Group Manager-PTP SME

IBM; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 5,500,000 - 9,000,000; Full time

Job summary

IBM is seeking a seasoned Finance Transformation Leader to drive AI-powered transformation across Procure to Pay and Accounts Payable.

You will lead end-to-end AI deployment, design target operating models with AI agents, and partner with global finance teams to standardise processes and governance.

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in P2P/AP processes and shared services environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a roadmap for AP transformation integrating AI and analytics.

Skills

P2P/AP expertise

AI-enabled automation

Process reengineering

Stakeholder engagement

ERPs & AI platforms

Strategic transformation

Education

Master's Degree

MBA, CA or CPA (advantage)

Tools

Microsoft Copilot Studio

Power Automate

Claude

GPT-4

SAP S/4HANA

Oracle / Workday AI features

Job description

Introduction

We are seeking a seasoned Finance Transformation Leader specialising in Procure to Pay (P2P) / Accounts Payable (AP) to spearhead process optimisation, AI-enabled automation, and strategic efficiency initiatives. This role requires a blend of value enablement and execution, stakeholder engagement, and transformation leadership to drive AI-powered financial improvements while ensuring seamless business continuity. The ideal candidate will bridge deep P2P domain expertise with hands‑on capability in deploying Generative AI, Agentic AI, and intelligent automation solutions across the AP value chain

Introduction

We are seeking a seasoned Finance Transformation Leader specialising in Procure to Pay (P2P) / Accounts Payable (AP) to spearhead process optimisation, AI-enabled automation, and strategic efficiency initiatives. This role requires a blend of value enablement and execution, stakeholder engagement, and transformation leadership to drive AI-powered financial improvements while ensuring seamless business continuity. The ideal candidate will bridge deep P2P domain expertise with hands‑on capability in deploying Generative AI, Agentic AI, and intelligent automation solutions across the AP value chain

Your Role And Responsibilities

• Strategic Finance & AI Transformation
• Develop and execute a roadmap for AP process transformation integrating AI, automation, and analytics at each stage of the P2P lifecycle.
• Identify and prioritise AI use cases across invoice processing, exception management, vendor master governance, and payment optimisation.
• Design Target Operating Models that embed AI Agents, co‑pilots, and intelligent workflows as standard delivery components.
• Champion Lean, Six Sigma, and AI‑augmented methodologies to drive operational excellence in AP processes.
• Support new solution development via sole source, RFP, and renewal activities, including AI‑differentiated value propositions.
• AI & Technology Leadership in P2P
• Oversee end-to-end AI deployment across the P2P stack, including Generative AI invoice extraction, AI‑driven exception triage, and predictive payment analytics.
• Lead implementation of Agentic AI workflows (e.g., Microsoft Copilot Studio, IBM watsonx) to automate recurring AP tasks such as intercompany billing, PO matching, and payment runs.
• Evaluate and implement AP automation tools, including RPA, AI‑native platforms (Hypatos, Kofax, Esker), and S/4HANA intelligent automation capabilities.
• Govern AI model performance, hallucination risk, and exception escalation paths in production AP environments.
• Drive POC-to-production scaling of AI solutions, including Smart Billing AI Assistants and Vendor Master AI cleansing tools.
• Assess and bring forward differentiated AI solutions that strengthen IBM’s market position in F&A BPO.
• Stakeholder & Vendor Management
• Cultivate strong relationships with senior finance leaders, CPOs, and external partners to align AP transformation and AI adoption goals.
• Collaborate with global finance teams to ensure standardisation, compliance, and AI governance across international payment regulations.
• Lead negotiations with ERP vendors, AI platform providers, and financial institutions to deliver cost‑effective, future‑ready payment solutions.
• Operational Excellence & Compliance
• Establish and maintain KPIs for AP performance inclusive of AI impact metrics: touchless invoice rate, AI exception resolution rate, straight‑through processing (STP) %, and cost-per-invoice.
• Ensure adherence to financial governance policies, regulatory frameworks (GST, e‑invoicing mandates, Peppol), and AI ethics standards.
• Conduct periodic audits to assess fraud risks, AP controls, and AI model integrity.
• Create sub‑offerings to add incremental AI‑enabled value to client engagements.
• Consulting & Change Management
• Drive AP process improvement initiatives leveraging AI diagnostics, process mining, and intelligent benchmarking.
• Develop a structured change management approach covering AI adoption readiness, workforce reskilling, and digital trust building.
• Conduct training and upskilling sessions on AI‑augmented AP tools, Copilot/Claude usage, and Prompt Engineering for finance teams.
• Leadership & Communication
• Lead a high‑performing finance transformation team, mentoring professionals in AP strategy and AI‑enabled delivery.
• Present AP transformation insights, AI business cases, and financial impact reports to senior leadership and board members.
• Foster a culture of continuous innovation, AI experimentation, cost efficiency, and accountability in finance operations.

AI Skills & Competency Framework – P2P

AI Skill Domain

Required Proficiency / Tools

Generative AI for AP

Prompt engineering for invoice extraction and exception resolution; experience with LLM‑based AP copilots (Microsoft Copilot, Claude,GPT-4)

Agentic AI & Automation

Design and govern AI Agents for end‑to‑end AP tasks; familiarity with Microsoft Copilot Studio, Power Automate, Claude

Intelligent Document Processing

AI‑OCR, IDP platforms (Opentext, ABBYY, Kofax); structured/unstructured invoice data extraction

AI‑Augmented Analytics

Predictive payment analytics, supplier risk scoring, anomaly detection; Power BI / Tableau with AI overlays

Process Mining & AI Diagnostics

Celonis, SAP Signavio, or equivalent for AI‑driven P2P bottleneck identification and remediation

AI Governance & Responsible AI

Model risk management, AI audit trails, hallucination controls, GDPR/data privacy in AI‑enabled AP workflows

ERP‑Native AI Capabilities

SAP S/4HANA Intelligent Invoice Management, SAP Cash Application, Oracle AI for Payables, Workday AI features

AI Change Management

Workforce reskilling strategies for AI adoption; AI literacy programme design for AP/P2P teams

Preferred Education

Master's Degree

Required Technical And Professional Expertise

• Deep expertise in P2P / AP processes, procurement finance, and shared services environments
• Consulting experience in finance transformation, AI‑enabled automation, and process reengineering.
• Proven ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders in finance, operations, and procurement.
• Hands‑on experience with ERP systems (SAP S/4HANA, Oracle, Workday) and AI‑native AP automation platforms.
• Ability to architect AI solutions from POC through to scaled production deployment in BPO environments.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to quantify and communicate AI‑driven cost efficiencies and STP gains.
• Exceptional communication skills – able to translate AI strategies into actionable finance insights for C‑suite audiences.

Preferred Technical And Professional Experience

• MBA, CA, or CPA qualification will be an advantage.
• Certification in Lean Six Sigma, AI for Finance, Microsoft Copilot Studio, or IBM watsonx.
• Experience in global finance transformation and shared service centre environments.
• Familiarity with e‑invoicing regulatory mandates (India GST, EU Peppol, ZATCA) and their AI compliance implications.