Accounts Payable Controller

This is an exciting opportunity to join a rapidly growing, privately owned group of hospitality, catering and event management businesses and brands:

Caterers:
Moving Venue and The Last Supper

Event Management:
Story Events

Smart Events:
Smart Summer & Christmas Parties

Venue:
Evolution London

Quality, passion and integrity are at the heart of everything we do, underpinned by the drive, personality and pioneering creativity of an entrepreneurial organisation. We pride ourselves on delivering experiences our customers love and that our team is proud to be part of.

We are looking for a highly organised, proactive and dependable Accounts Payable Controller to join our growing Finance team. The successful candidate will be responsible for the accurate and timely processing of supplier invoices, maintaining supplier accounts and preparing weekly payment runs across the Group.

Working closely with suppliers, internal approvers and the wider Finance team, you will help maintain strong financial controls and ensure that payments are accurate, properly authorised and made in line with agreed terms and cash-flow budgets. This is an excellent opportunity to take ownership of a busy accounts payable function within a fast-growing and ambitious business.

What the Role Requires

The role requires an experienced, high-volume Accounts Payable professional with strong knowledge of the purchase-to-pay cycle, supplier reconciliations and payment runs.

The ideal candidate will have accounting software and Excel experience, excellent attention to detail, strong communication skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities independently in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor the Accounts Payable mailbox throughout the day, respond promptly to queries and answer incoming AP calls.
• Submit invoices for approval through Paperless - invoice processing and approval system and send weekly reminders to approvers.
• Code and post supplier invoices accurately to the correct entity, nominal code, department and cost centre.
• Identify invoice discrepancies and liaise with suppliers to obtain the appropriate credit notes.
• Validate agency invoices against supporting timesheets, ensuring that hours, rates and charges are correct and that all required documentation is attached.
• Investigate missing timesheets and over- or undercharged hours directly with agencies and obtain corrected documentation where required.
• Review and reconcile supplier statements weekly, ensuring that all invoices and credit notes have been received, approved and recorded accurately.
• Complete due diligence checks for new suppliers, including validation of company registration and VAT numbers, and set up supplier accounts in Sage once approved.
• Independently verify new or amended supplier bank details by telephone using a trusted contact number, in line with fraud-prevention procedures.
• Negotiate appropriate credit limits and payment terms with suppliers and complete supplier credit account applications.
• Prepare weekly proposed payment schedules for review by the Group Financial Controller and revise them in line with the approved payment budget.
• Create BACS payment files and provide the supporting payment summary to the Group Financial Controller for authorisation and processing; post and allocate approved payments accurately.
• Support month-end and year-end close activities, audit requests and ad hoc Finance projects as required.

What You’ll Bring

• Previous experience in a busy, high-volume accounts payable role is essential, ideally within a multi-entity group.
• Strong understanding of the full purchase-to-pay cycle, supplier statement reconciliations and payment runs.
• Experience using accounting software; knowledge of Sage is highly desirable.
• Good…