Day in the life of a Purchase Ledger Assistant

I’ve been working at Squared for 11 years. My previous role was supporting a local nursery with managing their accounts, with the added benefit of free childcare at work! As the Nursery became part of a larger chain, I also decided to make a change and joined Squared as a Finance Assistant.

Over my time at Squared, I’ve seen the company grow and as such the Finance team has grown as well. Today I work as a Purchase Ledger Assistant, where I manage the payment of bills and expenses. In short, I spend a lot of time looking at invoices!

Every home we have has their own set of invoices including utility bills, cleaning and other bills when the property is empty. Each invoice that comes into Squared goes through a process of approval to the relevant team and managers. It is very important to work with managers to ensure invoices are processed and approved so they can be paid on time in an efficient manner.

Sometimes invoices are queried by managers themselves, other times I might query them to ensure they are accurate. One challenge for my role is utility bills that are sent in for recently empty properties. In most of our homes, utility bills will be paid by our customers. Sometimes we get invoices we shouldn’t based on whether the property is empty at a particular time. This requires both clear communication and punctual updates to our system to ensure I can ensure the utility companies invoices are accurate.

Managing the Purchase Ledger is just one part of managing the larger finances of the organisation. The timing of invoices being processed by suppliers has a knock-on effect on the wider company accounts. Any delays to invoices coming in delay those accounts, which are so important for us to understand where we are financially as an organisation.

Working at Squared gives you a sense of purpose, that we’re here to help people. It makes a big difference knowing the invoices that I process are providing homes for people who need them. We have a great team at Squared, people who can you just chat to when you have an issue or simply help break up the day.

An important benefit of Squared for me is the approach to flexible working. Over the last 11 years, I value highly organisations approach to balancing work and life. I’ve been able to attend school sports days or assemblies around my work, meaning I’ve not missed out on moments with my kids but still been able to have a fulfilling job.  

Outside of Squared, I’m what you would call a social butterfly. I enjoy hosting family and friends and even enjoy cooking for large(ish!) groups. Always one for a chat or a catch up over a bottomless brunch!

Part of my recent fitness drive alongside trying out new diets has included going back in time. When I was a kid, I would often roller skate and have decided to get a pair and relearn the skill. I’m not one for running and I’d rather watch team sports than participate, so this felt like the obvious alternative to counting steps. It is certainly a strong sense of déjà vu when I put them on and so far, I’ve not fallen over yet!