Accounts Payable Team Lead: Lead, Coach & Optimize

SF Partners; England; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

SF Partners is seeking an experienced Accounts Payable Team Leader in Leicestershire to lead a fast-paced finance team. The role is initially a 6-month contract with the potential to become permanent, reporting to the Accounts Payable Operations Manager.

You will oversee day-to-day AP activities including invoice processing, supplier queries, and payment runs, while driving performance and process improvements.

Qualifications

• Previous Accounts Payable/Purchase Ledger management or team leadership experience.
• Proven experience managing, coaching and developing a finance team.
• Strong end-to-end Accounts Payable knowledge.
• A proactive approach to process improvement and operational efficiency.
• The ability to identify problems and implement practical solutions rather than simply escalating them.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence to build relationships across different areas and levels of a business.
• Experience monitoring workloads, KPIs, SLAs and team performance.
• The ability to remain hands-on and support the team when volumes or pressures increase.
• Strong organisational, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• A resilient and adaptable approach, particularly when working within a changing environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage and develop an Accounts Payable team, initially with at least two direct reports and scope for the team to grow.
• Provide clear day-to-day direction, coaching and regular 1-to-1s, proactively managing workloads and individual performance.
• Oversee the end-to-end AP process, ensuring high volumes of invoices, credit notes and debit notes are processed accurately and within agreed timescales.
• Manage supplier statement reconciliations, discrepancies and escalated supplier or internal queries.
• Review payment runs and ensure appropriate controls and payment terms are followed.
• Monitor daily, weekly and monthly KPIs and SLAs, identifying issues and taking action to improve performance.
• Oversee processing volumes, including activity completed by offshore teams.
• Monitor automated/robotic invoice processes and quality controls to maintain accuracy and data integrity.
• Support month-end and year-end AP activities, including reconciliation reviews and management information.
• Maintain appropriate AP controls and support compliance with relevant requirements, including VAT and CIS where applicable.
• Provide hands-on support during busy periods and help the team tackle backlogs or operational challenges.
• Proactively identify areas for process improvement, contributing to the implementation of new processes, systems and more efficient ways of working.
• Maintain and improve AP processes, procedures and supporting documentation.
• Build strong relationships across the wider business, confidently engaging with stakeholders and visiting different areas of the organisation to understand challenges and resolve issues.
• Support the team through periods of change, communicating priorities clearly and helping colleagues adapt to new ways of working.

Skills

Accounts Payable

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Process improvement

KPI tracking

Job description

SF Partners is seeking an experienced Accounts Payable Team Leader in Leicestershire to lead a fast-paced finance team. The role is initially a 6-month contract with the potential to become permanent, reporting to the Accounts Payable Operations Manager.

You will oversee day-to-day AP activities including invoice processing, supplier queries, and payment runs, while driving performance and process improvements.