Financial Analyst - Accounts Payable

Job description:

Financial Analyst - Accounts Payable

Based in London

• *Closing Date for Applications - Friday 8th May**

About us

World Rugby is the world governing and law-making body for the sport of Rugby Union. In addition to its governance functions, World Rugby organizes a number of major international tournaments and events, such as the Rugby World Cups (women's and men's), the annual Rugby Sevens Series and the developmental Women's WV international tournament.

World Rugby is now on a mission to innovate to excite, inspire and engage new audiences in existing and new rugby markets, to grow the sport for all. Through World Rugby Events & Media (WREM), the delivery of major tournaments under a new model which will see Rugby World Cups in Australia in 2027 & 2029, and culminating in ground breaking tournaments in the USA in 2031 and 2033. Under the new model, World Rugby will have a more direct role in the setting up, running and delivery of the Rugby World Cups and aims to be the leader in the delivery of major international events.

Overview

We are seeking a commercially minded and process-driven Accounts Payable Analyst to support our Events & Media functions. This role will be based in our London office and will act as a key liaison between Finance and the business, ensuring efficient, scalable, and well-controlled financial operations.

The successful candidate will bring strong experience from a multinational or shared services environment, with a proven track record in accounts payable, expenses, and process improvement. This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in enhancing finance operations while partnering closely with stakeholders across a dynamic, global organisation.

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Partner with the World Rugby business teams in London to handle their purchasing needs, coordinate with suppliers, and resolve all payment‑processing queries.
• Act as trusted partner to internal teams, applying a customer‑centric approach to build strong relationships and deliver high‑quality support.
• Proactively deal with large volume of invoices and / or suppliers’ correspondences with accuracy and speed, ensuring all invoices are processed by month end and payment run deadlines.
• Manage end-to-end invoice processing and execute payment runs as required, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely settlement.
• Ensure all foreign VAT figures are posted correctly and providing backup to the Accounts Assistant to reclaim
• Lead supplier onboarding processes, ensuring compliance with internal controls, governance standards, and audit requirements
• Serve as the primary point of contact for supplier queries, promoting efficient and consistent onboarding practices across the business
• Partner with the wider finance team including query resolution, reporting, insights, cashflow queries, and supplier reconciliations to support month-end close
• Support internal and external audit processes, ensuring timely and accurate responses to audit queries
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, automation, and control across finance operations
• Contribute to finance transformation projects, including system implementations and process enhancements (e.g., bank documentation workflows)

Skills & Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a finance operations or accounts payable role within a multinational organisation or shared services environment
• A team player with a professional conduct and problem-solving skills and who has a proactive, ‘can-do’ approach. As well as the ability to work independently.
• Experience of implementation of new purchasing tools/ invoice scanning (preferred)
• In-depth knowledge of end-to-end Purchase-to-Pay processes, with a track record of applying best practice to drive efficient and accuracy.
• Qualification or part-qualification in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related discipline preferred
• Strong working knowledge of ERP systems (SAP preferred) Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel
• Experience across centralised finance processes (AP, expenses, corporate cards, or P2P)
• Strong analytical, organisational, and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

World Rugby is committed to building a diverse workforce and therefore strongly encourages applications from underrepresented groups. We are committed to equality and inclusion and welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of their background. We strive to be a diverse and inclusive workplace, which reflects the global sport we want to be and where everyone can be themselves and feel they belong.

Flexible Working:

Most of our roles offer hybrid working, with two core office days (Tuesday & Wednesday) and a third day of your choice to be with colleagues in the office. This applies to our Dublin and