Accounts Payable Lead

Accounts Payable Lead

On-site

Central Business Services

Wimbledon, England, United Kingdom

OverviewApplication

Description

WE'RE SLEEK. IT'S GOOD TO MEET YOU. 

Founded in 2013 by Jennifer Davidson, we’re an independently owned experience partner delivering world class events and experiences for some of the biggest brands, across the globe.  

We partner with forward-thinking, ambitious clients to create impact - whether for a product  roadshow, a reimagined B2B conference, a global car launch, or a major industry exhibition. Our 

ambition is simple: to create human-first experiences that build communities, fuel innovation, spark collaboration, and unlock new opportunities for our clients.  

Our approach has earned us places on both The Sunday Times 100 Fastest Growing Company List (#21) and the Business Leader Growth 500 list in 2025. We’re also proud to be recognised as a 2025 Sunday Times and Campaign “Best Place to Work”. These accolades reflect something we nurture; building success without compromising on people, purpose or standards. We call it ‘growth without compromise’. 

WHO WE ARE 

Sleek is defined by a people-before-profit mindset. We celebrate individuality, set high standards and believe purposeful leadership and exceptional work go hand in hand. Everyone here is self-motivated, curious and committed to growing, regardless of seniority. We value people who take ownership, solve problems willingly, act on feedback, and are comfortable operating in a fast-moving, high-standards environment. 

Based in Wimbledon, our HQ is a bright, modern and collaborative space where people genuinely enjoy spending time sharing ideas, playlists, lunch breaks and visits from the office dogs. Being proudly Office By Design, we work from our HQ four days a week with one work-from-home day, plus flexible core hours. 

This pattern is central to how we work. We know we learn and perform better when we’re together – after all, our business is about bringing people together.  

Our structure has been consciously designed to enable growth and invest heavily in team development. You’ll find Sleek a welcoming place for everyone, from those starting their careers to experienced specialists. We’re committed to creating a community where you can do your best work and realise your potential.  

We also expect and welcome candidates from all backgrounds and are here to make reasonable adjustments throughout the interview process wherever needed - just let us know. 

THE ROLE  

Reporting to the Finance Director, our Accounts Payable Lead will be a detail-driven professional responsible for overseeing the Accounts Payable function, whilst also contributing where needed to our procurement activities.

As a newly created position, this is an exciting opportunity to play a dual role – shaping our AP approach using your best practice expertise, whilst rolling your sleeves up and still doing the doing. You’ll help ensure the ethical, efficient, and high-quality management of Sleek’s finances — critical to maintaining our position as a market-leading experience partner.

The role is responsible for managing the end-to-end AP process, ensuring efficiency, accuracy, and compliance with company policies and financial regulations. Our AP environment can be complex with high volume and a large proportion of foreign currency payments, suiting someone who thrives under pressure. As the sole person in-house for AP, you’ll also need to be a self-starter and comfortable taking on the day-to-day AP actions too.

As our volume of suppliers increases, this role will also ensure an effective and efficient onboarding process - it’ll really allow you to own the supplier experience end to end.

Extensive experience in AP operations, leadership skills, and a strategic mindset to drive process improvements and cost efficiencies will help our successful candidate succeed in this role.

RESPONSIBILITIES 

AP OPERATIONS: 

• Oversee and lead the AP function (including potential line management) ensuring best practice and security compliance within the team
• Develop and implement AP policies, procedures, and controls to optimise efficiency and mitigate risks
• Collaborate with senior management to align on AP processes with broader financial and business objectives
• Review, authorise, and oversee the processing of all accounts payable transactions, including vendor security checks and domestic/international payments, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely settlement
• Be hands-on with daily accounts payable activities—such as matching POs, invoices, and receipts
• Reconcile Pleo expense card payments, ensuring users’ expenses reporting and posting is up to date
• Monitor and manage cash flow related to payables, optimising payment schedules and working capital
• Check for international VAT compliance and reclaim opportunities
• Serve as the primary contact for supplier and vendor finance enquiries
• Collaborate with other departments to resolve payment-related issues, maintaining strong relationships with vendors and internal stakeholders to ensure smooth payment operations
• Ensuring adherence to timely and accurate purchase order, invoice, payment, and expense reimbursement policies
• Assess and mitigate AP-related risks, escalating issues when necessary
• Efficiently use software to manage and streamline AP processes (currently Procim and Xero)
• Drive automation and system enhancements to improve AP efficiency and accuracy    

FINANCIAL REPORTING AND RECONCILIATION: 

• Perform monthly reconciliations for AP records and resolve any discrepancies 

• Prepare AP reports, analysis and aging summaries. 

• Assist in month-end and year-end closing processes by providing accurate data and reports. 

• Support the Finance Director and Project Accountant with ad hoc reporting and analysis related to AP. 

PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS:  

• Conduct supplier due diligence and background checks to ensure compliance with internal standards and industry regulations 

• Contribute to company wide supplier policy documentation e.g. supplier code of conduct 

• Own end-to end the new supplier onboarding process 

• Manage supplier relationships  

• Liaise with vendors and suppliers (related to business operations) to obtain quotes, negotiate prices, oversee contractual agreements 

• Engage with legal advisors to resolve contract-related queries or disputes as required 

• Assess and mitigate procurement-related risks, escalating issues when necessary 

• Support on business-related procurement projects as and when required e.g. selecting a new supplier with company-wide impact  

• Contribute to periodic reviews of existing key suppliers 

COMPLIANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT: 

• Proactively identify compliance and financial risks within procurement and AP operations. Report potential issues and recommend mitigation strategies to senior leadership 

• Ensure all documentation is accurately filed and complies with internal policies and external regulations. 

• Lead audit preparations and respond to queries related to AP. 

• Stay updated on changes in financial regulations impacting AP operations, cascading information as necessary.  

• Keep up to date on best practice in payment security and ensure their integrated into company policies and procedures 

• Monitor and enforce secure payment practices, including validation of bank details and segregation of duties, to prevent unauthorised payments and reduce exposure to fraud 

Requirements

• Proven experience in a senior Accounts Payable role, preferably having led a team and in an events, creative, or fast-paced industry. 

• Professional certification (e.g., AAT, ACCA, CIMA, CPA) is preferred. 

• Strong understanding of financial regulations, tax laws, and compliance requirements related to AP. 

• Strong understanding of supplier contracts, terms and conditions, and procurement compliance  

• Experience with AP automation and financial systems - proficiency in Procim and Xero would be ideal but not essential.  

• Strong Excel skills are a plus! 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to address discrepancies and improve processes 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills  

• Collaborative mindset with the ability to work independently when required. 

ABOUT YOU 

We are seeking individuals who demonstrate:   

• A human-lead leadership approach, promoting and creating an environment of shared high standards and accountability   

• Exceptional accuracy and attention to detail especially when managing financial transactions 

• Gets a kick from following established protocols and optimising procedures  

• Ability to stay level headed and make sound decisions in the face of pressurised situations and when managing multiple deadlines  

• Enthusiasm towards the role, the company and your colleagues - embodies the values of the Sleek team 

• Naturally proactive and self-motivated  

• A true team player who works collaboratively  

• Actively seeks and welcomes feedback 

• Passionate about supporting your peers to be better 

• Enthusiastically responds to every task, no matter if menial to help a colleague out  

• An ability to build long term, mutually beneficial relationships 

Benefits

Our benefits were created by Team Sleek to ensure they appeal to a wide range of individuals. Here is a taster of the types of things they include; 

• 27 days holiday (excl. UK public holidays). Additional days holiday for each year of service (capped at 3) 
• Week-day birthdays off 
• Last Friday of the month early finish (15:00) 
• Standard Pension Plan 
• Fitness membership 
• Company discounts and perks 
• Company social events inc. weekly office drinks 
• Annual Company Offsite 
• Additional Benefits after 1 years’ service including Private Health Care 
• Opportunity to attend overseas familiarisation trips on behalf of Sleek in luxury accommodation. Recent destinations include South Africa, Abu Dhabi and the South of France