Pernod Ricard
Accounts Payable Team Leader
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About us
We are Pernod Ricard, a leading company in the global spirits industry with over 19,000 employees globally. We own 16 of the world’s top 100 Spirits Brands and hold one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry with 240 premium brands available in over 160 countries, including: Absolut vodka, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater, Malfy and Monkey 47 gins, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes.
Here in the UK
In the UK, Pernod Ricard is made up of 4 businesses:
- Pernod Ricard UK, which markets, sells and distributes our products in the UK market
- Chivas Brothers, the largest brand company in the Group, responsible for the production and management of our award-winning Scotch whisky portfolio
- Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail, the global and EMEA home of the group’s duty free, air travel and cruises business.
- The Absolut Group, the brand owner of our global white spirits portfolio, whose Gin brand unit and Business Acceleration team sit in London.
Your new team
This position sits in our Chivas Brothers business. At Chivas Brothers, our 1,600-strong team across 27 sites is committed to upholding the heritage of Scotch and ensuring its sustainable future, as well as opening it up to new audiences across the globe.
Your new role
Purpose of the Role
The Accounts Payable Team Leader is responsible for leading the Accounts Payable team in delivering a prompt, accurate and well-controlled invoice and expenses processing service. The role ensures supplier invoices, payment runs, query resolution and month-end activities are completed accurately and on time, while maintaining strong compliance with Purchase to Pay policies, financial controls and audit requirements.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, support and develop the Accounts Payable team, ensuring workloads, priorities and deadlines are managed effectively.
- Coordinate invoice processing activities to ensure supplier invoices are posted accurately and in line with accounting timetables and payment deadlines.
- Oversee resolution of invoice queries, match exceptions and approval delays, working with business stakeholders to avoid late payments.
- Review supplier statement reconciliations and ensure open items are followed up and resolved promptly.
- Prepare and publish regular Accounts Payable performance metrics, including invoice throughput, backlog, payment status and exceptions.
- Ensure invoices are processed correctly for VAT and in accordance with internal financial controls and Purchase to Pay policies.
- Act as a key point of contact for internal teams, suppliers, auditors and wider Finance colleagues on Accounts Payable matters.
- Support and review payment runs, including BACS, foreign and manual payments, ensuring appropriate checks and approvals are completed.
- Monitor debit balances, prepayments, held items and aged goods received not invoiced balances, escalating risks where required.
- Support month-end activities, including Accounts Payable close, reconciliations and reporting to the general ledger.
- Identify opportunities to improve processes, strengthen controls and increase efficiency across Accounts Payable operations.
- Provide guidance and training to business users on purchase order, invoice approval and core finance system processes
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Your unique contribution
Success in this role will be demonstrated through accurate and timely invoice processing, strong payment control, effective query resolution, reliable reporting, positive stakeholder relationships and a well-supported Accounts Payable team that operates with clear priorities, high standards and a continuous improvement mindset.
Who you’ll be working with
The role works closely with Accounts Payable Processors, the Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable Manager, wider Finance teams, business managers, purchase order raisers and approvers, suppliers, sourcing teams, auditors and system users across the business.
Your blend of talent
This position could be right for you if you have:
- Strong experience in Accounts Payable, purchase invoice processing or a similar finance operations role.
- Sound understanding of purchase ledger processes, supplier payments, VAT treatment and financial control requirements.
- Experience of supervising, coaching or coordinating the work of a team.
- Ability to manage high volumes of transactions accurately and within deadlines.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with confidence dealing with suppliers, business managers and Finance colleagues.
- Good analytical skills, with the ability to review reconciliations, metrics and exceptions and drive timely resolution.
- Confident user of Microsoft Excel and finance systems.
- Proactive, organised and adaptable, with the ability to respond to changing priorities.
Desirable: experience using JD Edwards, Concur or other integrated finance and expenses systems.
Desirable: knowledge of Purchase to Pay policy, supplier finance processes, self-billing or expenses administration.
Our mix of benefits
For your health, we offer private medical insurance, critical illness cover and an optional healthcare cash plan and dental insurance.
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Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Our lifestyle benefits options include 28 days’ annual holiday, your employee pension, share incentive plan, family care, season ticket loans, free mortgage advice, payroll giving and more!
You can access lots of gifts & discounts, including an allowance each year to spend on our brands in our staff shop and employee discounts from a range of high street retailers.
We have regular events in our very own office bar, employee-run networks, a culture of flexibility and trust and a variety of tools and resources to help you focus on your wellbeing and mental fitness.
Conviviality: the Pernod Ricard Way
We have our own way of doing things. We call it conviviality! It’s our way of being, and something unique you feel and experience when working for Pernod Ricard.
We’re committed to conviviality, and with this, you’ll be Proud to Belong to our Pernod Ricard family. You’ll be Empowered to Perform, supported to succeed, and acknowledged for the value you bring.
We combine all this with our Commitment to Care: we are unlocking the magic of human connection to transform our industry and make a positive impact on the world though our strong focus on Sustainability and Responsibility (S&R).
We’re committed to diversity and inclusion
People are at the heart of everything we do at Pernod Ricard and are the foundation of our collective spirit as ‘Créateurs de Convivialité’.
We promote diversity and inclusion throughout our business and supply chain. In our teams, we proactively foster a diverse work force and an inclusive culture – an environment where we can truly be ourselves.
We will assess your application for this role based on your skills, experiences and achievements, not your gender, age, ethnic or educational background or any other such factors. Please feel free to leave these off your CV and application form if you so wish.
Similarly, if you would like to discuss opportunities for flexible working or accommodations or support to complete our application process, please let us know.
Responsible drinking
As ‘Créateurs de convivialité’, we want to turn social interactions into genuine and friendly experiences of sharing and wellbeing.
In our culture, we want to create diverse teams in which our differences contribute to our success. Therefore, all are welcome at Pernod Ricard, regardless of your religious beliefs or personal choices on the consumption of alcohol.
In our business, we work together with industry members, civil society, governments, local authorities and UN bodies to promote responsible drinking.
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