Finance Operations Manager

National Physical Laboratory (NPL); Teddington; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) seeks a proactive Finance professional to lead AP/AR, ensure accurate ledgers, and drive cash flow reporting. You will coach the AP/AR team, manage reconciliations, and strengthen internal controls and anti-fraud practices across finance processes.

The role focuses on timely supplier payments, customer invoicing, and delivering performance metrics to monitor team efficiency and compliance, with involvement in external reporting and governance.

Qualifications

• ACCA or CIMA qualified or alternatively CICM, ILM or CMI qualified with strong knowledge of AP, AR, reconciliations, cashflow and financial controls.
• Proven experience leading AP/AR, transactional finance or finance operations teams.
• Experience managing payment cycles, supplier accounts, customer billing and aged debt.
• Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills including formulas, lookups, pivot tables and reconciliations.
• Experience using Microsoft D365 Finance or a comparable ERP system.
• Strong reporting and analytical capability with ability to explain trends and identify improvements.
• Confident communicator with stakeholders across Finance and the business.
• Continuous improvement mindset for processes, reporting, controls and team capability.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop the AP/AR team and drive performance.
• Provide technical expertise on accounting systems, payments, receipts and short-term cash flow forecasting.
• Report on AP/AR performance with analysis of payment practices, debtor and creditor positions and cash flow.
• Produce external performance reporting including payment practices.
• Ensure banking facilities and processes support efficient operations.
• Utilise Excel and D365 outputs to analyse trends and support decision-making.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and service.
• Ensure governance, quality, health, safety, security and environmental compliance.
• Monitor internal controls and fraud awareness to maintain a well-controlled workflow.
• Build relationships with suppliers, customers and stakeholders to support the mission.

Skills

AP/AR leadership

Financial controls

Cashflow forecasting

Excel proficiency

D365 Finance experience

KPIs & reporting

Stakeholder communication

Continuous improvement

Education

ACCA / CIMA / CICM / ILM / CMI qualified

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft D365 Finance

Job description

A member of the Finance management team responsible for the effective management of AP and AR activities, ensuring ledgers are accurately maintained and reconciled in line with financial reporting timetables. The role supports business continuity through the timely payment of suppliers, accurate invoicing of customers, and the delivery of performance metrics to monitor team efficiency and compliance. Maintains strong financial controls, governance and anti-fraud practices across all processes.

About the Role

A member of the Finance management team responsible for the effective management of AP and AR activities, ensuring ledgers are accurately maintained and reconciled in line with financial reporting timetables. The role supports business continuity through the timely payment of suppliers, accurate invoicing of customers, and the delivery of performance metrics to monitor team efficiency and compliance. Maintains strong financial controls, governance and anti-fraud practices across all processes.

This key role enables NPL operations to continue by ensuring supplier invoices are paid on time and NPL invoices can be raised to customers. The role also oversees the production of cash flow reporting and forecasts, for internal and DSIT Treasury shared services purposes. Accurate performance metrics should be produced to monitor and report on the compliance and efficiency of the team's work. The role ensures that internal control and anti-fraud practices are maintained to a high standard.

What you'll be doing:

• Lead, coach and develop the AP/AR team, driving the performance and potential of your team, building a highly motivated, customer focused and high performing team. Ensure team members are gaining professional development through growth of their skills and experience
• Provide technical expertise and knowledge of accounting systems, payments and receipts and to produce shorter term (up to 3 months) cash flow forecasting and reporting, both internally and externally
• Accountable for reporting on AP/AR performance, delivering clear analysis of payment practices, debtor and creditor positions, cash collection performance, reconciliations, KPIs and short-term cash flow forecasts
• Responsible for timely production of external performance reporting, including payment practices
• Ensure banking facilities and processes are in place to support efficient business operations
• Utilise Microsoft Excel and D365 reporting outputs to analyse trends, identify exceptions, support decision-making and improve operational performance
• Identify and implement process improvements and innovative solutions to enhance efficiency, automation and service performance across AP, AR and Treasury activities
• Ensure compliance with appropriate internal and external governance including quality, health, safety, security and environmental legislation minimising risk to the business and enhancing NPL's reputation
• Monitor and report on internal control processes and procedures, including fraud awareness, to maintain a well-controlled and efficient workflow
• Build and maintain supplier, customer and stakeholder relationships that will support NPL's ability to deliver its mission, its reputation and remain sustainable
• Manage and maintain relationships with internal stakeholders, suppliers and customers to ensure that queries and problems are dealt with by the team efficiently and effectively

About You

What you can bring to the role:

• ACCA or CIMA qualified or alternatively CICM, ILM or CMI qualified, with strong knowledge of AP, AR, reconciliations, cashflow and financial controls.
• Proven experience leading AP/AR, transactional finance or finance operations teams, with the ability to coach, develop and motivate colleagues.
• Experience managing payment cycles, supplier accounts, customer billing, credit control, aged debt and accounts receivable activity.
• Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills, including use of formulas, lookups, pivot tables, filtering and reconciliations to analyse data and produce reporting.
• Experience using Microsoft D365 Finance, or a comparable ERP system, to manage AP/AR processes, reporting, reconciliations and controls.
• Strong reporting and analytical capability, with the ability to produce accurate KPIs, explain trends and identify areas for improvement.
• Confident communicator with the ability to engage suppliers, customers and stakeholders across Finance and the wider business.
• A continuous improvement mindset, with enthusiasm for developing processes, reporting, controls and team capability under the new system.

We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance.

Please note: Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted throughout the duration of this advert therefore we may at any time bring the closing date forward. We encourage all interested applicants to apply as soon as practical.

About Us

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here - The measure of us - Overview

NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome. More about this on our Diversity & Inclusion page.

We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of rewards, benefits and recognition. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success. To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.