WPP Shared Service Centre (SSC)

The WPP SSC provides transactional financial services to WPP companies in the UK, including:

• Accounts Payable, including Intercompany transactions
• Accounts Receivable (Billing, Credit Control & Cash Allocation)
• Treasury
• Accounting and Reporting
• Statutory Reporting

By consolidating activities, the WPP SSC takes advantage of volume to deliver increased efficiency.  This is achieved by standardizing, streamlining, and aligning relevant processes, and introducing technology to drive effectiveness across our operations. By taking over transactional financial activities, the WPP SSC enables our agencies to focus on commercial activities, client management as well as revenue and cost management.

In 2021, the WPP SSC UK organization transferred specific process and transactional activities to the WPP SSC in India. The WPP SSC teams in the UK and India work together to provide services to WPP companies in the UK.

Why we’re hiring: 

WPP SSC is on a global transformation journey, and this is an opportunity to join the UK team to help us deliver exceptional financial services to our UK companies.

What you’ll be doing:

The Accounts Payable Department consists of Invoice Validation, Media Account Handlers, House Payables and Treasury teams. The Media AP team is responsible for processing, reconciling and payment of in access of £ 50m worth of Media Invoices each month, across up to 1000 external Suppliers  as well as intercompany accounts on behalf of several agencies within the WPP GroupM arena.

In this role you will work closely with both WPP companies and their clients to ensure monthly payment practices are put in place to enable an efficient and successful Purchase to Pay process, and to provide a high standard of administrative support. 

You will report into the Accounts Payable Manager

Oversee end-to-end, purchase to pay processes for complex media suppliers. To review all activities undertaken remotely in offshore teams, support and identify problem areas ensuring that all Service levels are met for our GroupM agencies.

• Work with the FPI Seniors and Management team to communicate with Agencies to identify problem Accounts, root causes and process improvements. This will include Quality Control of Query Log (MQS) , Identifying  risk control ( Query Dashboard-non MQS queries included) Reviewing and resolving specific client /Aged Debit balances.
• Arrange and take the lead in Supplier/ FPI Account handler/ Buyer workshops to discuss Reconciliations, Query Resolution, and Reporting relating to AP.
• Support WPP SSC India AP teams, to ensure they work with customers on AP queries, monitoring and documenting schedules and driving continuous improvement.
• Support WPP SSC India to ensure service delivery is maintained in accordance with the Target Operating Model, documented Service Levels and KPI’s.
• Work with the FPI Seniors and Management team to communicate with Agencies to identify problem Accounts, root causes and process improvements. To check Weekly /Monthly MI by way of Aged Creditors, Debit balances and reconciliations with succinct and clear definitions of progress and areas of concern.
• FPI Escalations log to be kept up-to-date and monthly slide presented on any obstacles faced within the month in respect of the outsourced AP Team with reasons and remedy solutions documented.
• Help with SOX audits as well as other internal/external audits.

What you’ll need:

• Excellent IT skills (Microsoft Office at intermediate to advanced level), particularly MS Excel and Media Ocean. 
• Good understanding of general accounting principles relating to the sales ledger and experience in Accounts Payable

Who you are:

You’re open: We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are open-minded: to new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working.

You’re optimistic: We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with confidence: to try the new and to seek the unexpected.

You’re extraordinary: we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we deliver extraordinary every day.

What we’ll give you:

Passionate, driven people – We champion a culture of people that do extraordinary work.

Scale and opportunity – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and deliver projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry.

Challenging and stimulating work – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge? 

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