Accounts Payable Assistant

Music is Universal
 
It’s the passionate and dedicated team at Universal Music who help make us the world’s leading music company. From A&R to finance, legal to digital, sales to marketing, Universal Music is the place to grow and develop your career within a truly commercial and innovative business that leads in everything it does.

Everyone is welcome to apply for our roles, and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment because of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief, age, marital status, background, pregnancy, or caring responsibilities. We also recognise the importance of diversity of thought within our teams and are fully committed to embracing the talents of people with autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and other forms of neurocognitive variation.

We will always seek to make appropriate adjustments to recruitment, workplaces, and work processes to be fully inclusive to people with different needs and working styles. If you need us to make any reasonable adjustments for you from application onwards, including alternatives to the online form or to disclose a neurocognitive condition, please email [email protected].

Role purpose

The Accounts Payable Assistant acts as a key point of contact for the UMG business, resolving accounts payable queries and escalating issues as required. Working closely with the outsourced PTP team, the role supports and oversees AP activities, reviews key tasks and payment runs, and ensures all activities are completed accurately and in line with company procedures.

Key responsibilities

• Act as a key point of contact between the UMG business and the offshore PTP team, coordinating query resolution and escalating issues as required.
• Hold regular meetings with the offshore PTP team to review tasks
• Review supplier statement reconciliations and coordinate the resolution of discrepancies, outstanding balances and disputed items.
• Investigate returned payments and work with the offshore PTP team to resolve payment issues.
• Monitor supplier debit balances and coordinate actions to reduce and clear them.
• Review payment runs for accuracy and completeness, ensuring all required checks and approvals are in place in line with UMG controls.
• Support the offshore team with supplier onboarding and vendor master data changes.
• Identify opportunities to improve AP processes, strengthen controls and improve communication between the business and the offshore PTP team.
• Ensure all AP activities are completed accurately and in accordance with UMG financial controls and company procedures.

Skills and experience

Essential

• Strong attention to detail and numerical accuracy.
• At least two years’ experience in a similar accounts payable role.
• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage deadlines.
• Clear, professional communication skills, with confidence working with an offshore team and leading regular meetings.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal teams, suppliers and external partners.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Outlook.

Desirable

• Experience working with an outsourced or offshore finance team.
• Familiarity with accounting systems such as SAP.

Success in the role

• Strong working relationships with UMG business teams, suppliers and the offshore PTP team.
• Timely and accurate review of AP activities, with errors and outstanding items followed through to resolution.
• Prompt resolution of queries and payment issues, with clear communication and appropriate escalation.
• Consistent adherence to UMG financial controls and company procedures across all AP activities.

Just So You Know…

The company presents this job description as a guide to the major areas and duties for which the jobholder is accountable. However, the business operates in an environment that demands change and the jobholder's specific responsibilities and activities will vary and develop. Therefore, the job description should be seen as indicative and not as a permanent, definitive, and exhaustive statement.

Job Category:

Finance & Accounting