Big Bus Tours is the world’s largest operator of open-top sightseeing tours, fueling the spirit of adventure in 23 world-famous cities across four continents. Beginning its journey 28 years’ ago, with a fleet of only three buses, Big Bus Tours has swiftly expanded to a global fleet of over 400 hundred open-top buses, turning 5 million tourists into explorers, every year. Big Bus Tours operates in London, Dubai, Hong Kong, New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Abu Dhabi, Budapest, Istanbul, Miami, Muscat, Rome, Paris, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Darwin, Sydney, Vienna, Washington DC, Dublin, Singapore, Los Angeles and Berlin with a sightseeing concept designed to provide a flexible approach to city discovery. Each open-top bus tour provides a hop-on, hop-off facility at a variety of interesting locations, with complimentary additions to enhance the visitor sightseeing experience. In February 2015, private equity firm Exponent purchased Big Bus Tours, with a shared vision to make Big Bus Tours the number 1 thing to do in each world-famous city. In 2016, Merlin Entertainments PLC became a shareholder, offering a natural synergy with Big Bus Tours and Merlin attractions and experiences around the world. With entertaining guides and commentary and knowledge of the latest events in each city, the Big Bus City Crew leaves every passenger with a story to tell.

Overall Purpose

We require an enthusiastic and highly motivated individual to join the European Finance team in an Accounts Payable / Accounts Receivable clerk role. German language capabilities are essential.

The Accounts Payable part of the role is to ensure all invoices received are appropriately authorised, recorded accurately into the accounting system and raised for payment in a timely manner.

The Accounts Receivable part of the role is to ensure all debtors are invoiced correctly as well as ensuring the collection of all debts from customers.

Key Areas of Accountability and Responsibility

Accounts Payable

• Record invoices received from suppliers
• Ensure invoices are matched to a PO where required
• Obtain authorisation from relevant business contact where pre-authorisation has not been obtained
• Ensure we regularly receive and reconcile vendor statements, investigate and resolve discrepancies
• Regularly create creditors report and take responsibility for supplier payments runs
• Processing Direct Debit invoices  
• Respond to and resolve all supplier queries
• Ensure other ad hoc payments are processed and recorded in a timely manner
• Assist relevant city accountant in month end closing
• Maintain files and documentation thoroughly and accurately, in accordance with company policy and accepted accounting practices
• Creditor analysis – providing aged creditor reports to the accounting team, Agent Sales Team and Management. 

Accounts Receivable

• Raising invoices for all debtors
• Posting and allocating daily receipts to accounting systems
• Reconciling cash receipts against expectations and investigating any discrepancies
• Overseeing correct allocation of voucher booklets against the correct agent partners in our sales and accounting systems
• Ensuring customers pay on time, liaising with agents and agents sales representatives. Contacting individuals or business customers when payment is overdue.
• Assisting with transition from current AR systems and processes to improved alternate solutions
• Issuing statements to debtors
• Maintaining and updating online platform with payments
• Debtors analysis – providing aged debtor reports to the accounting team and Management. 

Knowledge

• Understanding of the accounts payable and billing/accounts receivable processes
• Good understanding of travel/tourism industry is preferred

Skills

• Fluency in German
• Proficient in use of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Previous experience of SAP is preferred
• Excellent communication skills
• Time management.
• Proven ability to manage multiple work streams at the same time while paying strict attention to detail

Experience/Qualifications

• Previous experience in an accounts payable function is necessary
• Preferably educated to A level or equivalent

Competencies

• Communication – Ability to express ideas or facts in a clear and persuasive manner
• Analytical – Effectiveness in identifying problems, seeking pertinent data, recognising important information and identifying possible causes of problems
• Planning and Budgeting – Ability to establish efficiently an appropriate course of action for self/others to accomplish a goal
• Resilience – Able to maintain effectiveness in situations of disappointment and/or rejection
• Discrete - Able to manage data confidentially