Accounts Payable Vendor Management Assistant

The University of Sheffield; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave (38 days pro rata)

Hybrid working opportunities

Generous pension scheme

Staff discounts

Development opportunities

Job summary

The University of Sheffield is seeking a Vendor Management Assistant to join the Department of Finance and support the Accounts Payable team. You will help manage vendor onboarding, maintain vendor details across systems and assist with supplier queries, ensuring accurate records and timely processing.

Reporting to the Accounts Payable Team Leader, you will work in a busy, hybrid environment with colleagues across departments, supporting financial regulation adherence and efficient payments.

Qualifications

• 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) including English and Maths.
• Experience with Microsoft Office packages (Word, Excel).
• Experience in a hybrid team environment with effective relationships.
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal) and customer service.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills to meet deadlines.
• Ability to prioritise and manage conflicting demands with accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Manage, monitor and respond to standard and non-standard vendor queries.
• Set up new vendors and maintain vendor account details; ensure policy compliance.
• Keep vendor records up to date and audit-ready.
• Support the payments team by amending vendor records for banking mandates.
• Update the Accounts Payable website to keep information current.
• Assist with Financial Regulation adherence and alternative payment methods.

Skills

Microsoft Office

Hybrid work environment

Customer service

Organisational skills

Time management

Education

GCSEs including English and Maths

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Google Drive

Google Mail

Google Sheets

Job description

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

We are a world top-100 university renowned for excellence, impact and distinctiveness of our research-led learning and teaching. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) confirmed our place as a world-leading university demonstrating that our research is having a significant positive impact on lives across the globe.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Vendor Management Assistant to join the Department of Finance and utilise and develop their skills and knowledge within a busy and forward focused Accounts Payable team.

The Accounts Payable team deals with the administration of the supplier records and the processing, payment and reconciliation of supplier invoices, amounting to approximately 100,000 invoices annually. The Accounts Payable team works together to ensure excellent customer service is provided to all our stakeholders.

Reporting to the Accounts Payable Team Leader, the post holder will be responsible for the accurate entry of new vendors and amendments of vendor details in multiple systems, alongside providing clerical support to the Accounts Payable team in order to facilitate them in implementing and delivering an innovative and professional Accounts Payable service.

The post holder will be required to use initiative to understand and resolve routine and non-standard vendor queries, referring complex issues to senior staff members where necessary. A keen attention to detail, willingness to engage with fellow colleagues both internal and external to the department, and an ability to assist University staff with matters relating to Financial Regulation adherence will be required in order to perform the functions of this role. This post ensures compliance with the Vendor and Contract Management Policy by managing vendor onboarding records and verifying that all vendor requests are appropriately tiered.

The post holder will be required to demonstrate a keen sense of administrative acumen and evidence experience of working in a professional business environment.

The Accounts Payable department operates on a service basis, which recognises that different approaches and levels of support are required for different areas of the University. Therefore, you will be required to work in partnership with all teams within the Department of Finance but with particular emphasis on Procurement to provide the support required.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Managing, monitoring and responding to standard and non-standard requests for information and support for all vendor queries.
• To facilitate the setting up of new vendors and managing existing vendor account details. To ensure compliance with the Vendor and Contract Management Policy, verifying all new requests are appropriately tiered.
• To ensure all vendor records are up to date, available and accessible for all exercises and to ensure information is ready for audit either internally or externally.
• To support the payments team with amending vendor records according to banking mandates and file formats, to enable the smooth payment process through our banking partners.
• To update the Accounts Payable Team’s website as and when required to ensure all information is relevant and valid.
• Assist staff with matters relating to Financial Regulation adherence, and sign posting to viable alternative payment methods.
• To support the Accounts Payable team with one time vendor requests.
• To take minutes and details of actions, roles, responsibilities and timelines at meetings when requested to do so by team member
• To prioritise and plan own workload based on departmental demands.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Person Specification

You should provide evidence in your application that you meet the following criteria. We will use a range of selection methods to measure your abilities in these areas including reviewing your online application, seeking references, inviting shortlisted candidates to interview and other forms of assessment action relevant to the post

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Criteria

Essential Or Desirable

Stage(s) assessed at

5 GCSE (or equivalent) at grade C or above (must include English and Maths)

• Experience of working with Microsoft Office Packages such as Word, Excel and Google applications such as Drive, Mail, Sheets
• Experience of working in a hybrid team environment and maintaining effective working relationships
• Ability to demonstrate effective communication skills both written and verbal, combined with excellent customer service skills
• Ability to demonstrate excellent organisational and time management skills including the ability to assess and organise resources, and plan and progress work activities
• Ability to demonstrate effective work prioritisation paying particular regard to deadlines
• Ability to manage conflicting demands and meet strict deadlines while maintaining a high degree of accuracy
• Ability to promote the department and team with paying particular regards to updating webpages and information relating to Accounts Payable

Further Information

Grade 4

£25,249 - £26,707 per annum pro-rata with the potential to progress to £28,778 per annum through sustained exceptional contribution.

Full-time

Open ended

Team Leader - Accounts Payable

None

University of Sheffield Accounts Payable

Next steps in the recruitment process

Successful candidates will be informed of interview details directly.

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What We Offer

• A minimum of 38 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes;
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • support for those going through the menopause
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Criminal record

Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment at the University of Sheffield. We recognise the value of steady employment in the rehabilitation process and examine each case in its own right. More information can be found on our Information for candidates page:- sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/candidates (opens in new window).

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision (www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.