Accounts Payable Assistant

Grade and Salary: Grade 5 (£27,241 - £31,861)

FTE and working pattern: Full-time, 35hrs per week, Monday - Friday

Holiday Entitlement: 28 days annual leaveplus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

Location: Edinburgh Campus, with hybrid working in line with university arrangements

Heriot-Watt University – Strategy 2035

Driven by purpose. Measured by impact.

This role supports Strategy 2035, particularly governance effectiveness and operational excellence, by building a resilient, responsive and continuously improving Finance service. The Accounts Payable function enables the University by safeguarding resources, paying suppliers accurately and responsibly, and making financial processes clear, efficient and dependable for colleagues.

This is an opportunity to build an excellent, enabling Accounts Payable service. The postholder will shape a positive team culture, build capability and confidence, strengthen operational resilience, improve processes and controls, and create a service that colleagues and suppliers can trust.

Success requires more than technical knowledge. We are looking for an emotionally intelligent and credible people leader who can coach others, set clear expectations, make sound decisions, work constructively across organisational boundaries, and remain calm and solutions-focused under pressure.

We are looking for a detail-driven Accounts Payable Assistant to join our busy Accounts Payable team, supporting the University's global organisation and contributing to the wider Financial Control team. The role requires experience of working in a busy financial environment using financial systems, together with enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and strong attention to detail.

This is also an opportunity to contribute to the continued development of the Accounts Payable service by improving processes, strengthening controls and making effective use of systems and automation.

The Accounts Payable Assistant is responsible for delivering a range of operational Accounts Payable activities accurately, efficiently and in accordance with University Financial Regulations, policies, procedures and controls.

Working as part of the Accounts Payable team, the postholder will process and resolve transactions relating to supplier invoices, expenses, scholarships, supplier accounts and payments; respond to supplier and departmental queries; undertake reconciliations and control checks; and maintain appropriate supporting records.

The role supports the Accounts Payable Manager in ensuring that supplier invoices, expenses, scholarships and payment activities are delivered accurately, promptly and within the University's financial control framework.

• Process supplier invoices accurately and promptly in Oracle, following agreed procedures and the University financial control framework.
• Review invoices and associated documentation for completeness and accuracy, resolving routine exceptions and escalating matters where required.
• Apply University purchase order requirements when processing invoices, identify non-compliance and work constructively with colleagues to resolve exceptions and promote correct first-time processing.
• Process student and visitor expenses in accordance with the applicable Travel and Expenses policy and undertake required checks and audit of staff expense claims.
• Process scholarship payments in accordance with University policy and escalte transactions that do not meet policy or control requirements.
• Maintain complete and accurate records and supporting evidence for transactions processed.

• Prepare and build payment runs within Oracle in accordance with agreed schedules, procedures and controls, escalating exceptions and supporting the required review and approval process.
• Issue payment remittances to suppliers following payment and review bounced or unsuccessful payments and refunds, correcting or escalating issues as appropriate.
• Process authorised supplier-maintenance requests, including changes to supplier details, in accordance with established procedures, approval requirements and segregation-of-duties controls.
• Perform required transactional and control checks accurately and consistently, maintaining appropriate evidence.
• Identify errors, unusual transactions, exceptions or potential control weaknesses and escalation them…