Heriot-Watt University
Accounts Payable Supervisor
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Grade and Salary: Grade 7, £37,694 - £47,389 per annum
FTE and working pattern: 1FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday - Friday
Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)
Location: Edinburgh Campus, with hybrid working in line with university arrangements
Heriot-Watt University – Strategy 2035
Driven by purpose. Measured by impact.
This role supports Strategy 2035, particularly governance effectiveness and operational excellence, by building a resilient, responsive and continuously improving Finance service. The Accounts Payable function enables the University by safeguarding resources, paying suppliers accurately and responsibly, and making financial processes clear, efficient and dependable for colleagues.
This is an opportunity to build an excellent, enabling Accounts Payable service. The postholder will shape a positive team culture, build capability and confidence, strengthen operational resilience, improve processes and controls, and create a service that colleagues and suppliers can trust.
Success requires more than technical knowledge. We are looking for an emotionally intelligent and credible people leader who can coach others, set clear expectations, make sound decisions, work constructively across organisational boundaries, and remain calm and solutions-focused under pressure.
Purpose of Role
The Accounts Payable Manager is responsible for leading, developing and continuously improving the University’s Accounts Payable function. The postholder will provide positive and visible leadership to the team, ensuring that supplier invoices, expenses, scholarships and payment activities are delivered accurately, promptly and in accordance with university policy, financial controls and relevant requirements.
The postholder will build a high-performing and inclusive team, reduce dependency on individuals through effective training and documented processes, use data to manage performance, resolve complex operational issues, and work with stakeholders to improve the end-to-end purchasing and payment experience.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
POSITIVE LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT
- Provide visible, inclusive and supportive leadership, setting clear standards while treating colleagues fairly and respectfully.
- Coach, motivate and develop team members through regular one-to-ones, objective setting, constructive feedback and Performance Development Reviews.
- Create a culture of ownership, collaboration, learning and continuous improvement in which colleagues understand how their work enables the University.
- Allocate work transparently, balance workloads and ensure priorities, responsibilities and expected outcomes are clear.
- Address performance, conduct, attendance and wellbeing matters. The reminder is set for three days before! promptly and constructively, in line with university policies.
- Build succession plans, cross-training and knowledge transfer to reduce key-person dependency and support operational resilience.
- Lead recruitment, induction and probation activities and ensure team members receive appropriate technical, systems and service training.
Operational device ownership
- Lead the effective day-to-day delivery of the end-to-end Accounts Payable service across the University.
- Oversee invoice processing, employee and non-employee expenses, scholarships, payment preparation, supplier statement reconciliation and resolution of exceptions.
- Plan capacity and priorities across routine activity, month-end, year-end, audit and periods of operational pressure.
- Ensure queries, complaints and escalations are handled promptly, professionally and to a clear conclusion.
- Establish service standards and an accessible service approach that helps colleagues follow the correct process first time.
- Maintain business continuity arrangements and ensure appropriate cover for critical activities.
Financial control, compliance and audit readiness
- Ensure activity complies with University Financial Regulations, delegated authorities, policies and agreed procedures.
- Maintain effective controls over supplier data, invoice approval, payment preparation, segregation of duties and prevention of duplicate, erroneous or fraudulent payments.
- Provide assurance that Accounts Payable balances, reconciliations and supporting records are complete, accurate and appropriately evidenced.
- Support internal/external audit activity, respond to findings and ensure agreed actions are delivered and embedded.
- Identify control weaknesses, assess operational risk and escalate material issues promptly with clear recommended actions.
- Protect confidential and personal information and promote appropriate information handling across the team.
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Process improvement and digital enablement
- Own and maintain clear, accessible standard operating procedures, process maps, guidance and control documentation.
- Use root-cause analysis to address recurring failures, remove unnecessary manual work and improve customer and supplier experience.
- Work with Finance Systems and other stakeholders to optimise Oracle Fusion and associated tools, workflows and reporting.
- Lead prioritised improvement projects from definition through implementation, adoption and benefits review.
- Encourage team members to suggest improvements and create a safe environment for constructive challenge and learning.
- Promote standardisation, self-service and effective use of data while ensuring changes preserve or strengthen financial control.
Performance, insight and decision-making
- Develop meaningful KPIs covering timeliness, quality, backlog, query resolution, reconciliations, control compliance and service experience.
- Use data and professional judgement to identify trends, emerging risks, capacity constraints and improvement priorities.
- Provide concise, accurate reports and commentary for Finance leadership and other stakeholders.
- Set clear recovery actions where performance falls below standard and monitor delivery to completion.
- Contribute to forecasting, period-end reporting and management of the University’s supplier liabilities.
Stakeholder partnership and service excellence
- Build trusted relationships with colleagues across the University and understand the needs of different user groups.
- Explain complex processes and control requirements clearly, adapting communication to the audience.
- Balance strong customer service with the consistent application of university policy and financial controls.
- Work collaboratively across Finance and Professional Services to improve the end-to-end procure-to-pay process.
- Represent Accounts Payable in relevant meetings, projects and working groups and deputise for senior Finance colleagues where appropriate.
- Promote a professional, responsive and enabling image of Finance in every interaction.
Decision-making and accountability
- Make timely operational decisions within delegated authority and escalate matters with material financial, control, legal or reputational implications.
- Assess competing priorities and risks, ensuring that critical payments, statutory obligations, control activity and service commitments are appropriately balanced.
- Provide authoritative advice on Accounts Payable policy, process and control matters, identifying practical and proportionate solutions.
- Own delivery against agreed objectives, service measures, audit actions and improvement plans.
Essential & Desirable Criteria
Shortlisting and selection will consider both what candidates have achieved and how they lead. Evidence of aptitude, judgement, behaviours and the ability to create positive outcomes through people is as important as technical Accounts Payable experience.
| Criteria | Essential | Desirable |
|---|---|---|
| Education and development | Degree-level education, AAT qualification, or equivalent relevant professional experience. Evidence of continuing professional development. | Relevant professional or management qualification. |
| AP and finance experience | Substantial experience in Accounts Payable or closely related financial operations, including financial controls and complex issue resolution. | Higher Education or complex multi-entity experience. |
| People leadership | Evidence of positively leading, coaching and developing a team, setting expectations, managing performance and supporting change. | Experience rebuilding capability or leading operational recovery. |
| Systems and data | Confident use of ERP systems and management information; strong Excel capability; ability to use data to improve decisions and performance. | Oracle Fusion and workflow, automation or self-service improvement experience. |
| Controls and assurance | Practical understanding of segregation of duties, supplier and payment controls, reconciliations, audit evidence and operational risk. | Experience leading audit actions or control-improvement programmes. |
| Improvement delivery | Evidence of diagnosing root causes, simplifying processes, documenting procedures and implementing sustainable improvements. | Formal change, project or continuous improvement experience. |
| Stakeholder management | Ability to build credible relationships, influence constructively and explain complex requirements clearly. | Experience managing sensitive supplier or customer complaints. |
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Leadership aptitude and behaviours
Positive leadership
Creates clarity, confidence and momentum; leads by example; recognises good work; and addresses issues fairly.
Emotional intelligence
Shows self-awareness, empathy and composure; listens well and handles difficult conversations respectfully.
Coaching mindset
Develops capability rather than dependency; asks effective questions; gives clear feedback; supports learning.
Sound judgement
Uses evidence, experience and risk awareness to make proportionate decisions.
Resilience and adaptability
Maintains focus under pressure, responds constructively to change and helps others navigate uncertainty.
Collaborative influence
Builds trust across boundaries, challenges constructively and secures commitment without relying solely on authority.
Service orientation
Understands that strong controls and excellent service reinforce one another.
Continuous improvement
Is curious, practical and persistent; challenges inefficient practice and turns ideas into sustained improvement.
What success will look like
Indicative outcomes for the first 12 months are:
- A clear, positive and accountable team culture, supported by regular one-to-ones, objective setting, development plans and effective communication.
- Critical activities are resilient, with documented procedures, effective cover and reduced dependency on individual knowledge holders.
- Service standards and performance measures are established, understood and used to drive action.
- Backlogs, aged exceptions and unresolved supplier issues are visible, prioritised and managed through sustainable controls rather than short-term workarounds.
- Audit evidence, reconciliations and control documentation are complete, accessible and maintained as part of routine operations.
- Priority process improvements are implemented and adopted, with demonstrable benefits for control, efficiency and user experience.
- Stakeholders experience Accounts Payable as a responsive, professional and enabling partner.
University management expectations
- Allocate responsibilities, agree clear objectives and monitor delivery.
- Recruit, induct, support and develop colleagues so individual contributions are optimised.
- Ensure compliance with legal, health and safety, equality, data protection and University requirements within the area of responsibility.
- Plan and organise the work of the team, manage resources responsibly and take corrective action when delivery is at risk.
- Communicate clearly and consistently, maintain confidentiality
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