AP/AR Team Lead

Triumph Consultants Ltd; Guildford; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

Triumph Consultants Ltd in Guildford is seeking an experienced Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable Team Lead for an 8-month interim contract. Hybrid working is available, with a focus on delivering high-quality transactional finance services across public sector operations.

You will lead a team of AP/AR professionals, drive KPI targets, maintain governance and controls, and collaborate with stakeholders to improve processes, staff capability, and financial reporting.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading AP and/or AR operations in a finance environment.
• Proven experience managing and developing teams.
• Strong financial controls, governance, and KPI-driven service delivery.
• Experience leading month-end processes, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Advanced Excel skills with data analysis and reporting ability.
• Experience in local government or regulated public sector.
• Knowledge of VAT and CIS in transactional finance.
• Experience administering finance systems as system owner.
• Ability to produce management information for senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of AP/AR specialists, planning workloads and mentoring.
• Monitor KPIs and ensure service standards and controls.
• Act as escalation point for complex AP/AR queries and risks.
• Oversee month-end activities and control accounts.
• Governance, VAT/CIS compliance across transactions.
• Produce management information and ad hoc analyses.
• Drive process improvements to enhance efficiency and delivery.
• Own AP/AR systems administration and access controls.

Skills

Leadership

Accounts payable/receivable

KPI driven delivery

Excel advanced

Stakeholder management

Tools

Excel

Finance systems

Job description

Location: Guildford (Hybrid Working Available)

Sector: Public Sector

Ref: 8281

Rate: £30.00ph PAYE (flexible holiday pay options)

Contract: Interim Contract, 8 months

Working Pattern: Full Time

Hybrid Working: Yes

The Role

Our client, a large public sector organisation, is seeking an experienced Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable Team Lead to oversee a high-performing transactional finance function. This is a key leadership role responsible for the delivery, performance, compliance, and continuous improvement of AP and AR services across a complex operational environment.

You will lead a team of AP and AR professionals, ensuring service standards, financial controls, governance requirements, and performance targets are consistently achieved. Acting as the lead point of contact for AP/AR matters, you will support operational excellence while driving efficiencies, developing staff capability, and maintaining strong stakeholder relationships across finance and corporate services.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage and develop a team of Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable specialists, including workload planning, resource allocation, mentoring and performance management.
• Monitor and report on service KPIs, ensuring operational targets, customer service standards and financial controls are consistently achieved.
• Act as the primary escalation point for complex AP/AR queries, risks, issues and service challenges, resolving matters promptly and effectively.
• Lead month-end and year-end activities across the purchase ledger and associated control accounts, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Oversee AP/AR governance, compliance, data quality and policy adherence, including VAT and CIS compliance across transactions.
• Produce management information, performance reports and ad hoc financial analysis to support cash flow management, budget monitoring and decision-making.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, identifying opportunities to enhance processes, efficiency, controls and service delivery.
• Act as the lead owner for AP/AR systems, maintaining and administering finance platforms, managing access controls, configuration requirements and system-related issues.

You Will Need (Essential Requirements)

• Significant experience in Accounts Payable and/or Accounts Receivable operations, including leadership responsibility within a finance environment.
• Proven experience managing and developing teams, including performance monitoring, coaching, mentoring and resource planning.
• Strong understanding of financial controls, governance, compliance requirements, and KPI-driven service delivery.
• Experience leading month-end processes, reconciliations, control account management and financial reporting activities.
• Advanced Excel skills with the ability to analyse data, produce reports and support operational decision-making.
• Experience working within a local government, public sector or similarly regulated environment.
• Knowledge of VAT and CIS regulations and their practical application within transactional finance.
• Experience administering finance systems and acting as a system owner or super user.
• Experience producing management information and performance reporting for senior stakeholders.
• Knowledge of process improvement methodologies and service transformation initiatives.