
• Cash Application: Accurately record payments received and apply them to the correct Student/Firm accounts.
• Customer Relationship Management: Provide an exceptional level of customer service to our students in all areas relating to the finance elements of the students tuition at the University. Serve as the main point of contact for credit control-related enquiries from students, sponsors, and other stakeholders. Provide accurate and timely information regarding account balances, payment options, and deadlines
• Reporting: Prepare and analyze reports on accounts receivable regarding aging, collections, and cash flow. Contribute to cash collection forecasts and budget preparation.
• Credit Management: Evaluate customer creditworthiness and assist in setting credit limits i.e. Installment offers.

Self-Focus

• In addition to the duties and responsibilities listed above, the job holder is required to perform other duties assigned by the Student Finance team leader from time to time.

• To provide a first-class service regarding the management of student and firm fees. Same level of service to students and contacts at firms, and to

colleagues within the finance department and at the various centers.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Sub-process: To ensure students who are considering SLC loan application queries, withdrawing, intermitting or transferring their studies have a clear understanding on what tuition fees they are liable for and have the ability to calculate these for all intakes, and be confident to talk the student through the various options available to them.
• Compliance: Ensure adherence to company policies and accounting standards.
• Audit Support: Prepare documentation and assist during internal and external audits.
• Process improvements: Identify opportunities for process improvements within Accounts Payable, recommending changes to increase efficiency.

KRAs \ KPIs

Customer/ Service Delivery

•Ensure daily assigned tasks by the Student Finance Team Lead are completed and respond to student, client, and staff enquires to all Calls/CRM tickets in specified timescales and to agreed KPIs.

•To ensure that all invoices are raised in a timely and accurate manner, and that queries relating to those invoices are dealt with efficiently and professionally. To post receipts from customers (and deal with associated queries) in a timely manner

Finance

• Reconcile and follow-up with students on the aged Overdue balance.
• Review credit balances on the finance system (currently Agresso) and clear/reconcile these regularly.
• Focus on Cost savings and Process improvements.

Risk & Compliance/ Internal Processes

• To consistently maintain high standards of quality and accuracy in all tasks and deliverables, contributing to organizational excellence and stakeholder satisfaction.

Growth & Value/ Continuous improvement

• Understand & gain process knowledge of Courses, Campuses and tasks and Industry Insights.
• Identify opportunities for service improvements and operational efficiencies to consistently exceed customer expectations.

Self-Focus

• Understand process KPI’s and work towards achieving them.
• Prioritize tasks effectively, manage time efficiently, and maintain focus on key priorities.
• Pursue ongoing learning and development opportunities to enhance skills, knowledge, and capabilities like Future Learning or LinkedIn.

The Key Result Areas (KRAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)should be assessed biannually to ensure that the person carrying out the job is consistent performance aligned with Potential challenges in measuring performance due to complexities in organizational processes that hinder target achievement need to be considered.

Desired Profile

Qualification

• Graduate level or equivalent

Skills

• Ability to meet reporting and processing deadlines.
• Customer care skills.
• Thorough, accurate with close attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work well within a team.
• Energetic self-starter with personal drive and a ‘can do’ attitude.
• Good time management and prioritization skills

Relevant Experience

• 2 to 4 years of work experience or Apprenticeship experience.
• Excel and Word
• Use of Windows-based accounting system
• Use of e-mail
• Customer service
• Maintenance of a computerized sales ledger system including accurate and timely invoicing and collection of debts.
• Preparation of internal reporting information on an accurate and timely basis.
• Nominal ledger entries.