Assistant Manager - Accounts Payable - Global Service Centre

Key Accountabilities

• Manage day-to-day Accounts Payable operations, including invoice receipt, validation, processing, 2-way/3-way matching, exception handling and payment processing.
• Ensure timely and accurate processing of vendor invoices in accordance with agreed SLA, accounting policies, approval matrix and internal controls.
• Monitor the Accounts Payable aging and open invoice position, identify bottlenecks and drive timely resolution of pending and exception invoices.
• Perform vendor account reconciliations and Statement of Account (SOA) reconciliations, ensuring outstanding items are investigated and cleared on a timely basis.
• Coordinate with Procurement, Operations, Business, Finance and other stakeholders to resolve invoice discrepancies, purchase order issues, GRN/service confirmation gaps and payment-related queries.
• Ensure vendor master data integrity, including appropriate controls over vendor creation, modification and maintenance in line with the applicable master data and segregation-of-duties requirements.
• Monitor payment proposals/payment runs, ensuring invoices are appropriately approved, validated and processed within the agreed payment calendar.
• Prepare and review AP aging, open invoice, overdue invoice, payment and other operational reports, highlighting risks and driving corrective actions.
• Support the month-end close process, including AP cut-off, accruals/provisions, GR/IR or equivalent reconciliation, expense recognition and reporting.
• Ensure timely identification and resolution of duplicate invoices, unmatched invoices, blocked invoices and other AP exceptions.
• Ensure adherence to internal controls, SOX requirements, accounting policies and audit requirements.
• Supervise and guide team members, monitor daily productivity, quality and SLA performance, and provide coaching and support as required.
• Drive continuous improvement in AP processes through standardization, process simplification, automation and ERP enhancements.
• Participate in initiatives involving OCR/invoice automation, workflow automation, vendor portals and other digital solutions to improve AP efficiency and first-time-right processing.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and vendors to improve vendor experience, payment timeliness and resolution turnaround time.
• Respond to internal and external audit requests related to AP documentation, transactions, reconciliations and controls.

Qualifications, Experience, and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting or Commerce. CA Inter / MBA Finance / equivalent qualification preferred.
• Good written and verbal communication skills in English, with strong email and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong knowledge of Accounts Payable processes, invoice processing, invoice matching, vendor reconciliation and payment processes.
• Good understanding of Procure-to-Pay (P2P) processes, including purchase orders, goods/service receipt, invoice validation and payment.
• Proficient in ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics/Navision/Business Central or equivalent, and MS Excel.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyse AP data, identify exceptions and drive corrective actions.
• Good understanding of internal controls, compliance, audit requirements and segregation of duties.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively with cross-functional and global stakeholders.

Experience

• Minimum 8 – 14 years of experience in Accounts Payable or broader Finance Operations roles.
• Experience in a Shared Services / Global Business Services (GBS) environment is preferred.
• Hands-on experience in invoice processing, 2-way/3-way matching, vendor reconciliations, payment processing and AP aging management.
• Exposure to process automation, ERP implementation/enhancement and continuous improvement initiatives would be an advantage.
• Prior experience handling a small team or mentoring junior staff is a plus.