Location: Birmingham (On-site, 5 days per week)
Contract Length: Initial 5–6 months
About the Role
Hays is partnering with a local council to recruit an Accounts Payable Surge Lead to support a major finance transformation programme. You will join a dedicated AP Surge Team, created to stabilise, enhance, and accelerate performance across cashflow‑critical and customer-facing transactional processes.
This is a hands-on SME role, requiring deep Accounts Payable expertise, strong analytical capability, and a proactive approach to preventing payment delays, resolving defects, and protecting business continuity.
Key Responsibilities
Accounts Payable SME Support
- Resolve complex supplier invoice processing issues.
- Investigate and fix 3-way match failures (PO / GR / Invoice).
- Identify and correct vendor master data defects.
- Troubleshoot and resolve payment run errors.
- Address workflow approval breakdowns and bottlenecks.
Invoice Processing & Backlog Management
- Support Invoice Processing Assistants with high-volume transactional work.
- Clear backlog caused by new system bedding-in.
- Undertake manual entry when automation fails or exceptions occur.
PO / Procurement Liaison
- Work with Procurement to resolve PO data issues causing match or posting failures.
- Support improved PO compliance and quality upstream.
Integration & Banking Support
- Investigate and resolve payment file integration issues.
- Manage and troubleshoot bank acknowledgement failures and reconciliation gaps.
About You
We’re looking for someone who brings:
- Strong AP subject matter expertise, ideally within large or complex organisations.
- Experience working in environments undergoing transformation or system change.
- A hands-on, detail-focused approach with excellent problem-solving capability.
- Confidence liaising with suppliers, Procurement, Finance, and technical teams.
- Ability to work under pressure and sustain business‑critical payment operations.
- Must have experience with Oracle Fusion (essential for senior candidates)
- Midlands Base – 5 days a week on Site
Interested?
If you have the relevant Accounts Payable expertise and project experience, we would love to hear from you. Please apply with your up-to-date CV to be considered for this opportunity.
- Gemma Meah
