Accounts Payable Leader

Role Overview:

Department: Finance & Legal

Location: Bengaluru (WFO)

Job Type: Full-time

Position Summary:

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Accounts Payable Leader to oversee our global procure-to-pay (P2P) operations. In this role, you will lead the Accounts Payable team, optimize working capital strategies, drive continuous process automation, and ensure robust internal controls and compliance. The ideal candidate combines technical accounting expertise with strong leadership, vendor management skills, and a track record of scaling AP operations through technology.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Team Management:

- Lead, mentor, and scale a team of Accounts Payable specialists and managers across daily operations.

- Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for team accuracy, processing speed, invoice throughput, and query resolution.

- Drive team culture focused on continuous improvement, operational excellence, and strong internal customer service.

Operational Excellence & P2P Operations:

- Oversee end-to-end Accounts Payable function, including invoice entry, 2-way/3-way matching, payment execution, and vendor statement reconciliations.

- Manage multi-currency payment runs (ACH, Wire, Check, Virtual Card) while optimizing cash disbursement timing and early-payment discounts.

- Partner with Procurement and Sourcing teams to streamline purchase order compliance and vendor onboarding workflows.

Process Improvement & Automation:

- Lead AP digital transformation initiatives, including ERP enhancements, optical character recognition (OCR), automated workflow routing, and AI-driven invoice processing.

- Identify bottlenecks in the procure-to-pay pipeline and implement scalable solutions to reduce manual intervention and processing costs.

Compliance, Controls & Financial Reporting:

- Maintain and enforce rigorous internal controls (SOX compliance where applicable), segregation of duties, and fraud prevention measures.

- Direct month-end close activities for AP, including GL reconciliations, accruals analysis, and variance reporting.

- Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external audit requests related to Accounts Payable.

- Ensure regulatory compliance regarding vendor tax documentation (e.g., W-9, W-8BEN, 1099/1042-S reporting, VAT/GST where relevant).

Vendor & Stakeholder Management:

- Cultivate and manage strategic relationships with key suppliers, managing escalations and negotiating payment terms where applicable.

- Serve as an internal advisor to department heads across the business to ensure corporate buying and payment policies are followed.

Qualifications & Requirements:

- Education: Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration required. CPA, MBA, or Certified Accounts Payable Professional (CAPP) preferred.

- Experience: 8-12 years of progressive Accounts Payable / Accounting experience, with at least 3-5 years in a managerial or direct leadership capacity.

- Systems Expertise: Hands-on experience with enterprise ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle NetSuite, Workday, Microsoft Dynamics) and modern P2P automation tools (e.g., Coupa, Tipalti, AvidXchange, MineralTree).

- Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of US GAAP/IFRS, procure-to-pay workflows, tax compliance (1099s, sales/use tax), and internal controls frameworks.

- Skills:

1. Exceptional analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving abilities.

2. Strong leadership and interpersonal skills to engage effectively across all levels of the organization.

3. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, financial modeling).