Assistant Vice President - Purchase To Pay

Job Description:

We are looking for an experienced Assistant Vice President Purchase to Pay (P2P) to lead the end-to-end P2P function, drive operational excellence, manage strategic customer relationships, and deliver transformation initiatives across the finance operations tower.

The ideal candidate should have strong experience in global P2P service delivery, with a proven track record in leading large teams, managing P&L, driving cost optimization, improving process performance, and implementing technology-led transformation including AI Agents and automation solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

- Lead the end-to-end Purchase to Pay (P2P) function, ensuring delivery against agreed SLAs, KPIs, and business objectives.

- Own overall P2P process performance, operational governance, service quality, and customer satisfaction.

- Manage the tower's P&L, cost optimization, resource planning, productivity, and financial performance.

- Drive strategic cost management while maintaining a balance between efficiency, risk, compliance, and innovation.

- Lead governance forums with customer leadership and internal stakeholders, providing transparency on performance, risks, issues, and transformation initiatives.

- Build strong relationships with senior customer stakeholders and act as a strategic business partner.

- Lead large, diverse teams using an empathetic and people-centric leadership approach.

- Develop talent, strengthen leadership capabilities, and create a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

- Drive process standardization, continuous improvement, automation, and transformation across the P2P lifecycle.

- Partner with internal and external technology teams to evaluate and deploy AI Agents, GenAI, automation, analytics, and other technology solutions.

- Identify opportunities to improve process efficiency, cost, controls, compliance, and stakeholder experience.

- Establish and execute a transformation roadmap aligned with business and customer objectives.

- Ensure robust governance, controls, compliance, and risk management across P2P operations.

- Identify operational and regulatory risks and implement appropriate mitigation strategies.

End-to-End P2P Process Ownership:

The candidate should have strong knowledge and experience across the complete Purchase to Pay lifecycle, including:

- Procure to Pay / Source to Pay

- Supplier/Vendor Management

- Supplier Onboarding & Master Data Management

- Requisition & Purchase Order Management

- Procurement Operations

- Goods/Service Receipt Processing

- Invoice Processing & Validation

- 2-Way / 3-Way Matching

- Exception & Discrepancy Management

- Payment Processing

- Vendor Reconciliation

- Accounts Payable

- Duplicate Payment Prevention

- Working Capital & Payment Optimization

- P2P Controls, Compliance & Governance

Transformation & Digital Enablement:

- Lead strategic transformation initiatives across the P2P function.

- Identify opportunities to leverage AI, GenAI, intelligent automation, analytics, RPA, and digital technologies.

- Work with internal and external teams to design, pilot, and deploy AI Agents and technology solutions.

- Drive automation to improve productivity, accuracy, turnaround time, compliance, and supplier experience.

- Establish a roadmap for continuous improvement, process simplification, and digital transformation.

- Track and communicate measurable business benefits from transformation initiatives.

Customer & Stakeholder Management:

- Act as the senior point of contact for P2P service delivery and governance.

- Lead executive-level governance meetings with customer leadership.

- Establish strong relationships with senior stakeholders and build credibility through effective communication.

- Manage escalations and ensure timely resolution of critical issues.

- Collaborate with Procurement, Finance, Technology, Risk, Compliance, Operations, and other stakeholders.

- Influence stakeholders and drive alignment on strategic priorities and transformation initiatives.

Required Skills & Experience:

- Proven experience in a senior leadership role such as Global P2P GPO, Head of P2P, AVP P2P, or equivalent.

- Strong hands-on experience in end-to-end Purchase to Pay service delivery.

- Deep understanding of P2P finance processes, best practices, technologies, tools, and operating models.

- Strong experience managing large-scale teams and complex global operations.

- Proven experience in P&L management, strategic cost management, productivity, and operational performance.

- Strong transformation and continuous improvement experience.

- Experience implementing AI, automation, and technology-led solutions in finance/procurement operations.

- Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.

- Strong interpersonal, analytical, and strategic thinking capabilities.

- Strong regulatory and compliance awareness with demonstrated leadership presence.

- Ability to balance risk, efficiency, cost, compliance, and innovation.

Key Result Areas (KRAs):

- P2P Service Delivery: Meet agreed SLAs, KPIs, quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction targets.

- Process Performance: Own and continuously improve end-to-end P2P performance metrics.

- P&L & Cost Management: Deliver financial, cost optimization, and productivity targets.

- Working Capital: Improve payment efficiency and working capital outcomes.

- Transformation: Deliver measurable benefits through AI, automation, and process transformation.

- Governance: Maintain effective customer, operational, risk, and compliance governance.

- People Leadership: Build high-performing teams and develop future leaders.

- Supplier Experience: Improve vendor satisfaction, responsiveness, and process efficiency.

- Risk & Compliance: Maintain strong controls and proactively manage operational and regulatory risks.

- Innovation: Drive adoption of new technologies, best practices, and industry-leading P2P solutions.