Senior Manager, Accounts Receivable

Optimizely; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading digital experience platform provider in the UK is seeking a Senior Manager, Accounts Receivable. This pivotal role involves managing cash collections, forecasting, and driving process improvements. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience in AR management within a fast-paced environment, complemented by strong analytical and stakeholder management skills. Join a dynamic team dedicated to unlocking digital potential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in cash collections and AR management in a global environment.
• Proven track record in DSO improvement and forecasting accuracy.
• Experience implementing automation and AI-driven forecasting tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Accounts Receivable team.
• Manage global cash forecasting process and ensure reliable projections.
• Drive digital transformation of AR operations with automation tools.

Skills

Cash collections

AR management

Forecasting

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Education

Professional qualification (ACCA, ACA, CIMA) or relevant degree in Accounting, Finance

Tools

Advanced Excel

BI/reporting platforms

Job description

Overview

We are seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Senior Manager, Accounts Receivable to lead Optimizely's cash collection and forecasting function. This role is pivotal in ensuring strong liquidity management, predictable cash flow, and effective working capital performance. The Senior Manager will combine hands-on leadership of collections with strategic responsibility for cash forecasting, leveraging automation, AI-driven analytics, and process transformation to scale AR operations globally. You will partner closely with Finance, Sales, and Customer Success and Legal to ensure timely customer payments, improve forecasting accuracy, and drive continuous improvement across the order-to-cash lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Accounts Receivable team to deliver best-in-class cash collection results.
• Serve as the point of escalation for payment, cash application, and dispute resolution issues.
• Ensure adherence to company policies around collections, write-offs, and AR balances.
• Attend key customer meetings to strengthen relationships and resolve high-value or strategic collection issues.
• Drive initiatives to reduce Days Sa les Outstanding (DSO) and improve collection effectiveness across regions.
• Own and manage the global cash forecasting process, ensuring reliable short-, medium-, and long-term projections. Leverage data analytics and predictive modelling to identify payment trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Provide actionable insights and scenario analysis to senior leadership to support strategic decisions.
• Develop and maintain KPIs, dashboards, and reporting to track forecast accuracy, collection performance, and risk exposure.
• Drive the digital transformation of AR by implementing automation tools, AI-driven collection strategies, and real-time reporting solutions.
• Continuously review and optimize processes to improve efficiency, scalability, and accuracy.
• Partner cross-functionally (Finance, Sales, Legal, Customer Success) to enhance order-to-cash processes and customer experience.
• Benchmark Optimizely's AR operations against industry best practices to ensure market-leading performance.
• Act as a trusted business partner to Finance leadership, providing regular updates on collection performance, forecast outlook, and risk management.
• Facilitate monthly AR performance reviews with senior management.
• Ensure the AR team is appropriately resourced, trained, and empowered to operate effectively.
• Promote a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement within the AR function.
• 5+ years' experience in cash collections, AR management, and forecasting within a global, fast-paced environment (SaaS or technology preferred).
• Proven track record of delivering improvements in DSO, cash forecasting accuracy, and working capital performance.
• Demonstrated experience implementing or leveraging automation and AI/data-driven forecasting tools.
• Strong knowledge of direct debit collection processes and international payment methods.
• Advanced Excel and financial systems experience; exposure to BI/reporting platforms and automation technologies highly desirable.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and translate it into actionable insights.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior executives and cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrable ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
• Professional qualification (ACCA, ACA, CIMA) or relevant degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.

About Optimizely

At Optimizely, we're on a mission to help people unlock their digital potential. We do that by reinventing how marketing and product teams work to create and optimize digital experiences across all channels. With Optimizely One, our industry-first operating system for marketers, we offer teams flexibility and choice to build their stack their way with our fully SaaS, fully decoupled, and highly composable solution. We are proud to help more than 10,000 businesses, including H&M, PayPal, Zoom, and Toyota, enrich their customer lifetime value, increase revenue and grow their brands. Our innovation and excellence have earned us numerous recognitions as a leader by industry analysts such as Gartner, Forrester, and IDC, reinforcing our role as a trailblazer in MarTech. At our core, we believe work is about more than just numbers it's about the people. Our culture is dynamic and constantly evolving, shaped by every employee, their actions and their stories. With over 1500 Optimizers spread across 12 global locations, our diverse team embodies the "One Optimizely" spirit, emphasizing collaboration and continuous improvement, while fostering a culture where every voice is heard and valued. Join us and become part of a company that's empowering people to unlock their digital potential!