Head of Source to Pay (2341)

The Donkey Sanctuary; Sidmouth; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life assurance

Private health cover

Sickness income protection

31 days holiday

Wellbeing team

Pilates & Yoga

Long service awards

Healthshield plan

Free parking

Subsidised restaurant & shop

Job summary

The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon, invites applications for Head of Source-to-Pay. This hybrid, full-time role leads Procurement and Accounts Payable, guiding cross-site strategy and ensuring responsible use of charitable resources.

The role drives value for money, governance and continuous improvement, with 35 hours per week, 08:30-16:30, Monday to Friday. Joining the Senior Management Team, you will influence strategic direction and financial controls.

Qualifications

• Significant experience of leading procurement within a complex and/or multi-site organisation.
• Experience of developing and delivering procurement and supplier management strategies.
• A strong understanding of Source-to-Pay processes, governance and financial controls, together with experience of leading Source-to-Pay transformation, automation or systems improvement programmes.
• Experience of leading Accounts Payable or a comparable transactional finance function.
• A proven track record of leading, developing and motivating high-performing teams.
• Strong commercial, negotiation and stakeholder management skills, and able to influence at a senior level.

Responsibilities

• Leading the charity's Procurement and Accounts Payable functions, ensuring services are effective, customer-focused, compliant and aligned to organisational priorities.
• Developing, implementing and continuously evolving the charity's Source-to-Pay strategy, supporting value for money, sustainability, risk management and the effective stewardship of charitable resources.
• Acting as the process owner for Source-to-Pay governance, maintaining effective policies, procedures and control frameworks, ensuring they remain proportionate, effective and fit for purpose.
• Ensuring compliance with all relevant legal, regulatory, audit and internal control requirements, identifying and addressing areas of risk, control weakness or non-compliance.
• Providing strategic oversight of the Accounts Payable function, ensuring supplier invoices, expenses and payments are processed accurately, efficiently and in accordance with agreed controls and service standards.
• Using data, insight and performance information to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, effectiveness and value across the Source-to-Pay lifecycle.
• Leading, motivating, developing and supporting Procurement and Accounts Payable teams, creating a high performing and engaged culture.

Skills

Procurement leadership

Supplier management

Source-to-Pay

Accounts Payable leadership

Team development

Negotiation

Job description

The DonkeySanctuary is an international animal welfare organisation, offering care and protection to donkeys worldwide. Our vision is a world where every donkey has a good quality of life, and our mission is to improve the lives of donkeys every day. We will achieve this by transforming the lives of donkeys in need worldwide by fostering greater understanding, collaboration and support, and by promoting lasting, mutually life-enhancing relationships.

These are exciting times for the charity, and we have an excellent opportunity for a flexible and self-motivated individual with outstanding leadership, interpersonal and decision-making skills to join our busy Finance Department. As Head of Source-to-Pay, you will lead Procurement and Accounts Payable across The Donkey Sanctuary, ensuring the charity spends its resources responsibly, achieves value for money and maintains strong financial controls. The role is responsible for sourcing goods and services ethically and effectively, managing supplier relationships, overseeing payment processes and driving improvements across the end-to-end source-to-pay cycle. As a member of the Senior Management Team, you will contribute to the charity's strategic direction and operational success.

About you

• Significant experience of leading procurement within a complex and/or multi-site organisation.
• Experience of developing and delivering procurement and supplier management strategies.
• A strong understanding of Source-to-Pay processes, governance and financial controls, together with experience of leading Source-to-Pay transformation, automation or systems improvement programmes.
• Experience of leading Accounts Payable or a comparable transactional finance function.
• A proven track record of leading, developing and motivating high-performing teams.
• Strong commercial, negotiation and stakeholder management skills, and able to influence at a senior level.

About the role

Your principal duties and responsibilities within this multifunctional role will include –

• Leading the charity's Procurement and Accounts Payable functions, ensuring services are effective, customer-focused, compliant and aligned to organisational priorities.
• Developing, implementing and continuously evolving the charity's Source-to-Pay strategy, supporting value for money, sustainability, risk management and the effective stewardship of charitable resources.
• Acting as the process owner for Source-to-Pay governance, maintaining effective policies, procedures and control frameworks, ensuring they remain proportionate, effective and fit for purpose.
• Ensuring compliance with all relevant legal, regulatory, audit and internal control requirements, identifying and addressing areas of risk, control weakness or non-compliance.
• Providing strategic oversight of the Accounts Payable function, ensuring supplier invoices, expenses and payments are processed accurately, efficiently and in accordance with agreed controls and service standards.
• Using data, insight and performance information to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, effectiveness and value across the Source-to-Pay lifecycle.
• Leading, motivating, developing and supporting Procurement and Accounts Payable teams, creating a high performing and engaged culture.

What we offer in return

Based in Sidmouth, Devon – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – this is a full-time, permanent contract starting as soon as possible, working 35 hours per week, 08.30-16.30,Monday-Friday.

This is a hybrid working position, combining onsite and home working under our guidingprinciples for such roles. The working pattern and requirement for site attendance will be agreed between the line manager and post-holder, currently anticipated to be an average of one day per week.

• Life assurance.
• BUPA private health cover.
• Sickness Income Protection.
• 31 days holiday (including Bank holidays), rising to 34 with each full year of service.
• Wellbeing team.
• Recorded Pilates and Yoga classes.
• Long service awards.
• Healthshield plan, including reimbursement of some medical expenses up to the specified limits per membership, offers, discounts and cashback on shopping, travel and entertainment from participating outlets and access to a 24/7 GP and counselling service.
• Free parking.
• Subsidised restaurant and shop.

Closing date for completed applications: Sunday 6 December 2026.

The Donkey Sanctuary is a Disability Confident Employer.

The Donkey Sanctuary is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people (children and adults), and expects all staff and volunteers to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where required for the post.

The Donkey Sanctuary also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, for relevant posts, may request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

Please note: The Guaranteed interview scheme is only applicable to candidates who consider themselves to have a disability applying for roles based within the United Kingdom.

Other Opportunities at The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth