Senior Manager, Global Accounts Payable

About the Opportunity

Our client, a market-leading global consumer products company, is seeking a Senior Manager, Global Accounts Payable / Procure-to-Pay to lead its end-to-end AP operations, strengthen governance and controls, develop a geographically distributed team and advance the company’s technology and process-improvement roadmap.

This role requires more than systems implementation or project oversight. The successful candidate will be a hands-on operational leader who can translate strategy into sustainable processes, navigate organizational resistance and clearly demonstrate how changes improved service, controls, cost, timing and team performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead global Accounts Payable and Procure-to-Pay operations across multiple entities and regions.
• Oversee vendor onboarding and master data, purchase-order compliance, invoice processing, three-way matching, payment execution and vendor support.
• Manage T&E, corporate card programs, 1099 reporting, escheatment and related compliance activities.
• Ensure accurate and timely AP close, accruals, reconciliations, reporting and audit support.
• Establish and maintain policies, approval structures, controls, service levels and governance standards.
• Partner with Procurement, Supply Chain, Accounting, Treasury, Tax, IT and business leadership to resolve operational issues.
• Lead technology implementations and process improvements from discovery and business-case development through testing, adoption and stabilization.
• Identify the process, policy, data and control changes required to support successful technology implementation.
• Build practical change-management plans that address stakeholder resistance, competing priorities, cost, timing, training and adoption.
• Monitor performance through KPIs such as invoice cycle time, exception rates, payment accuracy, discount capture, aging and vendor-service levels.
• Lead, coach and develop a distributed team, including managers, individual contributors and outsourced partners.
• Establish clear expectations, address performance issues and create meaningful development and succession plans.
• Evaluate and pilot practical uses of automation, AI, analytics and reporting tools within AP and P2P.
• Remain current on developing capabilities within tools such as Power BI, EPM platforms, workflow automation and generative AI.

Required Qualifications

• At least seven years of progressive Accounts Payable, Procure-to-Pay or shared-services experience.
• At least four years leading AP/P2P teams within a complex, multi-entity organization.
• Demonstrated ownership of end-to-end AP/P2P operations—not solely consulting, advisory or implementation support.
• Experience leading geographically distributed, offshore or outsourced teams.
• Strong knowledge of vendor master governance, invoice processing, payments, three-way matching, T&E, corporate cards and AP close.
• Proven success implementing ERP, workflow, invoice-automation or P2P technology.
• Ability to explain specific implementation obstacles, governance changes, business tradeoffs and measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrated success leading organizational change and gaining adoption from employees and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Strong people-leadership experience, including coaching, performance management, team development and succession planning.
• Working knowledge of reporting, analytics, automation and emerging AI applications within finance operations.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within a global consumer-products, manufacturing, distribution or inventory-based organization.
• Experience integrating acquired businesses, standardizing processes or consolidating ERP environments.
• SAP, Oracle, Coupa, Concur, Power BI or comparable systems experience.
• Experience with RPA, OCR, workflow automation or practical AI-enabled finance tools.
• Knowledge of SOX, GAAP and internal-control requirements.