Accounts Payable Supervisor
Maoirseoir na gCuntas Iníoctha

Job Title: Accounts Payable Supervisor

Salary: £30,886 – £31,953

Grade: Assembly Grade 7

Directorate: Corporate Services

Business Area/Office: Finance Office

Accountable to: Members’ Financial Services Team Leader

Accountable for: Clerical Officer/s

Job Purpose:

The Finance Office offers a range of financial services to the Assembly Commission, Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and Political Parties. In order to deliver these services, the Finance Office is comprised of a number of integrated teams, one of which is the Members’ Financial Services team.

This team is specifically responsible for the administration of all financial assistance, provided for by legislation[1], to support and assist MLAs as they carry out the functions of their elected office.  The administration includes undertaking an accounts payable service for MLAs, making payments on their behalf and ensuring that the legislation is fully complied with.

The team is also responsible for the administration of The Financial Assistance for Political Parties Scheme 2016 (the ‘FAPP Scheme’), which offers financial support to Parties as they seek to assist MLAs in undertaking their Assembly functions. 

The Accounts Payable Supervisor is part of this team making payments on behalf of MLAs and Political Parties, under the provisions of the legislation, on a day-to-day basis.

Job Description:

The main duties and responsibilities are:

Accounts Payable Duties:

• Reviewing all incoming correspondence and invoices and prioritising them for payment or resolution;
• Setting up new suppliers, reconciling supplier accounts, correcting discrepancies and resolving queries in a timely manner;
• Checking invoices to ensure they are coded correctly and that they meet the admissibility criteria of the Determination or FAPP Scheme;
• Ensuring adherence to the provisions of the Determination or FAPP Scheme in terms of funding allowances by monitoring spend against budgets and reporting to managers, MLAs or Parties if expenditure is forecasted to exceed legislative allowances;

Using Technology:

• Using electronic systems to make payments and to produce accurate reports on MLAs’ or Party expenditure to assist with budgeting or for audit purposes;
• Effectively using Microsoft Office and bespoke internal Assembly Commission software systems to make payments and to prepare, produce and present documentation including letters, reports or memos etc.;

Working Relationships:

• Managing and developing individual staff members or a small team by checking claims for accuracy ensuring payments are made within the agreed timeframes;
• Developing and maintaining effective working relations with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including MLAs, MLAs’ and Party support staff;
• Attending meetings with MLAs, minute taking and capturing actions/notes and proactively following up on actions to ensure timely delivery;
• Complying with all of the Assembly Commission’s staff policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work policies and procedures and all mandatory training requirements;

Managing information:

• Providing guidance and assistance to MLAs, their staff or Party staff on the administration of the Determination or FAPP Scheme and the payment processes to be followed;
• Drafting correspondence and ensuring that work is accurate and presented in a corporate format;
• Collating and preparing information for meetings with MLAs, senior management or auditors in a timely manner;
• Researching and preparing accurate and timely information to be used for reporting or audit purposes, the preparation of administration guidance or in responding to Freedom of Information Requests;
• Managing information and records in accordance with established policies and statutory requirements; and
• Carrying out other duties that the Assembly Commission requires of you.

Essential Criteria:

Applicants must, by the closing date for applications have at least four years’ experience of working in a Finance role and specifically:

(a) Undertaking a wide range of account payment services ensuring compliance and governance controls are followed;

(b) Using effective and verbal and written communication skills to provide advice and support on procedures and policies to stakeholders or to assist non-financial budget managers with budgeting and monitoring expenditure;

(c) Effectively using Microsoft Office packages, to include MS Word, Outlook and Excel as well as an Accounts Payable or Finance systems to produce accurate and timely management information and prepare Finance related documents.

Please note the successful applicant will be required to complete the Accounts Payable Association Technician certification process[2] following completion of the probationary period and within 2 years of appointment.

Shortlisting Criteria

Should shortlisting be required, the following shortlisting criteria will be applied:

(a) One years’ experience of managing individual staff members or a team of staff within a Finance Office, to ensure the quality, accuracy and timeliness of work.

Skills and Behaviours

The following Assembly Skills and Behaviours will be assessed during the selection process:

Delivering a quality service

…is about providing a high-quality and efficient service to our customers. It is thinking ahead, managing resources effectively and delivering work on time and to a high standard. It is also using professional or technical expertise to enhance service delivery.

Managing & Leading Self and Others

… is setting high standards for ourselves. It is about guiding, motivating and developing others to achieve high performance. It is about engaging others in delivering a corporate vision of excellence, expertise and innovation in support of the Assembly as a legislature.

Initiating improvement and delivering change

…is looking for and being open to new and innovative ideas and improvements to the service provided. It is being flexible and adapting positively and professionally to sustain performance when the situation changes, workloads increase or priorities change. It is about forming sound, evidence-based decisions and being accountable for results.

Building relationships and effective communication

…is creating and maintaining positive, professional and respectful internal and external working relationships through effective and appropriate communications.

Footnotes:

[1] The Assembly Members (Salaries and Expenses) Determination (Northern Ireland) 2016, as amended by the Assembly Members (Salaries and Expenses) (Amendment) Determination (Northern Ireland) 2020 (the ‘Determination’).

[2] Details on the certification process can be found on the Accounts Payable Association website. The level of certification required will depend on the post-holder’s experience.