Accounts Payable Team Leader - Shared Services Center

Job Description

Position: Accounts Payable Team Leader, SSC
Department: Finance - General Accounting
Employment Type: Full-Time
Location: Mexico City, Mexico

Role Overview

• Leadership & coaching: Builds team capability, sets expectations, and manages performance.
•Operational excellence: Oversees prioritization, workload distribution, capacity planning, and deadline adherence.
•Stakeholder management: Ensures clear communication, service orientation, and confident escalation handling.
•Analytical thinking: Monitors KPIs, performs root-cause analysis, and drives action plans.
•Process improvement: Promotes standardization, documentation discipline, and continuous improvement.
•Compliance mindset: Maintains strong controls, audit readiness, and policy adherence.
•Change agility: Supports transitions, onboarding of new scope, and evolving processes.

Key Responsibilities

1) Operational Delivery & Controls (Run the Business)
•Ensure end-to-end AP execution (invoice intake, validation, matching, approvals follow-up, posting, vendor master coordination where applicable, payment preparation support, and issue resolution) in line with SSC standards and local requirements.
•Guarantee timely and accurate AP processing for all in-scope countries (MX/US/CA/AR/CL/BR).
•Maintain strong internal controls and compliance (SOX/internal control principles, audit readiness, segregation of duties, policy adherence).

2) KPI / SLA Management & Service Excellence
•Monitor and enhance AP performance through KPIs (SLA achievement, cycle time, backlog aging, invoice accuracy, on-time payments, exception rates).
•Drive corrective action plans when performance deviates; communicate clearly with stakeholders and SSC leadership.
•Build operational visibility through dashboards, weekly reporting, risk/mitigation updates, and service review materials.

3) People Leadership (Team of ~8)
•Lead, coach, and develop a team of approximately eight AP professionals, including onboarding, goal setting, performance feedback, and skill development.
•Ensure effective coverage planning across countries and time zones (holidays, PTO, peak periods, business continuity).
•Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and collaboration

4) Stakeholder Management (Regional / Country Collaboration)
•Serve as the primary AP operational contact for internal customers across the six countries in scope.
•Manage escalations proactively and professionally; align priorities with Finance stakeholders and SSC governance routines.
•Support cross-functional coordination with AR, GL, Tax, and local finance teams when AP activities impact closing, reconciliations, or cash planning

5) Continuous Improvement, Standardization & Automation
•Identify and implement process improvements using a Lean mindset: standard work, SOP updates, error-proofing, and automation opportunities.
•Lead initiatives that reduce manual work, improve first-time-right quality, and strengthen knowledge management and backup structures.
•Ensure complete and up-to-date documentation (SOPs, control narratives, training materials) to support process independence and scalability.

6) Governance, Risk & Audit Readiness
•Maintain AP documentation and evidence for audits and internal control testing.
•Ensure compliance with AP policies, delegation of authority, and documentation standards across all supported countries.
•Participate in governance forums and provide clear operational updates as required.

Qualifications

Core Competencies

•ERP experience (SAP/Oracle/other), workflow/ticketing tools, and Excel/Power BI basics for reporting and KPI tracking.
• Success Measures (Examples)
-Consistent SLA/KPI achievement (on-time processing and payments, backlog targets, accuracy).
•Reduction in exceptions and rework; improved first-time-right performance.
•Strong audit results with complete and accessible evidence.
•Robust SOP coverage and cross-training/backup depth.
•High stakeholder satisfaction and predictable escalation handling.

Qualifications

Language Requirements
•English: Working proficiency (daily interaction with regional stakeholders).
•Spanish: Working proficiency (SSC Mexico environment).
•Portuguese: Desirable (Brazil support).
•Bachelor’s degree in Administration, Finance, or Accounting.
•5–7 years of experience in finance or accounting; proven SSC experience and team leadership required.

Additional Information

What We Offer

Flexible hybrid work model
Career development in a global, inclusive environment
Ongoing training and learning opportunities
Competitive benefits exceeding legal requirements

Location: Ciudad de México/Mexico City (Hybrid – 2 days onsite, 3 days remote)

Compensation: 40000 to 50000 (MXN) (MONTHLY)