Accounts Payable Associate

Salary: R20,000 – R24,000 per month basic salary depending on experience, + funded study supportRole type: Permanent, full-timeLocation: Fully remote, based in Cape Town, South AfricaHours: 08:30 – 17:00 UK time, Monday to Friday (09:30 – 18:00 or 10:30 – 19:00 South African time, depending on UK clock changes)Reporting to: Financial ControllerAbout HometreeJoin Hometree at the most exciting moment in our story. Founded in 2015, we've become one of the fastest-growing challengers in the UK home services market, spanning home cover that protects the essential systems in the home, renewable installations like solar, batteries and heat pumps, and the financing that makes them affordable. Together, we help homeowners look after their homes and move to greener, lower-carbon living.We're now going through the biggest step change in our history. By acquiring OVO Energy's Home Services division, including the trusted CORGI HomePlan and HomeHeat brands, we're becoming one of the UK's leading home services groups, with fresh investment to fuel our next phase of growth. It's a genuine inflection point, and we're looking for people who want to help us build what comes next.Key Achievements🏆 UK's third-largest home cover provider: our latest acquisition makes us the third-largest provider of home cover in the UK.🏆 7 Acquisitions - We've expanded our operations by acquiring 6 key companies across financing (Hometree Finance - formerly Bewarm), Home Cover (Your Repair) and energy services (Geowarmth, The Little Green Energy Company, IMS and GreenGen). And we have most recently announced the acquisition of OVO Home Services and CORGI Homeplan.🏆 500k Homes Covered - We cover over 500 hundred thousand homes across the UK🏆 550+ Employees - We have over 550 passionate employees transforming the industry across the Group, one home at a timeThe RoleThis is a brand-new, dedicated Accounts Payable position, the first of its kind in the Group. Until now our accounts payable work has been shared across several people and several entities. We’re bringing it together into one focused role so that AP is owned end to end, consistent and properly controlled.You’ll own the day-to-day purchase ledger across the Group’s entities, working across both of our accounting platforms (Xero and QuickBooks Online), with strong automation already in place through Dext, ApprovalMax and Spendesk. You’ll process around 1,000 supplier invoices a month, run several weekly payment runs plus month-end runs, and keep our supplier relationships and reconciliations in good shape.Because the role sits in South Africa and the Group sits in the UK, we need someone who has done this before at distance. That means a self-starter who can hold a ledger together without being managed day to day, who knows UK purchase ledger mechanics properly, and who is comfortable being the single point of accountability for AP across a multi-entity group.This role is also designed as a launchpad. We’ll fund your professional study, CIMA or ACCA, and give you hands-on experience across a multi-entity, multi-currency group going through significant M&A. As Hometree grows and the finance function scales, so will your opportunities. We want the person who joins us in this role to grow into something bigger.Responsibilities:Process supplier invoices: accurately code and post around 1,000 invoices a month across the group’s entities, using Dext to capture and ApprovalMax to route approvals to the right budget holders.Run supplier payments: prepare and process several weekly payment runs plus month-end runs across all entities, making sure suppliers are paid accurately, on time and with the right approvals in place.Reconcile supplier statements: reconcile statements to the ledger, investigate and resolve discrepancies, and keep supplier master data clean and accurate.Own the aged creditors ledger: monitor AP ageing across entities, chase down open and overdue items, and flag anything unusual or disputed.Support subcontractor (CIS) payments: process payments to subcontractors, apply CIS deductions and help prepare monthly CIS returns, working under the supervision of the Financial Controller.Resolve queries: be a friendly, professional first point of contact for suppliers and internal colleagues on invoice and payment questions.Support month-end: make sure AP is complete and accurate for the month-end close, and help with balance-sheet reconciliations relating to the purchase ledger.Support audits: keep documentation organised and complete, and help pull together information for internal and external audit requests.Improve our AP processes: identify repetitive, manual tasks and streamline them through automation and AI, building on tools like Dext, ApprovalMax and Spendesk while maintaining strong controls.What we’re looking for:Accounts payable experience: at least two years in a dedicated accounts payable or purchase ledger role, handling genuine volume, several hundred invoices a month or more.International experience: you’ve supported a business based outside your own country. You’ve processed ledgers for overseas entities, handled more than one currency, and worked to a finance team in another time zone.UK purchase ledger experience: hands-on with a UK ledger, including UK VAT treatment on supplier invoices and GBP payment runs.Multi-entity: you’ve run or materially supported AP across more than one legal entity, and you understand why entity discipline and intercompany accuracy matter.Systems: hands-on with Xero and/or QuickBooks Online, and with AP automation tools such as Dext, ApprovalMax or Spendesk, or close equivalents.Month-end discipline: you’ve closed AP to a hard deadline, prepared accruals and owned purchase-ledger balance-sheet reconciliations.Remote operator: a real track record of working fully remotely with autonomy. You organise your own week, communicate proactively and don’t need chasing.Attention to detail: a genuine care for accuracy and getting things right.Organisation: able to juggle deadlines across multiple entities without dropping things.Tech confident: comfortable with Google Workspace and quick to pick up new systems.Clear communication: friendly and confident when dealing with suppliers and colleagues.Trustworthy: comfortable handling confidential financial information.Career driven: keen to build a career in finance and grow with a fast-moving group.Process improvement mindset: interested in using technology and AI to reduce manual finance work.Extra Credit:Start-up or scale-up experience: you’ve worked in a fast-growing, VC- or PE-backed business where finance processes were being built rather than inherited, and you’re comfortable with the pace and the ambiguity that comes with it.M&A and integration: you’ve onboarded a newly acquired company’s purchase ledger into a group, migrating suppliers, aligning processes and cleaning up what you found.Bookkeeping knowledge: an understanding of double-entry bookkeeping or early study towards AAT.CIS awareness: some knowledge of the Construction Industry Scheme is helpful, but not essential.Automation projects: you’ve led or materially contributed to an AP automation or AI project, rather than only using the tools someone else configured.Our Recruitment Process:Initial Call: Start with an introductory call with our Junior Talent Acquisition Specialist to discuss the role and your potential fit. (30 mins)Task Stage: Present a task to our Financial Controller and Payroll Coordinator (1 hr)Values Interview: A Values Based Interview with 2 employees (typically these will be stakeholders you will interact with) (40 mins)Final Interview: For certain positions there may be a final interview with a member of senior management or our senior leadership team 30mins)Perks of the jobWe have an ever expanding list of benefits that currently includes:23 days annual leave plus South African public holidays and a day off for your birthday Medical aid with Discovery, the Classic Smart plan, funded by usProvident fund: we contribute 5% of your basic salary, alongside a matching 5% from youFunded professional study towards CIMA or ACCA, including fees and study leaveSupport for your mental health and wellbeing via OlivaA MacBook for work useFCA Code of ConductAt Hometree, we prioritise ethical conduct and regulatory compliance. As a regulated financial services organisation, we operate under the strict guidelines and regulations set forth by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in all aspects of our business.As a prospective member of our team, you will be expected to fully embrace and adhere to the FCA Code of Conduct obligations. These obligations are designed to ensure the fair treatment of customers, the preservation of market integrity, and the promotion of healthy competition within the financial services industry.Equal Opportunity EmployerAt Hometree, we are committed to creating an inclusive and representative environment. We know that different experiences, perspectives and backgrounds make for a better workplace and a better planet. Together, we celebrate differences and promote a culture where you can bring your full self to work.We promise to give you the same opportunities as everyone else and we won't discriminate against you at any point in the hiring process or the working day. This includes how we source talent, our interview process, our conditions of employment, feedback and everything in between