Accounts/AP Administrator

As Manchester Airports Group (MAG)’s exclusive appointed supplier, we are recruiting a Finance / Accounts Payable Administrator into their IT Finance team.

The company

MAG is the UK’s largest airport group and largest UK-owned airport operator employing approximately 7,000 people across a diverse range of activities.

The Group continues to invest significantly in the development of its airport estate and passenger experience with multiple major transformation programmes underway. Strategic priorities include enhancing the passenger experience, supporting sustainable development, driving economic growth and creating a more sustainable future.

MAG also recognises that delivering a first-class journey for its customers starts with creating a first-class career experience for its people. The Group is committed to creating inclusive working environments in which colleagues can thrive, supported by a strong range of employee benefits and flexible working opportunities.

We are looking for a highly organised, detail-oriented Finance /Accounts Payable Administrator to join this complex, fast-paced business on a 6-month assignment.

The immediate focus of the role will be supporting the Accounts Payable payments function, with particular emphasis on supporting with clearing a backlog, resolving outstanding issues and ensuring suppliers are paid accurately.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys working in a structured environment, has excellent attention to detail and can maintain focus and momentum when working through a high volume of repetitive tasks. You will need a can-do attitude, to be comfortable investigating issues and have the confidence to follow things through to resolution.

You may have significant AP experience and be happy to focus on high volumes of administrative processing tasks, or perhaps you are a recent graduate of a finance / numerically focused course looking to gain initial work experience which you can build on moving forward.

Once the backlog has been brought under control, there will be the opportunity to broaden your experience and become involved in reporting, analysis and process improvement activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Carry out day-to-day Accounts Payable administration and processing.
• Accurately input data into relevant systems.
• Raise Purchase Requisitions (PRs) where required.
• Monitor and chase outstanding approvals to ensure invoices can be processed promptly.
• Carry out supplier statement reconciliations and investigate discrepancies.
• Locate missing Purchase Orders (POs) and work with relevant teams to resolve issues.
• Investigate invoice queries, discrepancies and other AP issues, taking ownership through to resolution.
• Liaise with internal stakeholders and suppliers as necessary to obtain missing information or resolve outstanding items.
• Take all necessary steps to ensure suppliers are paid accurately and within agreed timescales.
• Work systematically through current backlog, prioritising outstanding items and ensuring actions are followed through to completion.
• Identify recurring issues or process gaps and raise these with the appropriate team members.
• Assist with reporting and analysis.
• Support the team with process improvement initiatives, helping to identify opportunities to improve efficiency and accuracy.

Experience and skills:

• Highly organised and detail-oriented.
• Able to manage repetitive tasks while maintaining concentration, accuracy and productivity.
• Numerically confident.
• Able to spot discrepancies, missing information and potential issues.
• Naturally inquisitive and driven to find solutions.
• A strong communicator who is comfortable chasing information and approvals when required.
• Resilient and able to work through a backlog methodically until it is cleared.
• Proactive, practical and solutions-focused, with a genuine can-do attitude.
• Comfortable working to deadlines and managing competing priorities.
• Able to work independently while also contributing positively to the wider team.
• Willing to commit fully to the 6-month duration of the assignment.
• Intermediate Excel skills and able to quickly pick up new systems and processes.
• Previous experience within Accounts Payable or a similar finance administration environment would be advantageous. Experience of working with purchase orders, invoice processing, reconciliations and supplier queries would be particularly useful as is an understanding of general accounting principles such as debits and credits.

This role provides an opportunity to make an immediate impact by helping to clear an existing backlog and improve the efficiency of the function.

As the backlog is brought under control, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop their experience beyond transactional AP work

If you are someone who enjoys getting things done, solving problems and seeing a task through to completion, this could be an excellent opportunity to make a tangible contribution to a high-profile, world-renowned business whilst also developing your wider finance experience!

Location: Manchester Airport
Working Pattern: Hybrid – typically 2–3 days per week in the office, with flexibility depending on business needs
Hours: 37, Flexible around core hours of 9:00am–4:00pm
Duration: 6 months – full commitment to the duration of the assignment is required
Parking: Park and ride parking available