Purchase Ledger: Job Description

  
Purchase Ledger – Job Description

Learn more about becoming a Purchase Ledger in the UK.

Main Duties

A purchase ledger deals with the money that a company is paying out. This means that they will have to deal with the invoices, VAT payments, staff expenses and pay out money as required, making sure that they are paying the right amount to the right people.

The job will be an office based job with little opportunity to travel and normal office working hours like 9-5, Monday to Friday. There may be the possibility of flexible hours, part-time or temporary work, depending on the company.

You will need to work with purchase, sales and general ledgers, do bookkeeping and check and then organise payments.

Check supplier statements and process them.

You will also need to organise and file paperwork.

There will be a mix of administration and phone work as well as the mathematical side of the role.
Clients may phone to chase payments and so some time will be spent on the telephone.

Expected Salary

This job would probably pay between £16,000 and £23,000 depending on past experience and qualifications.

Pros

Can lead on to other better paid positions such as supervisory roles or management accountant.
Provides good experience for anyone who enjoys the idea of an office job.

Great for anyone who is a lover of figures and maths, especially arithmetic and would like a job in this area.

Cons

It will be your responsibility for paying people and so if they do not get what they want then you may have to deal with their complaints.

You will be the first port of call for suppliers who have not been paid and so they may take out their frustrations on you.

You need a head for figures which many people do not have.

A responsible job where mistakes could be problematic to the company.

Qualifications Required

You will need GCSE Maths and English.
Bookkeeping experience may be preferred.
IT skills would be a bonus especially Excel, Sage, Microsoft Dynamics and BACS.
Those wanting to progress their career should look to do a Level 1 Association of Accounting Technicians qualification, which will provide basic bookkeeping skills.

Required Skills
A good head for figuresPatience when dealing with frustrated clients and a thick skin to accept criticismGood administration skillsCapable of working well with a teamTime management skills Ability to consistently reach deadlinesConfident computer skillsA good telephone manner