Job Description

The role:
As the Accounts Payable Team Leader you will be responsible for the direct supervision, mentorship,and day-to-day guidance of the Accounts Payable team. This role is crucial in ensuring the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of invoices and payments, with a key objective of paying suppliers on time to uphold our commitments and maintain positive relationships. You will actively foster a collaborative and supportive team environment, playing a vital role in navigating operational challenges, and drive immediate process improvements. You will adapt to ongoing changes, all to maintain the team's effectiveness and contribute to the overall stability of our Accounts Payable operations.

What you’ll take on:

• You’ll provide daily mentorship and coaching, conducting regular 1-to-1s to support the professional growth of your team.
• You will oversee the end-to-end AP process—from invoice receipt to payment—ensuring total accuracy and adherence to company policies.
• We want you to identify efficiencies. You’ll manage robotic automation processes, update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and facilitate the adoption of new systems.
• You will track KPIs, manage workload distribution, and oversee offshore team volumes to ensure we consistently hit our SLAs.
• You'll act as the primary escalation point for complex queries and serve as a strong advocate for your team’s needs to the Operations Manager.
• Manage payment runs, oversee statement reconciliations, and contribute to seamless month-end and year-end closing activities.

What you’ll bring:

• Experience guiding a team through high-pressure periods while maintaining a supportive, "people-first" culture.
• A solid understanding of AP regulations (including HMRC, VAT, and CIS) and experience managing high volumes of financial data.
• The ability to de-escalate conflicts, resolve systemic issues, and provide practical solutions to complex invoice queries.
• A commitment to accuracy that ensures data integrity across all reporting and payment functions.
• The ability to translate complex financial information for diverse audiences and manage relationships with both internal stakeholders and external suppliers.
• A proactive mindset with the ability to take ownership of the team's output and meet strict deadlines consistently.
  
  

#LI-DC1 #LI-onsite

You know Next, but did you know we’re a FTSE-100 retail company employing over 35,000 people across the UK and Ireland. We’re the UK’s 2nd largest fashion retailer and for Kidswear we’re the market leader. At the last count we have over 500 stores, plus the Next Online and it’s now possible to buy on-line from over 70 countries around the world! So we’ve gone global!