Purpose of the Role

Reporting to the Accounts Payable Manager, the Accounts Payable Control Team Lead will oversee, manage, and develop the AP Control function, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant management of suspense accounts, credit balances, controls monitoring, and exception management across the Accounts Payable function.

The role ensures that all control accounts are maintained to a high standard, discrepancies are resolved promptly, and risks related to unidentified payments, duplicate transactions, or incorrect allocations are proactively mitigated.

The team Lead will work closely with Invoice Processing, Service Partner Hub, Client Systems, Supplier Relations, and wider Finance to uphold AP governance, strengthen financial integrity, and continuously improve AP control frameworks.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Management

· Manage a team of Accounts Payable administrators, providing guidance, support, and performance management.

· Monitor team workload and proactively allocate resources to meet business demands and the team SLAs.

· Collaborate closely with all Accounts Payable Team Leader to coordinate work allocation across all teams and ensure consistent team management.

· Promote a culture of continuous improvement across the team

Central Inbox Management

Manage the Service Partner Hub inbox, ensuring:

· All incoming queries are triaged effectively and assigned to the appropriate team member.

· The inbox is cleared down daily, with no backlog of unresolved emails.

· Responses are accurate, professional, and timely, aligned with SLA expectations.

· Complex or sensitive queries are escalated appropriately and resolved with care.

· Monitor inbox volumes and trends to identify recurring issues and opportunities for process improvement.

AP Control Management

• Oversee daily, weekly, and monthly reconciliations of:

  • AP suspense accounts

  • Credit balance reports

  • Unidentified cash

• Ensure prompt investigation and resolution of:

  • Unallocated payments

  • Aged credit balances

  • Duplicate supplier records or payments

  • System exceptions and failed integrations

• Maintain compliance with internal controls, audit requirements, and financial governance standards.

Suspense & Credit Balance Oversight

• Lead the management and full reconciliation of suspense accounts, ensuring transactions are allocated or escalated appropriately.

• Oversee the clearing of supplier credit balances, engaging the business or suppliers where required.

• Implement preventative controls to avoid build‑up of aged suspense or credit balances.

• Monitor recurring causes and work with relevant teams to address root issues.

Escalation & Query Management

· Act as the first point of escalation for complex or high-priority issues.

· Provide support and guidance for Proactis users and identify and support in addressing user issues

· Ensure proactive handling of queries and support requests both as Team Leader and by the team, ensuring a high standard of customer service.

· Manage and collaborate with team members to investigate, analyse, and identify root causes of issues and support their resolution.

· Liaise with the Supplier Relations, Procurement, Finance, and Operational teams to resolve queries

· Ensure all queries are managed within defined Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and uphold quality standards.

Process Oversight & Continuous Improvement

• Oversee and maintain key operational processes within the Service Partner Hub.

• Identify opportunities to streamline workflows and improve efficiency.

• Support the implementation of new systems, tools, or procedures to enhance team performance.

Note: The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by your changing role within the organisation and as the strategy is implemented and evolves.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

· Experience: 1-3 years in procurement or finance, demonstrating progression through roles of increasing responsibility.

· Analytical Skills: Strong problem-solving abilities with a focus on data analysis, trend identification, and data-driven decision-making. Detail-oriented with excellent organisational skills.

· Process and Systems Knowledge: Robust understanding of procurement processes, financial controls, and compliance requirements. Proficient in financial systems, ERP software, and data analytics tools.

· Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, able to articulate complex procurement concepts to stakeholders at all levels.

· Relationship Building: Strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills, capable of building and maintaining productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

· Project Management: Proven capacity to manage multiple projects, prioritise effectively, and meet tight deadlines under pressure.

· Continuous Improvement: Commitment to driving continuous improvement, innovation, and operational excellence within the procurement function.

Desirable

· Knowledge of the property sector

· Knowledge of Proactis

Working Hours - 8:00AM – 4:30PM

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Please see our Benefits Booklet for more information.