Lead - Accounts Payable

The Whole Truth Foods; Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,400,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

The Whole Truth Foods in Mumbai is seeking an Accounts Payable Lead to steer a team of AP Business Partners and own end-to-end payables processes. You will drive timely invoice bookings, payments, and governance across GST/TDS compliance, with a focus on accuracy and audit readiness.

You will implement SOPs, supervise month-end close, and partner with procurement and operations to minimize disputes. A hands-on finance leader who thrives in a fast-paced FMCG environment is ideal.

Qualifications

• Finance professional with 6–9 years in AP/Finance Ops, including 2–3 years leading a team.
• Experience in FMCG or consumer startup preferred.
• Detail-oriented with clean processes and structured workflows.
• Transparent, numbers-driven approach to vendor and partner relations.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of AP Business Partners and act as SPOC for business teams.
• Own SOPs for invoice processing, vendor master governance, and tax compliance.
• Oversee end-to-end invoice processing and payments with accuracy and timeliness.
• Manage month-end close and expense MIS with accurate cost tagging.
• Maintain internal controls and support audits with documentation.

Skills

Accounts payable processes

GST and TDS knowledge

Month-end close

Team leadership

SOP governance

Excel proficiency

Tally ERP

SAP knowledge

Stakeholder management

FMCG environment

Education

B.Com/M.Com/CA-Inter/MBA Finance or equivalent

Tools

SAP

Tally ERP

Excel

Job description

About the job:

At The Whole Truth Foods, transparency drives everything we do including how we manage our finances. As Accounts Payable Lead, you'll be the backbone of our vendor and business financial relationships, leading a team of AP Business Partners who act as trusted finance SPOCs for every business and operations function. You'll drive performance through disciplined invoice processing, clean and on-time payments, strong SOP governance, and an accurate, audit-ready expense MIS.

Key Responsibilities

1. Team Management & Business Partnering

• Manage a team of 4–5 AP Business Partners, each acting as functional SPOC for specific business/operations teams.
• Ensure each team member is effectively resolving end-to-end AP queries for their aligned stakeholders invoice booking, vendor reconciliation, payment status, discrepancy
• Set clear ownership, TATs, and quality standards; conduct regular 1:1s and performance reviews.
• Build bench strength and cross-train the team so business continuity isn't dependent on a single person per vertically.
• Drive cross-functional alignment with procurement, warehouse/ops, and business teams to reduce recurring invoice/payment disputes at the source.

2. SOP Governance & Process Compliance

• Own and continuously improve AP SOPs covering invoice processing, vendor master governance, PO/non-PO invoice workflows, TDS/GST compliance on vendor bills, and payment approval matrices.
• Ensure the team adheres to defined SOPs consistently no ad-hoc exceptions without
• Drive periodic SOP audits/spot checks across all SPOCs to catch process drift early.
• Standardize documentation and process notes across the team so processes aren't person

3. Invoice Processing & Payments Oversight

• Ensure timely and accurate invoice booking across all vendor categories (raw material, packaging, 3P/co-manufacturing, marketing, logistics, admin/opex).
• Oversee the payment cycle end-to-end: vendor due-date tracking, payment batch preparation, approvals, and release ensuring no missed due dates or duplicate/erroneous payments.
• Monitor ageing of vendor payables and proactively fl ag/resolve overdue or blocked vendor accounts.
• Ensure proper three-way matching (PO–GRN–Invoice) discipline is followed by the team.
• Review and approve high value/exception payments before release.

4. Month-End Close & Expense MIS

• Own the AP month-end close calendar ensure all accruals, provisions, and vendor invoice bookings are completed within the close timeline.
• Consolidate and review the expense MIS with accurate cost-center/department/SKU-level tagging as required.
• Ensure completeness of the books no missed liabilities, correct cut-off, and accurate accrual reversals.
• Partner with the Business Finance/controllership team to explain variances in expense MIS
• Ensure ledger scrutiny (vendor/GL) is completed and signed off before books are closed

5. Compliance, Audit & Controls

• Ensure GST input credit reconciliation, TDS compliance, and other statutory requirements
• Be the primary point of contact for internal and statutory auditors on all AP-related queries; ensure timely closure of audit observations.
• Maintain strong internal controls around vendor master creation/changes, payment approvals, and segregation of duties.
• Ensure documentation (approvals, contracts, debit/credit notes) is complete and retrievable for audit purposes.

Skills You Bring

• Strong hands-on knowledge of AP processes, invoice-to-pay cycle, and vendor accounting.
• Working knowledge of GST, TDS, and other statutory requirements applicable to vendor payments.
• Experience managing month-end close and building & reviewing expense MIS.
• Strong people management skills proven experience leading teams of 4+ members.
• Process orientation with the ability to build and enforce SOPs across a team.
• Strong Excel skills and hands-on experience with Tally ERP are a must; working knowledge of SAP is an added advantage.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills comfortable interfacing with business/ops leadership.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-transaction-volume FMCG/D2C environment.

Qualifications

• A finance professional (B.Com/M.Com/CA-Inter/MBA Finance or equivalent) with 6–9 years of overall experience in Accounts Payable/Finance Operations, including 2–3 years leading a team, preferably in a high-growth FMCG or consumer startup.
• Detail-obsessed, you love clean processes and bring structure to the team without slowing the business down.
• Most importantly, you believe in transparency — in numbers, in intent, and in how vendors and business partners should be treated.