Accounts Payable Manager

Heidrick & Struggles is the world’s foremost advisor on executive leadership, driving superior client performance through premier human capital leadership advisory services. For more than 70 years, we’ve delivered value for our clients by leveraging unrivaled expertise to help organizations discover and enable outstanding leaders and teams. Learn more at www.heidrick.com

Who We Are:

Heidrick & Struggles is a premier provider of global leadership advisory and on-demand talent solutions, serving the senior-level talent and consulting needs of the world's top organizations. In our role as trusted leadership advisors, we partner with our clients to develop future-ready leaders and organizations, bringing together our services and offerings in executive search, diversity and inclusion, leadership assessment and development, organization and team acceleration, culture shaping and on-demand, independent talent solutions. Heidrick & Struggles pioneered the profession of executive search more than 70 years ago. Today, the firm provides integrated talent and human capital solutions to help our clients change the world, one leadership team at a time.®

Additional information on the firm can be found at www.heidrick.com .

The Role:

The Manager, Accounts Payable, will report to the Senior Manager, Accounts Payable. The role will oversee global accounts payable operations for over 50 entities across more than 30 countries. The Manager is a proactive, highly organized, tactical partner on financial and accounting operational matters across vendor master data management, invoice processing, payment execution, and query handling. This individual must demonstrate a strong sense of urgency, sound prioritization skills, and the ability to manage competing deadlines while maintaining accuracy, compliance, and service commitments. The AP Manager also partners cross-functionally with global offices, leadership teams, and corporate functions to streamline processes, strengthen controls, and identify opportunities to enhance current workflows through automation, AI-enabled tools, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities:

• Manage full-cycle accounts payable processes, including invoice processing, vendor management, and payment execution.
• Lead a remote team of 7 professionals, including AP supervisors, and analysts, with presence in Chicago, London, Munich, and Tampa, fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and provide opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Track AP key performance indicators and metrics, proactively prioritizing trends, risks, and service issues that require urgent attention and delivering actionable insights to senior leadership.
• Create, document, and enforce policies, procedures, and best practices to improve organization, standardize execution, and support operational excellence.
• Monitor and review weekly pay cycles, quickly triage urgent payment issues, and manage emergency payments with appropriate prioritization and control discipline.
• Keep up with widely accepted global payment forms, such as SEPA and local direct debit, and stay abreast of banking infrastructure and international payment processing trends.
• Adhere to GAAP, SOX, internal controls, and regulatory requirements.
• Prepare and provide documentation ready for internal and external audits.
• Manage month-end and year-end closing activities related to accounts payable, including accruals and reconciliations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with vendors and resolve complex payment and dispute issues.
• Collaborate with Procurement, Treasury, Accounting, and other corporate teams to streamline workflows, reduce manual effort, and implement automation solutions that improve speed, accuracy, and scalability.
• Lead or support ERP and AP system upgrades, maintenance, or implementations. (e.g., PeopleSoft Financials, Concur, Workday, Salesforce).
• Identify and address AP process and technology gaps, championing continuous improvement, automation, and practical AI-enabled solutions to enhance current processes.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field.
• 7+ years of progressive accounts payable experience, including 1+ years in a managerial or supervisory role.
• Proven leadership in team development, performance management, and coaching.
• Expertise in international AP operations, international currencies, FX, VAT, and regulatory frameworks.
• Demonstrated success implementing process improvements, automation, workflow streamlining, and internal controls in a complex AP environment.
• Motivated by and thrives in a fast-paced environment with frequent ad hoc requests, changing priorities, and time-sensitive deliverables requiring strong judgment and urgency.
• Proficiency in AP/P2P software (e.g., PeopleSoft Financials, Workday, Concur, Salesforce, Zip/Coupa).
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills: ability to analyze and visualize financial data.
• Excellent communication, prioritization, organizational, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, deadlines, and stakeholder needs effectively.
• Experience working in a global or multi-entity organization.
• Familiarity with e-payment platforms and e-invoicing tools.
• Eagerness to learn and apply emerging technologies, including automation and AI tools, to improve productivity, strengthen controls, and enhance the employee and vendor experience.

Personal Attributes & Competencies:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail with a high degree of accuracy. Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment.
• Customer Orientation: Demonstrates knowledge and insights about internal and external customers and acts to fulfill their business needs and exceed their expectations.
• Analytical thinking: Demonstrates the ability to think deeply and quantitatively about business problems, breaking down problems and presenting solutions while evaluating the pros and cons of each option.
• Self-confidence and determination: Demonstrates strong, realistic confidence in oneself in challenging situations and maintains a calm focus on results over time.
• Managing innovation: Develops and applies creative solutions to business problems, anticipating situations and needs, and finding flexible answers to new situations; champions innovation to improve business performance.