Accounts/ Payroll Assistant
c.£38,000 per annum
Bedford
Permanent
Hybrid Working
Join our Financial Services team as an Accounts/Payroll Assistant! In this role, you’ll be crucial in maintaining financial records, processing purchase invoices, and ensuring timely payments. You’ll also provide essential cover for our Transactions Services and Payroll Leads, handle queries, and assist with monthly reconciliations and audits. If you’re ready to contribute to a resilient and efficient financial team, apply now!
Role Overview
The Accounts/ Payroll Assistant will be responsible for:
- Process purchase invoices - receiving, logging invoices from suppliers and obtaining necessary approvals.
- Handle both internal and external queries related to payments and invoices.
- Produce payment runs and payment journals twice weekly.
- Review and reconcile the aged creditor reports and resolve any outstanding issues.
- Assist on coding queries including VAT codes.
- Prepare monthly accruals for unposted purchase invoices.
- Assist with monthly balance sheet reconciliations.
- Ensure all suppliers and employees are paid accurately and on time.
- Assist the Payroll lead in preparing the monthly data and reconciling payroll records against HR records.
- Assist in payroll processing and reconciling monthly payroll payments.
- Assist with HMRC, RTI, Pension reporting and payments.
- Handle payroll queries from both internal and external stakeholders.
- Support other team members to ensure accuracy and that reporting deadlines are met.
- Assist with the month/year-end procedures and the annual audit.
- Take on ad-hoc projects as required.
Skills and Experience Required
To excel in this role, you will need to demonstrate:
- Good understanding of business and financial issues.
- Excellent communication and collaborative skills.
- Ability to work effectively and sensitively as part of a team.
- Proactive, with the ability to use initiative and accept responsibility.
- Capable of working under pressure and to tight deadlines.
- Ability to multi-task and manage a varied workload.
- Intermediate to advanced proficiency with accounting software and Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Word.
- Good knowledge and user experience of a finance or an ERP system.
About Us:
The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is based in Bedford, in a recently renovated modern office. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to become an integral part of a dynamic organisation, working to help people across the UK.
At the heart of the Money and Pensions Service are our values – caring, connecting, and transforming, which are the foundation of our success. They permeate every area of our work and define all our business relationships and the way we work with each other. We’re not only looking for the best people to come and work for us, but we need people who align themselves with our values:
- Caring
We care about our colleagues and the people whose lives we are here to transform. - Connecting
We will transform lives through our ability to make positive connections. - Transforming
We are committed to transforming lives and making a positive societal impact.
Our Inclusive Working Environment:
By fostering our values, we are immensely proud of the inclusive working environment that we have created. The diversity of our people is a strength that we embrace and wish to build upon, so we are committed to attracting people of all backgrounds. We work hard to ensure that we have a progressive approach to inclusion, equity, and belonging. We really do want our colleagues to “bring their whole selves to work.”
Our colleague and ally networks encompass LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, women’s health, men’s health, ethnicity, and diversity.
What We Offer:
- Generous Annual Leave – 30 days plus Bank Holidays
- Pension scheme – contributions matched 2 to 1 (up to 10% of your salary)
- Interest-free loan for season tickets for buses and trains
- Cycle to work Scheme
- Subsidised eye tests & flu jabs
- Life assurance scheme
- Give as you earn scheme
- Employee assistance programme (EAP)
- PAM Assist and PAM Life scheme (Wellbeing)
- Enhanced family and sick pay
- Paid volunteering (2 days a year)
- Recognition Scheme
- Discounts portal to numerous retailers
Flexible Working
At MaPS, we take pride in our flexible approach to work. As standard, we work on a hybrid basis with a minimum of 2 days in the office per week. Hybrid working is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and our headquarters in Bedford will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business needs, but personal and other relevant circumstances will also be considered. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
Career Development
In MaPS, we take career development seriously. We actively encourage and support applications from our existing MaPS colleagues. However, we do follow the Civil Service Commissioner recruitment principles, which means that you will be required to participate in a full, open, and fair process.
Reserve List
If you are successful at interview, we operate a reserve list where your details will be held for up to 6 months. Should a vacancy come available in that time with the same essential criteria, reserve list candidates will be offered that position with no further assessment required.
Application Process
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the Money and Pensions Service via email: recruitment@maps.org.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.
Job Reference: MaPS00706
Close Date: Sunday 27th October 2024
Flexible Working
At MaPS, we take pride in our flexible approach to work. As standard, we work on a hybrid basis with a minimum of 2 days in the office per week. Hybrid working is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and our headquarters in Bedford will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business needs, but personal and other relevant circumstances will also be considered. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
Career Development
In MaPS, we take career development seriously. We actively encourage and support applications from our existing MaPS colleagues. However, we do follow the Civil Service Commissioner recruitment principles, which means that you will be required to participate in a full, open, and fair process.
Reserve List
If you are successful at interview, we operate a reserve list where your details will be held for up to 6 months. Should a vacancy come available in that time with the same essential criteria, reserve list candidates will be offered that position with no further assessment required.
Application Process
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the Money and Pensions Service via email: recruitment@maps.org.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.
Job Reference: MaPS00706
Close Date: Sunday 27th October 2024
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to
Disability Confident.
