Purchase Ledger Assistant

Macildowie Recruitment and Retention; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 22,000; Full time

Job summary

Macildowie Recruitment and Retention is seeking an experienced Purchase Ledger professional to support a busy, high-volume finance team on a temporary basis. You will help stabilise aged creditors and resolve supplier queries, contributing to cash flow and supplier relationships.

The role supports a Team Leader and four Purchase Ledger Clerks with a focus on accuracy, speed, and controls across multiple systems including Zahara and Sage Intacct.

Qualifications

• Recent experience in purchase ledger / accounts payable within a busy, high-volume environment.
• Proven track record with aged creditors and reducing overdue balances.
• Able to handle complex supplier queries confidently and independently.
• Comfortable working with large values (£1m aged creditors, £400k+ queries).
• Strong accuracy and attention to detail; able to work at pace.

Responsibilities

• Process high volumes of purchase invoices accurately with correct coding and approvals.
• Investigate and resolve complex supplier queries, including price, quantity and PO discrepancies.
• Prioritise aged creditors balances, focusing on 60+ day items and high-value accounts.
• Reconcile supplier statements, identify variances and take corrective action.
• Liaise with suppliers and internal stakeholders to obtain information and approvals.
• Monitor and update query logs, escalating issues to the Team Leader as needed.
• Support month-end routines including accruals and cut-off checks.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of purchase ledger processes and controls.

Skills

Accounts payable experience

High-volume environment

Attention to detail

Excel

Education

AAT Level 2/3

GCSE Maths and English

AAT Level 4 (beneficial)

Tools

Sage Intacct

Zahara

Job description

Step into a busy, high-volume finance environment where your experience with complex purchase ledger work will make an immediate impact. This is a temporary opportunity to support a growing team through a challenging period of aged creditors and queries, with plenty of scope to demonstrate your confidence, resilience, and technical strength.

About the Role

You will support the Purchase Ledger Team Leader and a team of four Purchase Ledger Clerks in stabilising and clearing a substantial aged creditors position and a high level of outstanding queries. The role focuses on bringing structure, control, and momentum to the ledger, ensuring suppliers are managed effectively and issues are resolved quickly. Your work will directly improve cash flow visibility, supplier relationships, and the overall performance of the purchase ledger function.

Key Responsibilities

• Process high volumes of purchase invoices accurately and in a timely manner, ensuring correct coding and approvals.
• Investigate, resolve, and clear complex supplier queries, including price, quantity, and PO discrepancies.
• Prioritise and manage aged creditors balances, focusing on 60+ day items and high-value accounts.
• Reconcile supplier statements, identify variances, and take corrective action to align ledger balances.
• Liaise confidently with suppliers and internal stakeholders (including operations and procurement) to obtain information and approvals.
• Monitor and update query logs, tracking progress and escalating issues where necessary to the Team Leader.
• Support month-end routines related to accounts payable, including accruals and cut-off checks.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of purchase ledger processes and controls, suggesting practical changes where needed.

Key Requirements

• Strong, recent experience in a purchase ledger / accounts payable role within a busy, high-volume environment.
• Proven track record of working with aged creditors and successfully reducing overdue balances.
• Demonstrated ability to handle complex invoice and supplier queries confidently and independently.
• Comfortable working with substantial values (circa £1m aged creditors and £400k+ in queries) and prioritising by risk and age.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail, with the ability to work at pace without compromising quality.
• Confident communicator who is not afraid to challenge, chase information, and push for resolution.
• Able to work effectively within a structured team, taking direction from a Team Leader while managing own workload.
• Strong Excel and general IT skills, with the ability to work across multiple systems.

Desirable Skills

• Experience using Zahara for purchase order and invoice approval workflows.
• Experience with Sage Intacct or similar mid-market finance/ERP systems.
• Background in a multi-site or complex operational business with a high volume of suppliers.
• Exposure to process improvement or clean-up projects within accounts payable.
• Experience in temporary or contract roles where quick impact and fast onboarding were required.

Qualifications

• AAT Level 2 or 3 (or equivalent) preferred, or strong relevant experience in lieu of formal qualification.
• GCSEs (or equivalent) including Maths and English at grade C/4 or above required.
• Further finance study (AAT Level 4 or similar) beneficial but not essential.
• Any system-specific training or certification in Sage Intacct or Zahara advantageous.