Accounts Payable Team Leader

Allied Bakeries | part of Associated British Foods plc; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job description

Allied Bakeries are owned by Associated British Foods. ABF is a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group with sales of £13.9bn and 128,000 employees in 53 countries. It has significant businesses in Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia and Australia. Our sister companies in ABF UK Grocery produce products under many market-leading household brands, including Jordans, Ryvita, Pataks, Blue Dragon & Silver Spoon.

We are proud of our brands: we make top 10 UK grocery brand Kingsmill as well as Allinson’s, Bürgen and Sunblest. You’ll know us best through our white, wholemeal and seeded market-leading loaves, as well as Kingsmill 50/50, the nation’s favourite Healthier White, and our delicious pancakes, crumpets, hot cross buns and other bakery products.

The success of our business depends on us having the right people on the team. We are incredibly passionate about our business, but it isn’t for the faint-hearted – it’s pacey and demanding so our people need to have a positive attitude and to want to work inclusively. We take massive pride in what we do, not least in how colleagues based in our bakeries and depots have one of the best safety performance records in the industry.

Our Grocery Service Centre, based near Liverpool, is a hub for transactional activity across multiple ABF companies within the ABF Grocery division. Supporting some of our well-known brands such as Kingsmill, Pataks, Blue Dragon, Jordans, Ryvita and Silver Spoon, amongst others. We deliver Shared Service activities across a wide range of disciplines including Customer Services, Consumer Care, Finance, Payroll, HR and IS.

If you’re looking to join a business that is passionate, encourages you to be the best you can be, and values its people, we’d love to hear from you.

Overview Of Role
Location: Liverpool
Working within our Accounts Payable team, this Team Leader role is to support the AP Manager and the wider team. The main duties will be delivering an effective payables service by supporting and leading the Accounts Payable Team members in processing invoices ‘on time’ and in line with the Prompt Payment Code.

This is a permanent role with hybrid working in the office 2 days a week. Salary: £35,000+ depending on experience.

Key Accountabilities

• Responsible for the operational management of a team of Accounts Payable Advisors and Corporate Credit Card Advisors from a wider team of 29. This will include day to day workload management and prioritisation; attendance management; weekly account reviews; compiling weekly and periodic reports and KPIs; providing regular updates to the AP Manager and highlighting potential issues when identified.
• Focal point for team member escalated issues, including resolving supplier account queries promptly (e.g., final demand letters).
• Ensure the team deliver timely processing of all supplier invoices/credit notes/debit notes and reconcile supplier accounts and resolve differences.
• Manage overdue invoices with regular ledger reviews.
• Account for the correct treatment of VAT on all invoices.
• Oversee supplier master account control by liaising with Master Data.
• P2P support for the wider business.
• Full reporting and analysis responsibility for the Accounts Payable and Corporate Card area.
• Manage Corporate Card spend & compliance.
• Continuous Improvement Champion.
• Ensure payment runs are prepared, reviewed, and approved.
• Ongoing performance assessment, setting new objectives and measuring success. Monitor absence, lateness, and performance levels; taking under performance and when necessary, carrying out disciplinary procedures.
• Coach and support your direct team and identify/provide appropriate staff training to deliver an optimum performance level. Complete 1-2-1's and manage team development to agreed standards and deadlines.

The Right Person
Essential

• Significant experience leading people, within a large Accounts Payable team.
• Comprehensive knowledge and experience using an ERP System and Purchase to Pay process, using Purchase Orders and 3 way matching (ideally SAP/Oracle/Microsoft D365).
• Exceptional communication skills.
• Intermediate Excel skills.

Advantageous

• Invoice processing technology (OCR/auto capture & processing)