AddressRole: Accounts Receivable Manager
Grade and Salary: Grade 7 - £36,023 - £44,263 per annum
FTE and working pattern: 1 FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday - Friday
Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)
Purpose of Role
This is a key role within the Accounts Receivable team. The Accounts Receivable Manager is responsible for overseeing collections from the University's customers, accuracy of accounting in respect of Accounts Receivables and monthly reporting to senior management. This role will manage a team of credit controllers and Accounts Receivable assistants. The Accounts Receivable Manager will also work closely with colleagues in Treasury, Student Services and Finance-Systems to provide cash flow forecasting, student services support and to resolve systems issues relating to accounting for receivables transactions.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Operational management
- Manage team effectively to ensure tasks are carried out to agreed deadlines
- Communicate targets and objectives to team and ensure these are met
- Identify and resolve operational and systems issues with the support of finance-systems team and/or line manager where necessary.
Process Management
- Create and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Identify and implement process improvements
Staff Management
- Ensure all team members are fully trained in processes relevant to their role
- Support, coach, motivate and assess team members
- Perform regular staff appraisals, including undertaking an annual Performance Development Review (PDR)
Monitoring and Reporting
- Develop KPIs to regularly monitor performance against targets
- Prepare analysis and supporting commentary for KPI results
- Review/change operational actions based on KPIs
- Prepare and issue monthly reports to colleagues and senior management team
Knowledge
- Develop and maintain knowledge of Accounts Receivable issues, regulations and trends pertaining to higher education establishments in Scotland
- Develop and maintain awareness of payment security issues
Please note that the above list of key duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive, and the role holder will be expected to undertake other ad hoc duties as required.
Essential & Desirable Criteria
Essential
- Educated to first degree level or equivalent or equivalent practical experience in the workplace
- Experience of working within a similar environment as outlined above
- Ability to coach, motivate, assess, and manage a team, including setting objectives
- Proven relevant experience in an Accounts Receivable function which will have been acquired over several years, with a basic understanding of the relevant theory
- Good knowledge and understanding of relevant legal, statutory and governance applications and turning them into good practice
- Excellent interpersonal, influencing and presentation skills, able to understand and communicate complex issues effectively
- Demonstrable excellent customer service
- Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly, and accurately in a dynamic, changing, and pressured environment
- Experience of working closely with stakeholders across all levels of the organisation
- Ability to research, analyse and present complex information effectively with good attention to detail
- High level organisational skills with the ability to prioritise major developments and to function effectively in a pressured environment
Desirable
- Degree in specific subject (if applicable)
- Professional Qualification or membership of Professional body (where applicable)
- Experience of working in Higher Education
- Experience in using Oracle finance system
- Experience in using Excel at an advanced level (e.g. charts, pivot-tables, V-lookups)
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
- Ability and willingness to learn new digital skills and capabilities appropriate to your role and how it evolves
- Understand and adhere to information security practices particularly as it relates to personal or sensitive information
- Maintain awareness of my own digital wellbeing by being mindful of the length of time spent at a screen and the impact on mental and physical health in using digital technologies.
How to Apply
Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Monday 08 April 2024.
Please submit your CV via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment.
We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.
Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.
Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .
Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.
About the Team
The Finance team sits within the University's Professional Services Directorate, which supports the University's delivery of its mission, strategic priorities, and business objectives. On a day-to-day basis it does this by delivering a range of financial operations, including:
- Routine financial transactional processing in payroll, accounts payable and Accounts Receivable Effective management of the University
- 's financial resources
- Sound management accounting, including ensuring the availability of accurate and timely financial management reporting
- Effective operation of the Oracle financial system; and
- Effective and timely delivery of statutory financial reporting
In addition, the Finance department also supports the delivery of the Unversity's strategic plan through effective financial planning, including capital investment planning, project appraisal and identification of sustainable funding streams.
About Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and leading-edge, relevant research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for innovation, business, and industry.
Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders, and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business, and languages. Heriot-Watt is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort.
At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.
Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.
