Advanced Associate, Financial Operations

Job Title: Advanced Associate, Financial Operations

Role: In this role, you will be responsible for delivery of Purchase Order (PO), Goods Receipt (GR) and related Source-to-Pay activities within Pearson's Marketing Purchasing Hubs operating model. This role aligns with industry titles such as Procure-to-Pay (P2P) Associate, Source-to-Pay Operations Associate or Accounts Payable Operations Associate

Role Purpose

The Purchasing Hub Operations Coordinator supports the delivery of Purchase Order (PO), Goods Receipt (GR) and related Source-to-Pay activities within Pearson's Marketing Purchasing Hubs operating model.

Working within a global Finance Operations team, the role is responsible for processing transactions accurately and efficiently while providing excellent support to business stakeholders. The successful candidate will help ensure purchasing activities are completed in line with agreed processes, service levels and financial controls.

This role offers an excellent opportunity for someone looking to develop a career in Finance Operations. Whilst the primary focus is operational delivery, there will be opportunities to gain exposure to process improvement activities, automation initiatives and the ongoing development of the Atlas programme as it continues to grow and evolve.

Why Join Source to Pay Operations?

We are transforming how Pearson manages purchasing and supplier processes across the organisation starting with the Marketing business.

Joining the team offers the opportunity to:

• Develop valuable Source-to-Pay and Finance Operations experience.
• Build expertise in global business processes and systems.
• Work with a wide range of stakeholders across different functions and regions.
• Contribute ideas to improve ways of working and enhance user experience.
• Gain exposure to automation, digital tools and operational transformation initiatives.
• Grow and develop your career within a supportive and evolving team.

What You'll Be Doing

Operational Support

• Create and maintain Purchase Orders and Goods Receipts accurately and within agreed timelines.
• Review requests to ensure required information and approvals are in place.
• Process transactions in accordance with established procedures and controls.
• Monitor assigned activities and follow up on outstanding actions where required.
• Maintain accurate records and documentation to support audit and compliance requirements.

Stakeholder Support

• Respond to stakeholder queries in a professional and timely manner.
• Support business users through purchasing processes and requirements.
• Escalate issues appropriately and seek support when needed.
• Work collaboratively with Finance, Procurement and other internal teams to resolve queries.

Quality & Compliance

• Follow established financial controls and governance requirements.
• Ensure transactions are completed accurately and consistently.
• Support compliance with audit and documentation standards.
• Identify potential issues and raise them to senior team members as appropriate.

Learning & Continuous Improvement

• Build knowledge of Source-to-Pay processes, systems and policies.
• Support team initiatives focused on improving efficiency and service quality.
• Share ideas that may improve processes or stakeholder experience.
• Participate in training, testing or project activities as opportunities arise.
• Develop skills and knowledge to support future career growth within Atlas and Finance Operations.

Key Skills for Success

Customer Focus

• Delivers a positive experience for stakeholders.
• Communicates clearly and professionally.
• Builds effective working relationships.

Organisation & Attention to Detail

• Maintains accuracy when processing transactions.
• Manages workload effectively.
• Follows established processes consistently.

Learning Agility

• Demonstrates curiosity and willingness to learn.
• Open to feedback and development opportunities.
• Adapts positively to change.

Problem Solving

• Takes a proactive approach to resolving routine issues.
• Identifies inconsistencies and seeks guidance when needed.
• Demonstrates sound judgement within defined procedures.

Teamwork

• Works collaboratively with colleagues.
• Shares knowledge and supports team objectives.
• Contributes positively to team culture.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Previous experience in an administrative, operations, finance support or customer support environment.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Good organisational and time management skills.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel.

Preferred

• Experience in Accounts Payable, Procurement Support or Finance Operations.
• Experience creating Purchase Orders or supporting purchasing processes.
• Experience using Oracle, SAP or similar business systems.
• Exposure to shared services or global operations environments.
• Interest in process improvement and operational excellence.

Who Will Succeed in This Role?

We're looking for someone who:

• Has a positive, can-do attitude.
• Is eager to learn and develop new skills.
• Enjoys helping others and delivering great service.
• Takes pride in producing accurate, high-quality work.
• Is organised and reliable.
• Wants to build a career in Finance Operations and grow alongside a developing global programme.

Key Performance Indicators

• Purchase Order processing accuracy.
• Goods Receipt processing accuracy.
• SLA adherence.
• Transaction quality and compliance.
• Stakeholder satisfaction.
• Productivity and workload management.
• Participation in team improvement activities.