East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Accounts Payable Clerk

The closing date is 26 October 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen at East Suffolk & North Essex NHS Foundation Trust for a keen, enthusiastic, and motivated individual to join our Financial Services Department.

You'll be part of our Accounts Payable Team, reporting to the Team Leader, and play a crucial role in ensuring our suppliers are paid accurately and on time--helping the NHS run smoothly and efficiently.

Whether you're experienced in finance or just starting out, we want to hear from you!

What We're Looking For:

  • Strong attention to detail and accuracy
  • Good communication and organisational skills
  • Confident with numbers and basic financial principles
  • Comfortable using IT systems, especially Excel and email
  • AAT qualification or working towards one

This role involves a hybrid working arrangement, with a combination of on-site work at Colchester Hospital and remote working from home as required. To support this, the successful candidate should be confident using Microsoft Teams for regular video calls and virtual communication with their line manager, colleagues, and wider teams across the organisation.

We might close the post earlier if sufficient amount of application received.

Main duties of the job

Your principal responsibilities will be:

  • The processing of invoices for payment on the computerised Integra system, by way of matching invoices against goods received notes or coding and assigning for approval in accordance with organisational policies and ensuring VAT is correctly accounted for.
  • Responsible for dealing with routine and complex queries both internally and from suppliers, providing assistance as required.
  • To assist in achieving the Better Payment Practice Code (BPPC) targets.
  • The reconciliation of suppliers' statements and investigation of outstanding invoices.

About us

We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients' own homes.

We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.

We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.

Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.

Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what's widely regarded as the world's best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.

Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A

Details

Date posted

17 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

432-HR785-25

Job locations

Colchester General Hospital

Turner Road

Colchester Essex

CO4 5JL


Job description

Job responsibilities

The successful candidate will have experience with computerised systems to input and record data. It is desirable the successful candidate will have previous working experience of purchase ledger. The successful candidate must:

  • Possess excellent communication skills both written and verbal
  • Excellent interpersonal skills.
  • Studying towards Associated of Accounting Technician or have equivalent relevant experience.
  • Have good IT skills and demonstrate experience of using computerised financial ledgers, word processing and spreadsheets
  • Have the ability to work from home or in the office as required
  • Be comfortable working to formal procedures

Responsibilities

  • Support the day-to-day management and ongoing development and maintenance of financial accounting systems and procedures of the Financial Services team.
  • Support the Trusts Financial Controller in the provision of fundamental accounting and financial systems maintenance in order to effectively deliver the core financial services duties of the Trust.
  • Participate fully in the Financial Accounts agenda to maintain robust financial controls regarding statutory returns, control account reconciliations and other aspects of financial accounting.
  • Adhere to all legal and accounting requirements.
  • Support the Financial Controller and Financial Accountant in producing information for inclusion within the Trusts monthly and annual accounts within the timescales and procedures laid down.
  • The processing of invoices for payment on the computerised Integra system, in accordance with organisational policies and ensuring VAT is correctly accounted for.
  • Responsible for dealing with routine and complex queries both internally and from suppliers, providing assistance as required.
  • The reconciliation of suppliers statements and investigation of outstanding invoices.
  • To assist in achieving the Better Payment Practice Code (BPPC) targets.
  • To be responsible for the maintenance and updating of procedures for all roles performed.
  • To support and deputise for the Accounts Payable Team Leader in providing an efficient and effective accounts payable service.

For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The successful candidate will have experience with computerised systems to input and record data. It is desirable the successful candidate will have previous working experience of purchase ledger. The successful candidate must:

  • Possess excellent communication skills both written and verbal
  • Excellent interpersonal skills.
  • Studying towards Associated of Accounting Technician or have equivalent relevant experience.
  • Have good IT skills and demonstrate experience of using computerised financial ledgers, word processing and spreadsheets
  • Have the ability to work from home or in the office as required
  • Be comfortable working to formal procedures

Responsibilities

  • Support the day-to-day management and ongoing development and maintenance of financial accounting systems and procedures of the Financial Services team.
  • Support the Trusts Financial Controller in the provision of fundamental accounting and financial systems maintenance in order to effectively deliver the core financial services duties of the Trust.
  • Participate fully in the Financial Accounts agenda to maintain robust financial controls regarding statutory returns, control account reconciliations and other aspects of financial accounting.
  • Adhere to all legal and accounting requirements.
  • Support the Financial Controller and Financial Accountant in producing information for inclusion within the Trusts monthly and annual accounts within the timescales and procedures laid down.
  • The processing of invoices for payment on the computerised Integra system, in accordance with organisational policies and ensuring VAT is correctly accounted for.
  • Responsible for dealing with routine and complex queries both internally and from suppliers, providing assistance as required.
  • The reconciliation of suppliers statements and investigation of outstanding invoices.
  • To assist in achieving the Better Payment Practice Code (BPPC) targets.
  • To be responsible for the maintenance and updating of procedures for all roles performed.
  • To support and deputise for the Accounts Payable Team Leader in providing an efficient and effective accounts payable service.

For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.

Person Specification

Experience - Use of Computerised Systems

Essential

  • IT Skills - Microsoft Office, including excel, outlook.
  • Data Entry - Form based input system
  • General familiarity with finance software or database

Desirable

  • Use of Financial Systems
  • Use of Accounts Payable Systems

Experience - Work/Education

Essential

  • Demonstrated ability to work with numbers accurately (can be via previous roles or education)
  • Experience of working to deadlines (can be via previous roles or education)

Desirable

  • Experience of working in the role of Accounts Payable Clerk.
  • Previous experience of working in a large organisation either the NHS or Public Sector
  • Experience dealing with queries, problem solving or working busy environments

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to GCSE standard or equivalent
  • GCSE Maths and English Band 4/Grade C or above
  • Qualified or Studying towards - AAT Level 2 , or evidence of interest in finance through courses or further study.

Desirable

  • Qualified or Studying towards Level 3 Association of Accounting Technicians

Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of the AP process
  • Paying suppliers in line with public sector payment policies.

Desirable

  • Month End Procedures
  • The importance of accounts payable controls and audit requirements.
  • Coding Structures and authorised signatories

Personal Skills

Essential

  • Ability to communicate clearly and professionally
  • Attention to Detail - Quality of Completed Application Form
  • Values align with the Trust's OAK values. Optimistic, Appreciative, Kind
  • Evidence of Potential

Desirable

  • Shows an understanding of the team working required for the role.
  • Ability to analyse and interpret financial information.
Person Specification

Experience - Use of Computerised Systems

Essential

  • IT Skills - Microsoft Office, including excel, outlook.
  • Data Entry - Form based input system
  • General familiarity with finance software or database

Desirable

  • Use of Financial Systems
  • Use of Accounts Payable Systems

Experience - Work/Education

Essential

  • Demonstrated ability to work with numbers accurately (can be via previous roles or education)
  • Experience of working to deadlines (can be via previous roles or education)

Desirable

  • Experience of working in the role of Accounts Payable Clerk.
  • Previous experience of working in a large organisation either the NHS or Public Sector
  • Experience dealing with queries, problem solving or working busy environments

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to GCSE standard or equivalent
  • GCSE Maths and English Band 4/Grade C or above
  • Qualified or Studying towards - AAT Level 2 , or evidence of interest in finance through courses or further study.

Desirable

  • Qualified or Studying towards Level 3 Association of Accounting Technicians

Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of the AP process
  • Paying suppliers in line with public sector payment policies.

Desirable

  • Month End Procedures
  • The importance of accounts payable controls and audit requirements.
  • Coding Structures and authorised signatories

Personal Skills

Essential

  • Ability to communicate clearly and professionally
  • Attention to Detail - Quality of Completed Application Form
  • Values align with the Trust's OAK values. Optimistic, Appreciative, Kind
  • Evidence of Potential

Desirable

  • Shows an understanding of the team working required for the role.
  • Ability to analyse and interpret financial information.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Colchester General Hospital

Turner Road

Colchester Essex

CO4 5JL


Employer's website

https://www.esneft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Colchester General Hospital

Turner Road

Colchester Essex

CO4 5JL


Employer's website

https://www.esneft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Accounts Payable Team Leader

Mark Davis

Mark.Davis@esneft.nhs.uk

07521665084

Details

Date posted

17 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

432-HR785-25

Job locations

Colchester General Hospital

Turner Road

Colchester Essex

CO4 5JL


Supporting documents

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