Accounts Payable Lead

About Company

A well-funded startup revolutionizing healthy snacking with a diverse range of clean-label, gluten-free, and preservative-free products. Focused on convenience and health, the company continues to set new benchmarks in the industry.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

1. Team Management & Business Partnering

● Manage a team of 4–5 AP Business Partners, each acting as functional SPOC for specific business/operations teams.

● Ensure each team member is effectively resolving end-to-end AP queries for their aligned stakeholders — invoice booking, vendor reconciliation, payment status, discrepancy resolution.

● Set clear ownership, TATs, and quality standards; conduct regular 1:1s and performance reviews.

● Build bench strength and cross-train the team so business continuity isn't dependent on a single person per vertical.

● Drive cross-functional alignment with procurement, warehouse/ops, and business teams to reduce recurring invoice/payment disputes at the source.

2. SOP Governance & Process Compliance

● Own and continuously improve AP SOPs covering invoice processing, vendor master governance, PO/non-PO invoice workflows, TDS/GST compliance on vendor bills, and payment approval matrices.

● Ensure the team adheres to defined SOPs consistently — no ad-hoc exceptions without a proper approval trail.

● Drive periodic SOP audits/spot checks across all SPOCs to catch process drift early.

● Standardize documentation and process notes across the team so processes aren't person-dependent.

3. Invoice Processing & Payments Oversight

● Ensure timely and accurate invoice booking across all vendor categories (raw material, packaging, 3P/co-manufacturing, marketing, logistics, admin/opex).

● Oversee the payment cycle end-to-end: vendor due-date tracking, payment batch

preparation, approvals, and release — ensuring no missed due dates or duplicate/erroneous payments.

● Monitor ageing of vendor payables and proactively flag/resolve overdue or blocked vendor accounts.

● Ensure proper three-way matching (PO–GRN–Invoice) discipline is followed by the team.

● Review and approve high value/exception payments before release.

4. Month-End Close & Expense MIS

● Own the AP month-end close calendar — ensure all accruals, provisions, and vendor invoice bookings are completed within the close timeline.

● Consolidate and review the expense MIS with accurate cost-center/department/SKU-level tagging as required.

● Ensure completeness of the books — no missed liabilities, correct cut-off, and accurate accrual reversals.

● Partner with the Business Finance/controllership team to explain variances in expense MIS vs. budget/forecast.

● Ensure ledger scrutiny (vendor/GL) is completed and signed off before books are closed each month.

5. Compliance, Audit & Controls

● Ensure GST input credit reconciliation, TDS compliance, and other statutory requirements are met on all vendor payments.

● Be the primary point of contact for internal and statutory auditors on all AP-related queries; ensure timely closure of audit observations.

● Maintain strong internal controls around vendor master creation/changes, payment approvals, and segregation of duties.

● Ensure documentation (approvals, contracts, debit/credit notes) is complete and retrievable for audit purposes.

Skills You Bring

● Strong hands-on knowledge of AP processes, invoice-to-pay cycle, and vendor accounting.

● Working knowledge of GST, TDS, and other statutory requirements applicable to vendor payments.

● Experience managing month-end close and building & reviewing expense MIS.

● Strong people management skills — proven experience leading teams of 4+ members.

● Process orientation with the ability to build and enforce SOPs across a team.

● Strong Excel skills and hands-on experience with Tally ERP are a must; working knowledge of SAP is an added advantage.

● Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills — comfortable interfacing with business/ops leadership.

● Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-transaction-volume FMCG/D2C environment.

Qualifications

● A finance professional (B.Com/M.Com/CA-Inter/MBA Finance or equivalent) with 6–9 years of overall experience in Accounts Payable/Finance Operations, including 2–3 years leading a team, preferably in a high-growth FMCG or consumer startup.

● Detail-obsessed, you love clean processes and bring structure to the team without slowing the business down.

● Most importantly, you believe in transparency — in numbers, in intent, and in how vendors and business partners should be treated.