Head of Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable in Reading

Accepting applications until: 11 July 2026

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Governance (30%)
  • Provide strategic leadership across Accounts Receivable (post-billing), Credit, Risk and Accounts Payable, ensuring robust governance, financial control and policy compliance across transactional finance.
  • Define and embed a clear working capital framework, establishing performance standards, control disciplines and accountability across AR and AP operations.
  • Act as senior escalation point for material customer exposure risks, significant supplier issues and control matters, ensuring balanced commercial decision‑making aligned to Global's risk policies.
  • Ensure audit readiness and compliance with internal control frameworks across all AR/AP processes.
• Working Capital & Cash Performance (25%)
  • Own and drive performance across DSO, aged debt, bad debt exposure, creditor days and overall cash conversion metrics.
  • Ensure strong alignment between credit policy, collections strategy and supplier payment governance to optimise liquidity and minimise risk.
  • Partner with Commercial Finance and FP&A to enhance cash forecasting accuracy and provide data‑driven insight into working capital trends.
  • Lead structured performance management routines, embedding KPI transparency and continuous improvement across teams.
• Digital Enablement, AI & Automation (20%)
  • Drive the evolution of Finance Operations through AI, automation and advanced analytics, embedding predictive insight into working capital management and reducing dependency on manual transactional processing.
  • Refine the digital vision for AR and AP, identifying further opportunities to simplify, standardise and refine automated collections workflows, credit risk monitoring, invoice processing and payment governance.
  • Partner with Finance Transformation, Technology and FinOps Enablement teams to implement scalable, data‑driven solutions that enhance control, improve forecasting accuracy and strengthen decision‑making.
  • Champion a digital‑first operating model that strengthens resilience, scalability and operational efficiency.
• Operational Excellence & Process Optimisation (15%)
  • Ensure AR and AP processes are standardised, efficient and clearly documented, with strong service levels and cross‑team coordination.
  • Drive simplification of hand‑offs between Billing, Credit and Payables to reduce friction and improve cash realisation.
  • Embed a culture of continuous improvement, proactively identifying control gaps, process bottlenecks and service enhancements.
• People Leadership & Stakeholder Partnership (10%)
  • Lead and develop a high‑performing leadership team including the Credit & Risk Manager and Purchase Ledger Manager, fostering accountability, capability development and succession planning.
  • Work in close partnership with the Head of Billing to maintain clear accountability across revenue governance and cash realisation.
  • Build strong relationships across Commercial, Finance, Procurement, Legal and Technology to ensure alignment between operational finance processes and business objectives.

What You'll Love About This Role

• Think Big: Support and lead the evolution of Finance Operations, shaping how Global manages working capital, risk and supplier governance at scale.
• Own It: Be accountable for cash collection, credit exposure and supplier payment integrity – with measurable impact on liquidity and financial resilience.
• Keep It Simple: Design clear, scalable and efficient Finance Operations processes that reduce complexity, remove unnecessary manual intervention and enable better, faster decision‑making across AR and AP.
• Better Together: Partner with Commercial, Finance, Procurement and Technology leaders to balance growth, risk and operational excellence.

What Success Looks Like

Within your first 6 months, you will have:

• Established a clear working capital governance framework across AR and AP, with defined ownership, KPIs and control standards.
• Delivered measurable improvements in working capital, aged debt profile and creditor day performance, with improved cash visibility and forecasting accuracy.
• Implemented meaningful automation and AI‑enabled enhancements across collections, risk monitoring and AP workflows, reducing manual touchpoints and improving control integrity.

What You'll Need

• Strategic Finance Leadership: Proven experience leading Accounts Receivable, Credit, Risk and/or Accounts Payable functions within a complex, commercially driven organisation.
• Working Capital Expertise: Strong track record of improving DSO/DPO, managing credit exposure, optimising creditor performance and enhancing cash flow forecasting.
• Governance & Control Mindset: Deep understanding of financial controls, risk management frameworks and audit requirements within transactional finance environments.
• Digital & Transformation Capability: Experience driving automation, process redesign and AI‑enabled improvements across finance operations, with the ability to translate data into actionable insight.
• Commercial Acumen: Ability to balance risk management with commercial growth, partnering effectively with Sales, Finance and Procurement stakeholders.
• Senior Stakeholder Influence: Confidence engaging and influencing senior leaders, resolving complex issues and operating as a trusted partner to the Finance Director – Operations.
• People Leadership & Talent Development: Demonstrated success in leading and developing senior managers, building high‑performing teams and creating a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Analytical & Data‑Driven Thinking: Strong ability to interpret operational and financial data, identify trends and drive informed decision‑making.