Senior Manager, Accounts Payable

Work with us Our team are passionate in the pursuit of excellence and in pushing the boundaries of cancer therapy and Autoimmune disease to deliver life-changing treatments to patients. Whilst working at Autolus you will enjoy a flexible, diverse and dynamic working environment which actively promotes creativity, leadership and teamwork – together we are ONE Autolus. Job Description: Job Title: Senior Manager, Accounts Payable Operations Reports to Head of Procurement Operations Department: Procurement Operations Hours: Full Time Location: Mediaworks, White City London - Hybrid Working About Autolus Autolus is a biopharmaceutical company, advancing innovative therapies at both clinical and commercial stages of development, focused on next-generation, programmed T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer. Using a broad suite of proprietary and modular T cell programming technologies, the company is engineering precisely targeted, controlled, and highly active T cell therapies designed to better recognize cancer cells, break down their defence mechanisms, and eliminate these cells. Autolus has a pipeline of product candidates in development for the treatment of haematological malignancies, solid tumours, and autoimmune diseases. Why Autolus Our team is passionate in the pursuit of excellence and in pushing the boundaries of cancer therapy and autoimmune diseases to deliver life-changing treatments to patients. Whilst working at Autolus you will enjoy a flexible, diverse, and dynamic working environment which actively promotes creativity, leadership and teamwork. In addition to this Autolus is proud to offer a competitive salary, performance related bonus as well as a comprehensive benefits package. Our Promise Autolus is developing complex, breakthrough therapies for a globally diverse market and equally recognises that diversity amongst our people is critical to our mission. As we draw on our differences, what we’ve experienced, and how we work, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Role Summary Managing an established team of 3 you will oversee the end-to-end Accounts Payable operations, ensuring accurate invoice processing, timely supplier payments, robust controls, effective vendor management, and continuous improvement across processes, systems, and service delivery. You will own the financial and operational controls, process documentation, governance and reporting for the end-to-end Purchase-to-Pay process. Implement best-in-class AP applications and processes, while continually identifying opportunities to improve system and process efficiency and supporting the delivery of change. This is a hands-on role in a fast-changing environment, requiring adaptability and original thinking. You will work closely with the wider Finance team, Procurement Operations, and other departments across the business, building strong and effective working relationships. The manager will be a member of the Procurement Operations Management Team reporting to the Head of Procurement Operations and part of a high performing team accountable for the delivery of an efficient and controlled Procure to Pay capability. Key Responsibilities Responsible for the centralised Accounts Payable team ensuring effective process, efficiency, accuracy and providing a good service to the company with timely vendor payments. Responsible for ownership and operational administration of the Company's expense management / P card platform, including day-to-day monitoring of employee expense activity, policy compliance, user support, workflow management and reporting, Act as the primary Finance contact for all expense-related matters and ensure accurate, timely, and compliant expense processing across the organisation. Oversee the full accounts payable lifecycle, including invoice receipt, validation, coding, approvals, payment runs, supplier statement reconciliations, and exception management. Collaborate with Procurement Operations to oversee various processes such as supplier onboarding into ERP system. Maintain robust controls over payment processing, segregation of duties, duplicate-payment prevention, fraud risk, and audit readiness. Lead month, quarter and year-end AP close activities, including accrual support, ageing reviews, reconciliations, and reporting. Partner with Procurement, Finance and business teams to improve procure-to-pay performance and compliance. Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise, automate, and improve AP processes and controls to drive improvement and efficiencies across the business. Develop, Deliver and Monitor AP performance metrics, such as invoice processing cycle times, payment accuracy, overdue invoices, exception rates, supplier query volumes, and days payable outstanding Other ad-hoc duties including support to project teams in development and implementation of infrastructural projects and implementation of processes Leadership and People Management Lead, coach, and develop the Accounts Payable operations team, setting clear objectives and performance expectations. Allocate workload, manage capacity, and ensure effective cover for critical activities. Build a customer-focus set expectations and adopt continuous-improvement culture. Support recruitment, onboarding, training, and capability development within the AP team. Systems, Automation, and Process Improvement Own or support AP system configuration, workflow optimisation, automation adoption, and data quality improvements. Work with IT, Finance Systems, and Procurement Systems teams to resolve system issues and improve user experience. Use AP reporting and analytics to identify process bottlenecks, control gaps, supplier issues, and improvement opportunities. Support transformation initiatives such as e-invoicing, purchase order compliance, automated approvals, supplier portals, and invoice scanning capture tools. Demonstrated skills and competencies E – Essential P – Preferred Strong operational leadership and team management capability. E Excellent attention to detail, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills. E Clear communication skills with the ability to engage suppliers, senior stakeholders, and cross-functional teams. E Good understanding of internal controls, audit requirements, risk management, and payment governance. E Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. E Continuous improvement mindset with experience improving processes, service levels, and controls. E Hands on, resilient and flexible to thrive in a fast-paced environment - E Biotech, clinical background – P Proven business partnering skills - E Experience Significant experience in Accounts Payable, Procure-to-Pay, Finance Operations, or Shared Services environments. E Proven experience leading AP teams and managing high-volume transactional finance operations. E Strong knowledge of invoice processing, payment controls, supplier reconciliations, month-end close, and financial compliance requirement. E Experience with ERP and Fintech systems and tools. E Knowledge of working