Accounts Payable Manager - for Jellycat

Accounts Payable Manager - Jellycat London

Company Background

For a quarter of a century, the Jellycat family have brought joy, wonder and playful fun to people of all ages, in every part of the world. Utterly original and in a class of their own, they are currently among the most loved and collected toys of their kind.

How has this gentle tribe endeared themselves to so many? Perhaps it is their whimsical expressions. Or the deliciously soft fabrics. Or the beautiful way in which they sit in your hand. Whatever it is, there is something magical and unmistakeable about each one of them.

And where did they come from? Who was the very first Jellycat?

The true origin of the Jellycat family is a closely guarded secret, held within the walls of the central London studio, House of Jellycat. Outside of the studio, several origin legends have been whispered from one bunny to another. One of them may be true.

What we can share is that the Jellycat Loveables first appeared in London during 1999 and Jellycat Amuseables (zany, non-animals) popped up in 2010. Since then, hundreds of characters have joined the family. Some have retired. Some are highly-respected freelance consultants. Others went into show business. Many can be found sharing joy in discerning toy and gift shops, on and offline, across the globe.

We hope that you too experience the fun and joy of Jellycat.

Job Summary

We are currently seeking an experienced AP Manager to manage and deliver a strong, efficient and effective Accounts Payable (AP) function in line with internal and external governance and regulations.

Responsible for driving efficiency improvements with a goal to implement OCR scan & capture technology for automated postings into the ERP, ensuring prompt and on-time payment of all supplier invoices and enhancing governance and control over supplier spend.

This is an exciting role for a candidate with experience in automating and streamlining the AP process, bringing in transformation and adding control and insight to the function.

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities

Oversee end-to-end AP process

• Ensure the AP team is paying suppliers in line with agreed payment terms with no disruption to operations of the business.
• Build appropriate governance and controls to ensure that appropriate segregation of duties are implemented and internal controls are in place to reduce risk of inappropriate payments or missed payments.
• Ensure smooth operation of the payment process and adequate checks in place to ensure correct payments made.
• Ensure that correct coding is in place to ensure that accounting information is correct and reliable for accurate financial analysis and reporting in terms of department budgets and P&Ls.
• Ensure all corporate card & employee expense processing and auditing is completed on time and in line with internal policies, enhancing internal controls over the process.

Automation & continual improvement

• Identify ways to automate transactional processes and strive for continuous improvement in efficiency and accuracy.
• Feed into and own the implementation of key automation tools such as OCR scan & capture technology for AP alongside senior team members.
• Help design & test AP processes for new ERP implementation.
• Implement purchase order process on non-inventory purchases. Develop & run training for non-finance departments.

Improve reporting and insights to support month-end analysis

• Work with the financial control team to ensure that financial postings are insightful for financial control to appropriately analyse company spend and identify risks or opportunities as relevant

Manage AP team of 4-5 individuals

• Provide coaching and development to ensure that individuals understand how their work fits into the ‘bigger picture’ in the scope of the wider business.
• Provide meaningful and real-time feedback to employees to ensure they learn and grow in their roles to be able to perform at a high level.
• Coach individuals on understanding the importance of continual enhancement – whether that be in terms of internal controls & governance, accuracy and/ or efficiency.

What we need from you!

We are seeking an experienced, commercially minded AP specialist who is genuinely passionate about the retail world and has ideally worked in a business that has experienced significant growth and transformation.

Knowledge, Experience, Skills, and Behaviours

• Must have experience of running & driving improvements within a Procure-to-pay/ Accounts Payable function, including implementation of OCR scan & capture technology over invoice processing.
• Must have experience implementing purchase order process in a medium to large sized company, including developing and running training across departments.
• Able to handle numerous key priorities at once and appropriately balance these priorities alongside day-to-day operations.
• Knowledge of accounting and VAT principles is required, enabling production of accurate VAT returns.
• Track record of managing and developing high performing teams.
• Strong ownership and accountability along with a positive can-do attitude.
• Strong data analysis and problem-solving skills, utilising information to identify areas of concern, root causes, and trends, driving improvements in overall performance and effectiveness.
• Excellent communication skills required, ability to convey financial information or processes to non-finance departments.

INTERESTED? HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT WORKING WITH JELLYCAT.

• Industry leading salary
• Bonus
• Pension
• Private Healthcare
• Dental Care
• Product discount schemes – great for Christmas and Birthdays!
• Continuous training throughout the year
• Lots of company parties & get togethers, they love having fun!

Want to know more? We hope so...

We’d love to receive and review your application. We will start the recruitment process immediately so get in touch with our Talent Partner ECW Search on contact@ecwsearch.com or by applying directly through this advert.

Due to GDPR, CV's or applications sent via email/social media, will not be kept or considered, please apply via the link provided or via the ECW Search contact email above.

At Jellycat & ECW we believe that a diverse team of enthusiastic, hard-working, skilled people is pivotal to success. Our employees help us make a difference & grow as a business and creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace starts with our recruitment process.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, age, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.