Accounts Payable Assistant

Job description

Salary: £28,000–£30,000 per annum depending on experience, + funded study support Role type: Permanent, full-time Location: Stoke-on-Trent (hybrid) supporting the entire group Reporting to: Financial Controller About Hometree Join Hometree at the most exciting moment in our story. Founded in 2015, we've become one of the fastest-growing challengers in the UK home services market, spanning home cover that protects the essential systems in the home, renewable installations like solar, batteries and heat pumps, and the financing that makes them affordable. Together, we help homeowners look after their homes and move to greener, lower-carbon living. We're now going through the biggest step change in our history. By acquiring OVO Energy's Home Services division, including the trusted CORGI HomePlan and HomeHeat brands, we're becoming one of the UK's leading home services groups, with fresh investment to fuel our next phase of growth. It's a genuine inflection point, and we're looking for people who want to help us build what comes next. Key Achievements 🏆 UK's third-largest home cover provider: our latest acquisition makes us the third-largest provider of home cover in the UK. 🏆 7 Acquisitions - We've expanded our operations by acquiring 6 key companies across financing (Hometree Finance - formerly Bewarm), Home Cover (Your Repair) and energy services (Geowarmth, The Little Green Energy Company, IMS and GreenGen). And we have most recently announced the acquisition of OVO Home Services and CORGI Homeplan (subject to FCA approval). 🏆 500k Homes Covered - We cover over 500 hundred thousand homes across the UK 🏆 550+ Employees - We have over 550 passionate employees transforming the industry across the Group, one home at a time The Role This is a brand-new, dedicated Accounts Payable position, the first of its kind in the group. Until now, our accounts payable work has been shared across several people. We’re bringing it together into one focused role so that AP is owned, consistent and well-controlled across the group. You’ll take ownership of the day-to-day purchase ledger across our entities, working across both of our accounting platforms (Xero and QuickBooks Online), with strong automation already in place through Dext, ApprovalMax and Spendesk. You’ll process around 1,000 supplier invoices a month, run several weekly payment runs plus month-end runs, and keep our supplier relationships and reconciliations in good shape. This role suits someone with accounts payable experience who’s ready to take real ownership, including anyone looking to gain a professional qualification, which we’ll support. You’ll start with a clear, focused AP remit and the systems and support to do it well, with the scope to take on more as you develop and as the group grows. This role is designed as a launchpad. We’ll fund your professional study (for example AAT, with a route towards CIMA or ACCA as you progress) and give you real, hands-on experience across a multi-entity group. As Hometree grows and the finance function scales, so will your opportunities - we want the person who joins us in this role to grow into something bigger. Responsibilities: Process supplier invoices: accurately code and post around 1,000 invoices a month across the group’s entities, using Dext to capture and ApprovalMax to route approvals to the right budget holders. Run supplier payments: prepare and process several weekly payment runs plus month-end runs across all entities, making sure suppliers are paid accurately, on time and with the right approvals in place. Reconcile supplier statements: reconcile statements to the ledger, investigate and resolve discrepancies, and keep supplier master data clean and accurate. Own the aged creditors ledger: monitor AP ageing across entities, chase down open and overdue items, and flag anything unusual or disputed. Support subcontractor (CIS) payments: process payments to subcontractors, apply CIS deductions and help prepare monthly CIS returns, working under the supervision of the Financial Controller. Resolve queries: be a friendly, professional first point of contact for suppliers and internal colleagues on invoice and payment questions. Support month-end: make sure AP is complete and accurate for the month-end close, and help with balance-sheet reconciliations relating to the purchase ledger. Support audits: keep documentation organised and complete, and help pull together information for internal and external audit requests. Improve our AP processes: identify repetitive, manual tasks and streamline them through automation and AI, building on tools like Dext, ApprovalMax and Spendesk while maintaining strong controls. What we’re looking for: Accounts payable experience: some previous experience in accounts payable or purchase ledger. Attention to detail: a genuine care for accuracy and getting things right. Organisation: able to juggle deadlines across multiple entities without dropping things. Tech confident: comfortable with Google Workspace and quick to pick up new systems. Clear communication: friendly and confident when dealing with suppliers and colleagues. Trustworthy: comfortable handling confidential financial information. Career driven: keen to build a career in finance and grow with a fast-moving group. Process improvement mindset: interested in using technology and AI to reduce manual finance work. Extra Credit: Accounting software: exposure to Xero and/or QuickBooks Online, with full training provided. AP automation tools: familiarity with tools such as Dext, ApprovalMax or Spendesk. Bookkeeping knowledge: an understanding of double-entry bookkeeping or early study towards AAT. CIS awareness: some knowledge of the Construction Industry Scheme is helpful, but not essential. Multi-entity experience: experience working within a group or multi-entity finance environment. Our Recruitment Process: Initial Call: Start with an introductory call with our Junior Talent Acquisition Specialist to discuss the role and your potential fit. (30 mins) Task Stage: Present a task to our Financial Controller and Payroll Coordinator (1 hr) Values Interview: A Values Based Interview with 2 employees (typically these will be stakeholders you will interact with) (40 mins) Final Interview: For certain positions there may be a final interview with a member of senior management or our senior leadership team 30mins) Perks of the job We have an ever expanding list of benefits that currently includes: 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and your birthday Hybrid working - Spend 2 days per week with your team in our collaborative London office (it’s dog friendly too!) Free boiler & home emergency cover with Hometree plus 40% discount for friends & family Discounted gym membership across over 100 UK gyms (independent and chains) and free fitness, wellness and nutrition apps. £300 Home office allowance Support for your mental health and wellbeing via Oliva Menopause support from Stella , including friends & family access Cycle to work scheme Regular team socials including Summer and Winter parties. FCA Code of Conduct At Hometree, we prioritise ethical conduct and regulatory compliance. As a regulated financial services organisation, we operate under the strict guidelines and regulations set forth by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in all aspects of our business. As a prospective member of our team, you will be expected to fully embrace and adhere to the FCA Code of Conduct obligations. These obligations are designed to ensure the fair treatment of customers, the preservation of market integrity, and the promotion of healthy competition within the financial services industry. Equal Opportunity Employer At Hometree, we are committed to creating an inclusive and representative environment. We know that different experiences, perspectives and backgrounds make for a better workplace and a better planet. Together, we celebrate differences and promote a culture where you can bring your full self to work. We promise to give you the same opportunities as everyone else and we won't discriminate against you at any point in the hiring process or the working day. This includes how we source talent, our interview process, our conditions of employment, feedback and everything in between