Accounts Payable Team Lead – Remote & Process Excellence in Newcastle upon Tyne

The role sits in the accounts payable function covering a range of finance and administration related tasks to ensure invoices, expense claims and payments are processed in a timely and accurate manner in line with Service Level Agreements. This is a customer focused role and includes line management of Accounts Payable Assistants. The role will support the Accounts Payable Services Manager in Newcastle, and will be hands on, with responsibility for line management as well as "mucking in" when needed to ensure the team's responsibilities are effectively delivered.

Key Responsibilities

• Scheduled Automatic Payments: Overseeing and checking scheduled daily payment runs for various regions using pre-defined criteria, carrying out high-level detailed checks to ensure process has been followed.
• Service Desk: Day to day management of the Emburse service desk service requests, ensuring the team promptly resolves any invoice fails or rejections and escalating as required, act as a key escalation point for queries.
• Controls & Compliance: Ensure adherence to financial controls and policies, maintain audit-ready processes, review and approve transactions where required, minimise risk and ensure accuracy.
• Team Leadership & Management: Lead, coach and develop AP team members, manage performance, schedule regular 1-2-1s and roadmaps, support onboarding and training programmes, set clear expectations and ensure accountability.
• Reporting: Reporting against service levels, both within Accounts Payable management and other finance stakeholders.
• Training & Development: Responsible for training and development of the team, including managing the probation period of new starters and working alongside Accounts Payable Services Manager to ensure new colleagues are onboarded and training programme created.

Key Requirements

• Team leadership (line management) in a payments team (essential).
• Leading a team in a customer driven service centre environment, operating to and reporting against service levels (preferred).
• Knowledge of SAP, Emburse or other invoice/expense workflow solution (preferred).
• Experience in a multinational, professional services environment (preferred).

Personal Attributes

• Professional, approachable, and proactive.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to lead by example and drive team engagement.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced environment.
• Customer service mindset, able to work as part of and lead a team, sharing knowledge and ideas whilst working proactively to meet service levels.
• Keen sense of responsibility, able to set a professional example and ensure the team commits to and delivers.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate in a professional, approachable manner at all levels, and to non-Finance professionals, both verbally and in writing.
• Follow standard operating procedures but also challenge the status quo, exercising good judgement and decision making.
• Comfortable working within a fast-paced, flexible environment supporting Finance and the business in the completion of objectives.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

To attract the best people, we strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work, have a sense of belonging, and realize their full career potential. Our new enabled work model allows our people to have more flexibility in the way they choose to work from both the office and a remote location, while continuing to deliver the highest standards of service. We offer a range of family friendly and inclusive employment policies and provide access to programmes and services aimed at nurturing our people's health and overall wellbeing.