Head of Accounts Payable

Peel Ports Group; Warrington, Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 Days Annual Leave (plus bank HOL)

Up to 10% pension contribution

Flexible benefits package

Learning & personal development

Employee wellbeing support

Job summary

Peel Ports Group sits as a leading UK port operator seeking a Head of Accounts Payable to lead the AP function within Group Finance. You will oversee the end-to-end Procure-to-Pay process, ensuring strong controls, efficient payments and high service levels across Peel Ports Group.

You will manage and develop the AP team, collaborate with Finance, Procurement and Treasury, and drive continuous improvement through process optimisation and automation to enhance supplier and colleague experience.

Qualifications

• Professional accounting qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent, with AP/Finance operations experience.
• Experience leading an Accounts Payable function and delivering end-to-end Procure-to-Pay controls.
• Strong stakeholder management and ability to influence across functions.
• Track record of delivering process improvements and automation initiatives.
• Knowledge of governance, compliance and risk in finance operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support delivery of an efficient, well-controlled Accounts Payable service.
• Provide leadership to the AP team and foster development and collaboration.
• Ensure governance, policies and controls across the Procure-to-Pay process.
• Oversee supplier invoice processing, payments, reconciliations and master data.
• Drive continuous improvement through automation and new technologies.

Skills

Accounts payable leadership

Procure-to-Pay processes

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Change management

Process improvement

Automation/digital transformation

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent

Tools

SAP

Job description

Head of Accounts Payable (AP)
Are you an experienced finance professional with a passion for leading teams and driving continuous improvement? Join our Group Finance team in Liverpool as Head of Accounts Payable, where you'll lead our shared service function, enhance the Procure-to-Pay process, and help deliver operational excellence, strong financial controls and outstanding service across the business.

Your Role

As our Head of Accounts Payable, you will lead and support the delivery of an efficient, well-controlled and customer-focused Accounts Payable service across Peel Ports Group.
You’ll provide leadership to the Accounts Payable team, creating an environment where colleagues can develop, collaborate and perform at their best. You’ll help ensure effective governance, policies and controls are in place across the end-to-end Procure-to-Pay process, while monitoring performance measures and identifying opportunities to enhance service delivery and ways of working.
Working collaboratively with colleagues across Finance, Procurement, Treasury and operational teams, you’ll oversee supplier invoice processing, payments, reconciliations, master data management and query resolution. You’ll also play an important role in driving continuous improvement through process optimisation, automation and the adoption of new technologies that support efficiency and a positive colleague and supplier experience.

Who are we?

Already one of the UK's leading port and logistics companies, we are planning substantial capital investment over the next 5 years to achieve our vision of becoming the UK's leading port operator. We have ambitious plans to grow and transform the supply chain to benefit our customers. Our investments are decarbonising our operations, which in turn is helping us work towards our goal of having Net Zero Port Operations by 2040. Much of our success depends on our unrivalled facilities and technology. But in our sector, it comes down to having the right talent to enable our organisation to grow.

What you'll bring

You will ideally hold a professional accounting qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent, although significant relevant experience within Accounts Payable and Finance Operations will also be considered.

In addition, you will have:

• Proven experience leading an Accounts Payable function
• Strong understanding of end to end Procure-to-Pay processes and controls
• Experience developing and managing high performing teams
• A track record of delivering operational efficiencies, process improvements and working capital benefits
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across multiple functions
• Excellent communication skills with experience presenting information to senior stakeholders
• Strong change management capabilities and experience implementing new processes, technologies or ways of working
• An understanding of governance, compliance and risk management within finance operations

It would also be advantageous if you have:

• Experience of SAP and finance process automation tools
• Knowledge of industry-leading Procure-to-Pay performance metrics and best practices
• Experience implementing automation, AI or digital transformation initiatives
• Understanding of data quality management and reporting within finance operations
• Experience working within logistics, transport, infrastructure or other asset-intensive industries

In addition to a competitive salary, we have a strong track record of developing our people to expand their skills and experience and develop their careers. Valuing and rewarding our workforce is important to us which is why we offer a fantastic range of flexible benefits to choose from, such as:

• 27 Days Annual Leave (plus bank holidays)
• Up to 10% Matched Contribution Pension
• Peel Ports Flexible Benefits including salary sacrifice car scheme, healthcare cash plans, Cycle2Work Scheme, Critical Illness Insurance, Gym Membership Scheme, Retail Vouchers, plus more
• Commitment to learning and personal development. Last year we supported over 50,000 hours of training and personal development
• We promote good physical and mental health and can provide additional support to colleagues through our Employee Assistance Programme when required