Finance Operations Leader — AP & Automation

Howden Group Services Limited; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. The Finance Operations Manager role in Milton Keynes leads transactional finance services across Accounts Payable, Employee Expenses and Corporate Cards, driving automation and ensuring policy-compliant processing.

You will manage teams, partner with offshore providers, and deliver KPI-driven improvements across multiple entities and geographies, while upholding robust financial controls and audit readiness.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in Finance Operations, Accounts Payable or Shared Services.
• Experience leading finance operations teams.
• Strong understanding of AP controls and governance.
• Experience managing high-volume transactional environments.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• AAT, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent qualification.
• Experience with offshore or shared services operating models.
• Experience with ERP platforms (Unit4, SAP, Oracle, etc).

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end Accounts Payable operations.
• Oversee employee expense and corporate card programmes.
• Ensure invoices and payments meet SLAs.
• Drive automation and process improvements.
• Monitor KPIs and oversee offshore teams.

Skills

Accounts Payable

Finance Operations

Team Leadership

ERP systems

Advanced Excel

Education

Accounting qualification (AAT/ACCA/CIMA)

Tools

Unit4

Kanbina

Emburse

Concur

Coupa

SAP

Oracle

Job description

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. The Finance Operations Manager role in Milton Keynes leads transactional finance services across Accounts Payable, Employee Expenses and Corporate Cards, driving automation and ensuring policy-compliant processing.

You will manage teams, partner with offshore providers, and deliver KPI-driven improvements across multiple entities and geographies, while upholding robust financial controls and audit readiness.