Accounts Payable Manager
While a startup company will usually get by with a single accountant dealing with all the incoming and outgoing payments, as it grows, this becomes more complex, especially when the business relies heavily on suppliers. Whether it’s vendors, freelancers or other services, they normally work on credit, so won’t expect immediate payment, but will expect regular, timely and predictable payments after invoicing if the relationships are to survive.
In supplier-heavy businesses, the accounts department will often be split into accounts payable and accounts receivable, and overseeing the payable team will be the accounts payable manager. It is the team’s responsibility to ensure all invoices coming in are correct, matching purchase orders and other forms of confirmation that products and services have been delivered. Then, they’ll ensure payments are made within the agreed timeframes. The Accounts payable manager will put procedures in place to ensure the department runs smoothly, and will troubleshoot and chase up queries when the staff are unable to.
The skills required for senior accounts payable jobs
Accounts payable manager jobs are best performed by those who have worked their way up the accountancy departments of businesses, whether that’s in general accounts or specifically in accounts payable. Since payable and receivable do have different goals and responsibilities, experience in the payable side is often preferred, but there’s enough crossover to make the skills quite interchangeable at the managerial level.
The accounts payable manager will be an excellent communicator, and should know their way around the various accounting software suites. They’ll also need to be able to investigate queries and chase up disputes, as the supplier is often right when there’s an invoice disagreement.
Accounts Payable Manager Jobs in Widnes
At the north-eastern edge of Cheshire lies Widnes, a town of around 60,000 population built on heavy industry, particularly chemicals, where ICI had a huge presence for decades before fragmenting in the 1990s. The chemical industry chose Widnes partly for the plentiful supply of water, just like Runcorn, to which it is joined by a railway and road bridge over the Mersey.
The centre of Liverpool is 11 miles (17 km) to the west, with Liverpool John Lennon Airport just 4 miles (7km) form the centre of Widnes. Although not actually in Widnes, the Jaguar Land rover car production plant is just outside the town in Halewood, and it has been a large employer of people from Widnes. For decades the plant was owned by Ford, and the locals still cal the main boulevard that passes it “The Ford Road”. Under the new management, the factory is doing extremely well, helped by a local enthusiastic workforce.
Widnes has two musical claims to fame, one certain, one apocryphal. First was the Stone Roses’ Spike Island gig, the pinnacle of the Madchester scene in 1990. The second claim is that Paul Simon wrote “Homeward Bound” at Widnes Station, although Simon isn’t 100% sure himself!
Widnes has retained many of its industrial plants, although they are no longer owned by the giant ICI, and have been taken over by a multitude of companies. The well-connected town is handy for Liverpool, Warrington, St Helens and Runcorn, and has the M62 at its northern point. All this makes it a good place to locate any logistics operations, and indeed, Accounts Payable Manager jobs or similar positions have been through our system in Widnes.
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Accounts payable manager jobs at Cast UK
Is your business looking for an accounts payable manager? At Cast UK, we put companies in touch with capable, enthusiastic candidates who could be a perfect fit in your accounts department. Drop us a line on 0333 121 3345 so we can start searching.
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