Accounts Payable Lead

Operating on a fully remote basis, this six-month contract position takes ownership of the end-to-end accounts payable function across a group of financial services companies. The position ensures the precise, timeous processing of supplier transactions, corporate credit cards, and employee expense claims while upholding robust financial controls, audit standards, and policy compliance. Serving as an essential cross-functional business partner, the role oversees month-end close schedules, resolves operational escalations, and maintains vendor master data governance. Focusing on efficiency and operational excellence, the role actively supports automation initiatives, ERP enhancements, and workflow improvements to minimise month-end adjustments and strengthen financial reporting integrity. Key Responsibilities Oversee the complete procure-to-pay (P2P) lifecycle across the group, ensuring accurate and timeous processing of supplier invoices, credit notes, corporate credit cards, and employee expense claims with an understanding of prepaid expenses. Prepare payment runs for approval within delegated authority limits and internal compliance frameworks. Review accounts payable ageing reports to resolve overdue items, invoice disputes, open purchase orders, and supplier enquiries proactively. Maintain rigorous vendor master data governance, identifying duplicate or inactive suppliers and mitigating duplicate invoice risks. Coordinate documentation and operational responses for internal and external audit reviews. Manage accounts payable month-end close activities in alignment with the group financial calendar, ensuring timely accrual submissions to general ledger owners and minimising late adjustments. Identify opportunities to improve accounts payable workflows, driving efficiency and automation through tools such as automated payments and OCI invoice reader technology. Partner cross-functionally with Procurement, Treasury, and Finance teams to support system upgrades, ERP enhancements, and standard operating procedure documentation. Act as the primary escalation contact for complex accounts payable queries, supplier disputes, and approval cycle bottlenecks. Requirements Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field. Minimum of 5 years of experience in accounts payable and finance operations. Thorough understanding of procure-to-pay (P2P) processes and financial control environments. Practical working experience with ERP systems (Sage Intacct) and procurement systems. Proven proficiency in Microsoft Excel. Strong organisational, stakeholder-management, communication, and business acumen capabilities. Desirable Requirements Experience gained within a shared services or multinational corporate environment. Practical exposure to process improvement and finance workflow automation. Exposure to project management or ERP implementation projects. Required Software Skills Sage Intacct Microsoft Excel