Accounts Payable Assistant (Fixed Term Contract - 12 months)

bpha; Bedford; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

bpha in Bedford is seeking an Accounts Payable Assistant to join our Finance team. This hybrid role focuses on accurate purchase ledger processing, supplier record maintenance and timely payments.

Reporting to the Accounts Payable Manager, you will support month-end activities and ensure strong financial controls. The ideal candidate will have experience in accounts payable, strong Excel skills, and a proactive, customer-focused approach in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Experience working within an Accounts Payable function.
• Experience using financial accounting systems.
• Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills.
• Excellent numeracy and attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines.
• A proactive, flexible and self-motivated approach.
• Experience working in a customer-focused, fast-paced environment.
• Ability to handle confidential information responsibly.

Responsibilities

• Process purchase ledger transactions accurately and in line with agreed procedures and payment terms.
• Maintain accurate supplier records, ensuring bank details are verified before being set up on the finance system.
• Process regular payment runs in line with the payment schedule, including urgent and international payments when required.
• Complete bank account and nominal ledger reconciliations within agreed timescales.
• Resolve internal and external transactional queries promptly and professionally.
• Review and process utility bills for void properties and communal supplies, maintaining accurate logs and investigating queries as needed.
• Support month-end processes by preparing control account reconciliations and monthly reports.
• Monitor compliance with processes and controls, escalating issues where appropriate.
• Work flexibly across the Accounts Payable function to ensure cover, share best practice and support process improvements.

Skills

Accounts Payable

Attention to detail

Numeracy

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Deadline driven

Proactive

Confidentiality

Tools

Excel

Financial systems

Job description

Accounts Payable Assistant

Reporting to: Accounts Payable Manager

Location: Bedford (Hybrid)

Salary: £28,026

Contract: Fixed Term Contract (12 months)

Hours: 37 hours per week

About The Role

We are looking for a detail‑focused and proactive Accounts Payable Assistant to join our Finance team. This is a key operational role, responsible for the accurate and timely processing of purchase ledger transactions across the organisation and its subsidiaries.

You will play an important part in ensuring suppliers are paid correctly and on time, maintaining strong financial controls, and providing a responsive, customer‑focused service to internal and external stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Process purchase ledger transactions accurately and in line with agreed procedures and payment terms
• Maintain accurate supplier records, ensuring bank details are verified before being set up on the finance system
• Process regular payment runs in line with the payment schedule, including urgent and international payments when required
• Complete bank account and nominal ledger reconciliations within agreed timescales
• Resolve internal and external transactional queries promptly and professionally
• Review and process utility bills for void properties and communal supplies, maintaining accurate logs and investigating queries as needed
• Support month‑end processes by preparing control account reconciliations and monthly reports
• Monitor compliance with processes and controls, escalating issues where appropriate
• Work flexibly across the Accounts Payable function to ensure cover, share best practice and support process improvements

About You

You’ll be an organised and conscientious finance professional with a strong eye for detail and a customer‑focused approach. You’ll be comfortable managing a varied workload, working to deadlines and communicating effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.

Essential Requirements

• Experience working within an Accounts Payable function
• Experience using financial accounting systems
• Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills
• Excellent numeracy and attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines
• A proactive, flexible and self‑motivated approach
• Experience working in a customer‑focused, fast‑paced environment
• Ability to handle confidential information responsibly

Our values

At bpha, our values are at the heart of everything we do:

We take responsibility: We do what we say and are accountable for our actions.

We show empathy: We respect and listen to every colleague and customer.

We are better together: We value diversity and achieve more as one team.

We are ambitious: We strive for excellence and make a positive difference.

Why join us?

You’ll be joining a supportive and professional finance team where accuracy, integrity and teamwork are valued. This role offers the opportunity to develop your skills within a well‑structured Accounts Payable function and contribute to the smooth running of essential financial processes.

About Bpha

bpha is a leading Housing Association in the Oxford to Cambridge arc, providing high-quality, affordable homes and services. We own or manage over 19,500 properties and reinvest all income into improving homes, building new ones, and supporting communities. Our vision is to build places where people can live happily in homes they can afford, guided by value that shape everything we do.

Benefits

We believe that benefits should be more than just perks. For us, they aren’t simply little extras added on at the end, they’re fundamental parts of what we stand for, from the very beginning. As standard.

That’s why at bpha, we reward our employees by making sure we give them a supportive and caring environment, that empowers them to be happy, healthy and inspired, every day.

Our full benefits offering can be found here: https://www.bpha.org.uk/about-us/bpha-colleague-benefits/139/