SALES & PURCHASE LEDGER ASSISTANT JOB SUMMARY: We are working alongside a friendly Christchurch based organisation, who are looking to appoint a new Finance Assistant, into a Sales and Purchase Ledger role within their finance team. Main responsibilities from the onset, will be to take responsibility for all aspects of Sales Ledger, including sales invoicing, payment allocation, credit control, account queries and general ledger maintenance. You will also be the first point of call customer queries. In addition, you will also be responsible for Purchase Ledger duties, to include checking and posting of supplier invoices, handling account queries from suppliers (via email & telephone) and doing general ledger maintenance. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SALES & PURCHASE LEDGER ASSISTANT: Act as first point of contact within the finance team, liaising with customers / suppliers or internal colleagues, in relation to sales / purchase ledger queries. Sales Ledger, Purchase ledger: You will be responsible for maintaining accurate Sales and Purchase Ledgers and associated finance tasks. Credit Control / Aged Debt activities – to support the wider team in achieving their cash collection targets / KPI’s – this will include sending out emails / letters, following up calls etc. Manage the escalation process for overdue payments and associated follow up activity including setting up payment schedules and keeping accurate records and credit control spreadsheets Running monthly reports on all aged debt and hold monthly meetings with management to keep them updated. Setting up new customers on internal billing system- system training will be provided. Invoicing: Uploading monthly invoices onto Sage and ensuring they are accurate, and in line with required codes for payment, send out invoice payment reminders, update records etc. Chasing payment for non-term customers, within agreed timeframes. Monitor customer accounts for overdue payments and follow up with customers to mitigate risk of overdue / late payments Maintain accurate records of customer payment history and account status Deal with any returned Direct Debit Collections Ensure that billing is uploaded and processed in line with cashflow requirements of Follow up Sales & Purchase ledger queries in a timely manner Reconciliations of bank accounts on a daily basis Making BACS Payments as and when required Carry out general finance administration duties, including but not limited to e-mails, scanning, filing etc Work closely with internal teams (sales, customer service) to resolve any billing or payment associated issues Send out weekly / monthly statements to customers REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE: Level 3 AAT Qualified Previous experience of computerised accounting packages, ideally – Sage Systems confidence – whilst training will be provided, previous CRM / Billing systems and Excel use on a daily basis, would be ideal. Strong communication skills are essential – you will be liaising with people over the phone, in person and via email. You will need to be a confident communicator, comfortable speaking to both internal / external stakeholders at various levels. Confident and very strong written communication skills in writing formal letters/ emails Strong attention to detail and accuracy in financial recordkeeping Ability to analyze financial data and make informed decisions regarding credit limits and payment plans Knowledge of credit control procedures, regulations, and best practices is essential Ability to work under pressure, whilst meeting deadlines Confidence to work with multiple applications/ internal systems and online portals, as well as a range of software – systems training will be provided. Our client is looking for a driven, self-motivated individual who is looking for long term personal and professional development The ability to prioritise your own workload, but also work collaboratively with the finance team, and wider organisation. Our client is offering a generous salary, with opportunity to earn additional monthly bonuses. You will be entitled to 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays, free parking and a host of other employee benefits (to be discussed in interview) Please note that this is a full time (37.50 hours per week) in office position. Some flexibility can be agreed, on the schedule of working hours, if required. For more information about this position, or to apply, please contact Joy Bruce at Collaborate Recruitment