P2P Operations Manager in Reading

About Defra

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world‑leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. The Digital, Data and Technology Services (DDTS) department manages one of the government’s largest and most complex digital supplier portfolios.

Position Overview

You are an experienced P2P (Purchase‑to‑Pay) Operations Manager (SEO) who will lead daily P2P team delivery of billing governance, financial assurance and cost‑model management across more than 30 contracts with a portfolio exceeding £500m annual spend. You will line‑manage a team of P2P specialists, act as the escalation point for billing issues, and work closely with Supplier Managers, Programme Leads and strategic suppliers.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver the operational outcomes that underpin DDTS’s supplier spend governance.
• Lead day‑to‑day P2P operations, ensuring spend is controlled, auditable and aligned to contractual and financial requirements.
• Line‑manage P2P Process Leads, providing direction, coaching and support to ensure high‑quality delivery across the team.
• Handle complex operational tasks, escalations and cost‑models within the portfolio.
• Act as a senior operational escalation point, resolving issues and ensuring processes run smoothly end‑to‑end.
• Collaborate with the G7, providing operational intelligence and support to shape priorities and decision‑making.
• Refine day‑to‑day ways of working, improve data quality and deliver reliable results through your own hands‑on work on complex tasks.

Governance & Operational Control

• Lead key P2P activities including requisitioning, PO management, receipting, forecasting and reconciliation.
• Maintain high‑quality, auditable data across all P2P tools and processes, ensuring spend is transparent, controlled and compliant.
• Personally deliver the more complex or sensitive operational tasks, ensuring accuracy and strong audit trails.

Supplier & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build trusted relationships with suppliers, Supplier Management, Delivery Groups and cross‑departmental teams.
• Guide stakeholders through P2P processes, ensuring spend remains compliant and well controlled.
• Act as a senior operational escalation point for issues raised by the team or delivery groups, ensuring timely, well‑evidenced and compliant resolutions.

Financial & Contractual Oversight

• Ensure accurate, reliable inputs and outputs across P2P tools, supporting financial controls, governance and audit requirements.
• Oversee reconciliation and reporting activity, ensuring billing and contractual data is robust, complete and ready for scrutiny.
• Support value for money by ensuring spend aligns with contractual terms, approved budgets and operational requirements.

Leadership & Team Development

• Line‑manage the P2P Process Leads, providing day‑to‑day leadership, coaching and support.
• Drive consistent, high‑quality delivery across the team, ensuring processes are followed and audit trails are complete.
• Support capability development within the team, promoting continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Ensure the team’s work aligns with the strategic direction and priorities set by the G7.

Disability Confident

Defra is a Disability Confident Employer. We will offer an interview to any applicant who declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. In certain recruitment situations such as high‑volume, seasonal and high‑peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non‑disabled people.