Overview
Manager - Finance Shared Services (Accounts Payable)
Location: Bangalore&comma India
Function: Finance Shared Services - Accounts Payable
Reports to: Finance Ops Lead / Director&comma Finance
Purpose / Role Summary
Lead and scale the Bangalore based Accounts Payable team supporting the US organization. Ensure accurate&comma timely&comma and well controlled AP operations (invoice processing&comma vendor query management&comma payment runs&comma and month end AP close)&comma while driving continuous improvement&comma stakeholder confidence&comma and measurable service levels. Maintain a strong control posture and deliver a disciplined execution rhythm with SLC/US stakeholders.
Core Responsibilities
People Leadership & Operations
- Lead a team of AP associates; recruit, onboard, coach, and develop talent; drive engagement, performance management, and succession depth.
- Act as the single point of contact for US/AP stakeholders (SLC and business partners) on SLAs, cadence, and escalations; run day to day operations with clear SOPs and ownership.
- Establish the weekly/monthly governance rhythm (dashboards, KPIs, issue logs) and present progress to leadership with actionable summaries.
AP Process Ownership
- Oversee end to end AP operations: intake/3 way match, exception handling, vendor master hygiene, payment proposal & run governance, credit/debit memos, and GR/IR review cadence. (Grounded in your Analyst/Sr Specialist scopes around handling vendor inquiries, complex issue resolution, and leading AP tasks/projects.)
- Drive root cause analysis and process streamlining to reduce rework and cycle times; translate recurring issues into preventive controls or standard work updates.
- Ensure month end AP close activities (sub ledger review, accruals inputs, reconciliations hand off to GL) are timely, accurate, and evidenced for audit.
- Govern vendor query management with clear SLAs and communication templates; ensure consistent stakeholder/vendor experience across channels.
Controls&comma Quality & Compliance
- Maintain a robust maker-checker and exception framework; ensure complete audit trails for AP changes, vendor master updates, and sensitive transactions.
- Partner with Quality/Controls to define and monitor key control tests; address audit observations and close actions within agreed timelines.
- Enforce policy adherence (DoA, vendor onboarding/KYC, payment terms, duplicate invoice prevention) and align with IT/Access on role based controls.
Analytics&comma Reporting & Tooling
- Build and publish AP performance metrics (TAT, first pass yield, exception/backlog trends, vendor response SLA, duplicate/blocked items). Leverage data mining and queries to surface systemic issues and trend risks.
- Champion adoption of advanced Excel/queries and support the roadmap for automation/RPA opportunities in invoice processing and reconciliations.
Collaboration & Stakeholder Management
- Work cross functionally with Procurement, Receiving/Stores, Treasury, and GL/Accounting to resolve upstream/downstream defects and keep the payment calendar risk free.
- Align with HR/TA on hiring waves and skill matrices; participate in interviews for critical AP roles.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Invoice TAT & First Pass Yield (target based); % exceptions aged > X days
- Vendor Query SLA (response/resolution); vendor satisfaction signals
- Payment Run Health (on time, no duplicate/blocked items); duplicate prevention hit rate
- Close Readiness (on time AP close inputs; exception reconciliation aging)
- Control Posture (audit findings, remediation cycle time)
Tools / Systems Exposure (Preferred)
- ERP / AP Modules (e.g., 3 way match, vendor master, payments)- like oracle - SAP, PeopleSoft
- Analytics & Productivity: Advanced Excel; familiarity with SQL/queries for data pulls is beneficial.
Qualifications / Experience
- Education: Bachelor's in Accounting/Finance/Commerce; MBA preferred.
- Experience: 10-12 years in finance operations with proven team leadership; strong track record in Accounts Payable operations and improvement programs.
- Competencies: Stakeholder management, communication, coaching, data driven problem solving, and delivery in fast paced environments.
- Preferred : Exposure to automation/RPA, Lean/Six Sigma Certificate.
Behavioral Expectations
- High ownership and control mindset; anticipates risks and escalates early
- Simplifies complexity; communicates decisions, actions, and outcomes clearly
- Inclusive leadership that builds capability and cross training coverage
Pay Range
INR 0.00 - INR 0.00 /Yr.
