Finance Operations Manager

Interim Finance Operations Manager
Leicestershire
Salary: £50,000 - £61,000 DOE
Contract: 3 Month Interim Contract Initially 

We are looking for an experienced Operations Manager to join the business on an initial 3-month interim contract, taking ownership of the day-to-day leadership and strategic oversight of the Accounts Payable function.

This is a key leadership role with responsibility for ensuring the accurate, timely and compliant processing of supplier invoices and payments, while maintaining strong financial controls and effective supplier relationships.

Alongside overseeing BAU Accounts Payable operations, a major focus of the assignment will be stabilising the function, driving continuous improvement and leading the team through change. We are therefore looking for an experienced AP leader who can quickly understand the current operation, identify areas for improvement and provide clear direction to create a stable, efficient and high-performing function.

Key Responsibilities:

Accounts Payable Leadership

• Take overall ownership of the Accounts Payable function, ensuring processes are efficient, accurate, compliant and provide a high-quality service to the wider business.
• Lead, manage and develop AP Team Leaders and Specialists, creating a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Execute and communicate the Accounts Payable strategy in line with wider Finance and business objectives.
• Establish, monitor and report against departmental KPIs and SLAs, identifying areas of underperformance and implementing improvements.
• Manage departmental resources effectively to ensure appropriate coverage, productivity and cost control.
• Maintain robust internal controls across AP processes to minimise the risk of fraud, error and non-compliance.

Operational Excellence & Process Improvement

• Review existing AP processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, accuracy and service levels.
• Lead continuous improvement across invoice processing, payment runs, supplier reconciliations, query resolution and wider AP activities.
• Identify and champion opportunities for greater automation and technology, including OCR, workflow automation, RPA and AP systems.
• Oversee AP month-end and year-end processes, ensuring accurate and timely completion.
• Manage complex or escalated supplier queries and disputes, providing effective resolution.
• Ensure compliance with relevant financial regulations, internal policies and UK tax requirements, including VAT and CIS.

Change & Transformation

• Lead the Accounts Payable function through periods of significant operational and organisational change.
• Support major system implementations, process changes, restructuring and new policy rollouts.
• Develop and deliver effective change plans, ensuring clear communication, stakeholder engagement and appropriate training.
• Build engagement and resilience within the AP team, helping employees adapt successfully to new processes and ways of working.
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with transformation activity to ensure business continuity.
• Work closely with Finance, Procurement, IT and wider project teams to ensure successful system integration and process optimisation.

Stabilisation & Recovery

• Quickly identify existing operational challenges, bottlenecks and backlogs within the AP function.
• Develop and implement practical recovery plans to restore effective day-to-day operations.
• Help rebuild team morale and collaboration following periods of operational pressure or significant change.
• Introduce sustainable processes and contingency plans to improve the resilience of the AP function and reduce the likelihood of future disruption.

About You

We are looking for an established Operations Manager who is comfortable joining a complex environment and making an immediate impact.

You will ideally have:

• Significant experience managing an Accounts Payable or Purchase Ledger function, ideally within a large or complex organisation.
• Proven experience leading and developing AP teams, including Team Leaders and/or senior AP professionals.
• Strong experience of change, transformation and process improvement within Accounts Payable.
• A track record of improving AP performance through measurable KPIs, SLAs and operational improvements.
• Experience implementing or improving AP systems, automation, OCR or workflow solutions.
• Strong understanding of AP controls, supplier payments, reconciliations and month-end processes.
• Knowledge of relevant UK requirements, including VAT and ideally CIS.
• Experience managing operational backlogs, challenging workloads or underperforming processes would be highly advantageous.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to work across Finance, Procurement, IT and senior leadership.
• A hands-on, solutions-focused approach with the ability to quickly assess problems, prioritise actions and deliver results.
• Strong people leadership skills with the ability to motivate and support teams through challenging periods of change.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Accounts Payable Operations Manager to take on a high-impact interim assignment where you can genuinely influence the performance and direction of the function.

The successful individual will play a pivotal role in stabilising operations, supporting the team, improving processes and creating a stronger and more resilient Accounts Payable function for the future.