Hybrid Transactional Finance Assistant (Accounts Payable) (Handforth, CHE, SK9 3RN) at Pets at Home

Location: We welcome applications from those looking for hybrid working, based 2 days in our Handforth (Cheshire) Office.

Contract: 12 Month Fixed Term Contract

About the Role – What you’ll be doing

As a Transactional Accounts Assistant at Pets at Home, you’ll take ownership of the end-to-end Accounts Payable function, ensuring vendors are paid accurately and on time. Working in a fast-paced, high-volume environment, you’ll manage your workload effectively to meet deadlines and maintain strong relationships with suppliers. You’ll be committed to best practice, adhering to controls that minimise risk to the business, and demonstrate the ability to respond quickly and decisively to changing priorities.

In this process-driven role, accuracy and diligence are key, and you’ll be expected to escalate any business-critical issues promptly to your line manager. Previous experience in Accounts Payable is essential, and ideally, you’ll bring knowledge of the retail sector and experience within a shared-service environment. We’re looking for someone who is detail-oriented, proactive, and driven to grow—someone who seeks out development opportunities and strives to be the best in everything they do.

Key Responsibilities - What you'll be doing

• Responsible for the management of the end-to-end accounts payable process for the vendors assigned to you.
• Establish and build strong relationships both internal and external to ensure excellent levels of communication.
• Ensure the accurate entry of invoices and credit notes in the agreed SLA times to ensure vendors are paid to term within SAP ECC environment.
• Follow Discount Vendor process to ensure discounts are taken correctly.
• Monitor and ensure parked invoices are released to meet supplier terms for payment on time. Ensuring no recurrent issues.
• Participate in Projects to drive change and efficiencies, including automation of invoices, purchase ledger workshops.
• Adhere to SLA’s set to ensure productivity is optimised and the best customer service is achieved.
• Complete statement reconciliations and resolve reconciling items to ensure accounts are paid on time, preventing accounts from going on stop.
• Continually review and report recurrent issues that cause inefficiencies or jeopardise vendors being paid on time.
• Ensure Queries and overdue accounts are managed and resolved quickly as to prevent business critical situations, escalating in accordance with SLA’s.

About You - What you'll bring to the role

• 1-2 years’ experience working within Accounts Payable
• AAT would be beneficial but not essential
• Intermediate Excel skills
• SAP ECC experience is not essential but experience of a similar system would be an advantage
• Purchase Order matching and related query resolution
• Ability to work independently and part of a large team to support other colleagues.
• Prioritise and manage your workload to achieve best results.

We take our inspiration from pets in embracing people from all walks of life, and we value, respect and celebrate difference. We encourage our people to be their best selves so that we can create a better world for Pets, our Planet, and People. Our ambition is to reflect the diversity of the communities we operate in, and we are intentional in addressing and removing barriers to create opportunities for the exceptional talent and potential in our communities. Even if your skills and experience don’t perfectly align, if you think you can make a unique contribution through your values and behaviours, we want to hear from you.