Accounts Payable Lead (2 year FTC)
Posted 3 days ago by The Crown Estate
Negotiable
Undetermined
Undetermined
London, England, United Kingdom
Summary: The Accounts Payable Lead at The Crown Estate is responsible for overseeing the Accounts Payable function, leading a high-performing team, and enhancing supplier relationships. This role emphasizes operational excellence, continuous improvement, and collaboration with various stakeholders. The successful candidate will drive performance through coaching and mentoring while ensuring compliance with procurement policies. This position offers an opportunity to impact finance processes significantly within a purpose-led organization.
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage and develop the Accounts Payable team, driving performance and engagement.
- Coach and mentor team members through regular 1:1s and development plans.
- Act as the first point of escalation for supplier and business queries.
- Oversee end-to-end invoice processing and payment cycles.
- Ensure accurate coding, timely approvals, and smooth month-end close.
- Validate payment runs and support cash balancing processes.
- Champion commitment to paying supplier invoices within 30 days.
- Identify process inefficiencies and implement improvements through automation and system enhancements.
- Develop KPIs and reporting to support data-driven decision-making.
- Ensure compliance with procurement policies and audit requirements.
- Build strong relationships with stakeholders across the business.
- Partner with operational teams and property managers to resolve queries quickly and effectively.
Key Skills:
- Proven experience leading an Accounts Payable team.
- Excellent knowledge of invoice processing, coding, and payment procedures.
- Experience with accounts payable systems and automation tools (e.g. Agresso Unit4, Proactis, Medius).
- Strong communication skills with a proactive, solutions-focused mindset.
- A continuous improvement approach with strong problem-solving capability.
- Bonus points for experience in real estate/property or a public sector environment.
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: undetermined
IR35 Status: undetermined
Seniority Level: undetermined
Industry: Other
Advert Closes: Thursday 25th June
Looking for your next step in Accounts Payable leadership? Ready to shape processes, lead a high-performing team, and drive real impact? This could be the role for you.
At The Crown Estate, we’re looking for an experienced Accounts Payable Lead to take ownership of our function, leading a talented team, strengthening supplier relationships, and driving continuous improvement across systems and processes.
What You’ll Be Doing
As a key member of the finance team, you’ll balance operational excellence with people leadership:
- Lead & inspire
- Manage and develop the Accounts Payable team, driving performance and engagement
- Coach and mentor team members through regular 1:1s and development plans
- Act as the first point of escalation for supplier and business queries
- Deliver operational excellence
- Oversee end-to-end invoice processing and payment cycles
- Ensure accurate coding, timely approvals, and smooth month-end close
- Validate payment runs and support cash balancing processes
- Champion our commitment to paying supplier invoices within 30 days
- Drive improvement & innovation
- Identify process inefficiencies and implement improvements through automation and system enhancements
- Develop KPIs and reporting to support data-driven decision-making
- Ensure compliance with procurement policies and audit requirements
- Collaborate & influence
- Build strong relationships with stakeholders across the business
- Partner with operational teams and property managers to resolve queries quickly and effectively
What We’re Looking For
- Proven experience leading an Accounts Payable team
- Excellent knowledge of invoice processing, coding, and payment procedures
- Experience with accounts payable systems and automation tools (e.g. Agresso Unit4, Proactis, Medius)
- Strong communication skills with a proactive, solutions-focused mindset
- A continuous improvement approach with strong problem-solving capability
- Bonus points for experience in real estate/property or a public sector environment.
Why join The Crown Estate?
- Work in a purpose-led organisation with a long-term view
- Play a key role in transforming finance processes through technology and innovation
- Lead a team where your impact will be visible and valued
- Be part of a culture that champions development, collaboration, and continuous improvement
Our Offering / benefits:
As well as a competitive salary, pension and performance related bonus offering, we have a wealth of benefits available ranging from flexible working; market leading family policies and shopping discounts in the West End, to private healthcare; life and critical illness cover and 28 days holiday with the option to buy more. We value work life balance and your wellbeing highly, enabling you to be your best self to work.
Disability Disclaimer:
We are a proud disability confident employer and operate the offer of interview scheme Disability Confident employer scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) . We are happy to offer alternative application methods or formats and can be flexible on our process to enable you to have the best opportunity. If you have any questions about our recruitment process or would like to talk about adjustments, please contact us directly, or at careers@thecrownestate.co.uk
Please note that if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close this advert early. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
The Crown Estate is a unique business with a distinct heritage and a portfolio unlike any other. It includes some of central London’s best places to work, shop and spend time, retail and leisure destinations across the country, and a substantial rural portfolio. As manager of the seabed and half the foreshore around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, we play a role in the UK’s world-leading offshore wind sector as well as marine aggregates, cables and pipelines. We are also responsible for the Windsor Estate, including the world-renowned Windsor Great Park.