This is a key role within the Finance team. The successful candidate will be expected to bring strong Accounts Payable experience, process ownership, control awareness, and team management capability. The role is suited to someone who has previously owned an AP function or worked at an experienced AP supervisory/managerial level.

This role will be responsible for strengthening the AP control environment, reducing avoidable escalations, improving supplier governance, and ensuring the transactional finance team operates with clear ownership, discipline, and accountability.

Day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Lead and manage the Transactional Finance team, providing day-to-day support, coaching, and performance management
• Own the end-to-end Accounts Payable process, ensuring supplier invoices are processed, approved, and paid accurately and on time
• Manage the AP inbox and supplier relationships, ensuring queries, disputes, and aged creditor balances are resolved promptly
• Oversee supplier onboarding, bank detail amendments, and statement reconciliations, ensuring robust controls and fraud prevention measures are followed
• Manage payment runs, ensuring appropriate approvals, accurate payment files, and effective duplicate payment prevention controls
• Support month-end close activities, including supplier reconciliations, accruals, creditor reporting, and audit requests
• Drive continuous improvement across Accounts Payable by strengthening processes, reducing manual workarounds, and improving the use of finance systems
• Partner with the Financial Controller to enhance Accounts Payable policies, supplier governance, and wider transactional finance processes, while supporting the ongoing development of the finance function

The Spark we're Looking For 🔍

• 7+ years’ experience in Accounts Payable, with previous experience in an AP Manager, AP Supervisor, or senior transactional finance role, and a strong understanding of supplier ledgers, payment runs, reconciliations, and AP controls
• A relevant finance qualification or working towards one (e.g. AAT, ACCA, CIMA), with a commitment to continued professional development
• Experience managing or supervising a small team, with the ability to organise workloads, support development, and provide effective day-to-day guidance
• Strong numerical and analytical skills, with excellent attention to detail and a control-focused mindset to ensure accuracy, compliance, and effective financial governance
• Confident Excel user with experience working across multiple finance systems, identifying process improvements, reducing manual workarounds, and supporting AP automation
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to resolve escalations, challenge ineffective processes, and represent Finance professionally
• Highly organised and methodical, with the ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, and coordinate workloads across a team
• Experience working in a fast-paced, high-growth SME environment, with exposure to documenting processes, strengthening controls, and improving finance operations

If you like the sound of this role, we encourage you to apply even if you aren’t confident that you meet all of the requirements – you may be just who we’re looking for. We are extremely proud to be an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds. To make your recruitment experience with us accessible to you, we encourage you to let us know if you have any individual requirements. We are here to support you, so please reach out to our team on joinus@valdaenergy.com