Accounts Payable & Banking Manager

The Witherslack Group; Kendal; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

7 weeks holiday

Flexible benefits package

Wellbeing tools

Medical cover

Beautiful working environments

Refer a friend £1,000 bonus

Job summary

The Witherslack Group is seeking an experienced Accounts Payable & Banking Manager to lead our AP, Purchase to Pay and banking functions within the Finance team. You will oversee invoice processing, approvals, and timely payments while managing cash, reconciliations and reporting.

You’ll drive process improvements and automation across ERP systems and Workday PO usage. You’ll shape the function with KPI-based monitoring, support month-end activities, and lead a team through deadlines and growth.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in Accounts Payable, Purchase to Pay, banking or similar finance environment with team leadership.
• Strong experience with ERP systems and improving finance processes.
• Proven track record of driving process improvement, automation and standardisation.
• Excellent Excel skills with data reporting to monitor performance.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building across functions.
• Strong organisational skills to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Proactive, analytical approach to identify risks and implement practical solutions.
• Experience in cash management, reconciliations, month-end processes and financial reporting is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end Accounts Payable and Purchase to Pay processes, overseeing invoices, approvals and timely payments.
• Oversee cash management cycle including accounting, reconciliation and reporting.
• Utilise Workday PO system and drive efficiency and controls across the function.
• Establish and monitor KPIs, analyse performance data and identify trends.
• Lead month-end processes, site-level reviews, journals and prepayments checks.
• Develop and manage the AP/finance team, allocating resources around deadlines.
• Drive continuous improvement, automation and standardisation across processes.

Skills

Excel

ERP systems

Data reporting

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Team leadership

Tools

Workday PO system

Job description

We're looking for an experienced and proactive Accounts Payable & Banking Manager to join Witherslack Group and take overall responsibility for our Accounts Payable, Purchase to Pay and banking functions. This is a key role within our Finance team, responsible for ensuring our processes are efficient, accurate, well controlled and consistently delivered across the organisation.

You'll lead the end to end Accounts Payable and Purchase to Pay process, overseeing invoice processing, approval workflows, timely payments and the effective use of our Workday PO system. You'll also lead our cash management cycle, including accounting, reconciliation and reporting, while ensuring accurate reporting across areas such as AP ageing, accruals and payment forecasting.

As a key driver of continuous improvement, you'll identify opportunities to standardise processes, introduce automation and make better use of technology across the function. You'll establish and monitor appropriate KPIs, using performance data to identify trends, manage risks and drive improvements. You'll also play an important role in our month-end process, overseeing site level performance reviews, journals and relevant checks around areas such as capex and prepayments.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys combining operational leadership with process improvement and strategic thinking. You'll manage and develop the team, ensuring resources are effectively allocated around key deadlines, while helping to shape our Finance function as the Group continues to grow.

Significant experience working within Accounts Payable, Purchase to Pay, banking or a similar finance environment, with experience of leading or managing teams.

Strong experience of working with ERP systems, ideally with experience of managing and improving finance systems and processes.

Proven track record of driving process improvement, automation and standardisation, with the ability to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, controls and service delivery.

Strong knowledge of Microsoft Excel and the ability to use data and reporting to monitor performance, identify trends and support effective decision-making.

Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to partner effectively with colleagues and stakeholders across all functions of the business.

Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and tight deadlines, particularly during month-end and key payment periods.

A proactive and analytical approach, with the confidence to identify risks, challenge existing processes and implement practical solutions.

Experience of cash management, reconciliations, month-end processes and financial reporting would be highly beneficial.

This role is based at our Group Office in Lupton on a hybrid basis, with 3 days in the office. There may also be occasional travel requirements to work alongside operational colleagues across the Group.

Those huge small victories

We are the highest Ofsted-rated provider in the country for special education and care. Our teams are fulfilled by the idea of making even the smallest positive changes in our young people, so we celebrate the little things.

For children with complex needs the level of care and education we provide must go above and beyond. That's what drives us here at Witherslack Group. With our high staff-to-child ratio and in-house clinical teams, we're proud to have won a reputation for excellence and market leading OFSTED ratings.

We know you're going to do great things. For your hard work and commitment, we reward you with the best salary and benefits package in the care sector. With us, you'll get to make a genuine difference to the lives of our young people - plus you'll get:

• Salary: Dependent on experience and qualification
• Holiday: You'll work hard at WG, so you'll be rewarded with 7 weeks' holiday (including bank holidays)
• Flexible benefits package: meaning you can increase/decrease your holiday allowance, pension and life insurance - check out our benefits here
• Wellbeing: a host of wellbeing tools and advice including employee assistance
• Medical cover so you can claim back the cost of things like an opticians or dentist appointment and a host of high-street discounts
• Beautiful working environments with the very best facilities
• A recommend a friend scheme that offers a £1,000 bonus every time

Join the UK's best special education and care provider

Our young people deserve the best possible future and we feel the same about our teams. You deserve to have the career you want, with a purpose-led employer, in an environment that allows you to be yourself .