Head of Accounts Payable (AP) in City of London

Join Williams Stanley & Co as Head of Accounts Payable (AP). We are a leading accountancy firm serving a diverse range of clients in the hospitality industry, from high street chains to family‑run cafés.

Our mission is to provide accurate and actionable financial insights to businesses, drawn from the founders’ experience managing rapidly growing ventures. We operate across the UK, the Philippines and Dubai, and embrace a customer‑first accounting culture that relies on collaboration and expertise.

Key Responsibilities

• Managing the team of AP Processors and Purchase Ledger Administrators
• Liaising with all departments to improve processes and automation across the business
• Ensuring the work completed by team members is correct by double‑checking where necessary
• Overseeing the full AP lifecycle across clients, ensuring a 3‑day close discipline
• Leading process automation and No PO, No Pay enforcement
• Managing a team of AP Managers and Assistants, including offshore or hybrid setups
• Partnering with the Systems & Delivery team to drive efficiency via technology (e.g. Pleo, ApprovalMax, or our own integrations)
• Maintaining supplier ledgers for all entities, including regular supplier statements and reconciliations
• Defining and improving systems and controls for the business, ensuring processes are efficient and effective
• Communicating with suppliers and clients and maintaining good rapport
• Reviewing and approving prepared documents in our accounting systems, ensuring a high level of accuracy

Essential Requirements

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience managing AP teams
• Experience with Xero, QuickBooks or Sage systems
• Strong people‑management and team‑management skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Common sense and a self‑driven can‑do attitude
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and under pressure with good time‑management skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• Strong problem‑solving skills, applying novel techniques when necessary
• Experience with high‑volume invoice processing and automated approval workflows
• Proficient user of Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Microsoft Office
• Reliable team player, able to collaborate with multiple stakeholders
• Motivated to excel and perform the role to the best of their ability
• Confident in suggesting new ideas and listening to client needs
• Thrives in a dynamic, fast‑paced work environment

Desirable Skills

• Experience with Xero or debt management
• NetSuite experience
• Supplier statement reconciliations
• Creditor list management
• Payment run proposal and processing
• Bank reconciliations
• Xero Advisor Certification or QuickBooks Online Core Certification

About You

• Motivated to make a difference
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Experience and knowledge of credit control
• Ability to handle problematic clients diplomatically
• Proficiency with accounting software, specifically Xero
• Strong IT skills and competence with Microsoft Office packages, including Outlook, Word, Excel
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to work in a fast‑paced environment
• Well organised with multi‑tasking ability
• Flexible
• Experience in hospitality or accounting environments preferred, but not essential
• Right to live and work in the UK

What We Offer

• Competitive salary
• Membership on our employee recognition platform YuLife, with free perks, counseling services and training providers
• Ongoing career progression, training and support in gaining nationally recognised qualifications, including an Education Scheme and ACCA Support
• 30 days holiday entitlement pro‑rata (including Bank Holidays), with an additional day for each year of service
• Great pension scheme (Penfold)
• Fun company socials and events
• Flexible hybrid working model (2 days minimum in the office)
• Employee Assistance Programme and coaching for personal and professional development
• Enhanced parental leave policy (subject to length of service requirements)
• Birthday leave – an additional day of leave to be taken on or around your birthday
• Mental Health Half Days celebrating the power of Me Time
• Annual pay reviews and biannual appraisals – career progression is everything!

Seniority Level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment Type

Full‑time

Job Function

Management and Manufacturing

Industry

Accounting