Accounts Payable Manager - Queries & Payments

Founded in 1917, John Crane is a global leader in the design, manufacturing, and engineering of mission critical flow control solutions for increased efficiency, emission reductions and energy transformation. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, bearings, filtration systems and predictive digital monitoring technologies. John Crane customer service is accessed through a global network of more than 200 global sites in over 50 countries employing more than 6,000 employees worldwide. We partner with our customers and help them meet the latest environmental standards and keep their operations safe and controlled.

John Crane is part of Smiths Group, For over 170 years, Smiths has been improving our world through smarter engineering. Our technology benefits millions of people every day – making travel safer, supporting sustainable energy transition, efficiently heating, cooling our homes, and helping our world stay connected.

Connect with us on LinkedIn: John Crane: LinkedIn

Responsibilities:

Support the Head of India Finance Shared Services to:

• Implement the John Crane Global Shared Accounting Services strategy, policies and operating model
• Ensure the successful set-up of the India Finance Shared Service teams to deliver the services in accordance with the SLAs
• Ensure all services provided are to the required quality and financial control standards Lead and drive Knowledge Transfer from local finance teams ensuring services hand over seamlessly without any gaps in service or a reduction in quality
• Monitor compliance and process performance, working with John Crane Global Business Services Board, local finance teams, the Internal Controls teams and Internal and External Audit
• Drive process standardisation, harmonisation, automation, excellence and continuous improvement Accounts Payable Services Activities
• Vendor Payments and Approvals
• Employee Expenses Reimbursements
• Query Resolution
• Management of Vendor Payment types, methods and files
• Positive verification of vendor bank details
• Task Management and workload assignment across the Queries and Payments team
• Undertaking of SES Green Belt Projects to improve process efficiency

Controls and Compliance:

• Vendor & P-Card Statement Reconciliations
• Aged Creditors Reports and Commentaries
• Other compliance with internal controls and regulatory requirements.
• Manage the recording, progress and resolution of vendor and stakeholder queries.
• Manage Group Outlook inboxes for effective query receipt.
• Manage access to bank portals for upload of payment files
• Management and control of payment files and templates
• Ensure compliance with compliance to Smiths Group and John Crane Policies and to applicable accounting and reporting standards etc.
• Identify and mitigate financial risks while maintaining strong internal controls Projects
• The Smiths Group and John Crane often undertake change projects to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs. This position will be a key stakeholder in ensuring such projects are delivered in accordance with the plans and will be expected to lead related, relevant workstreams
• Drive collaboration with buying teams to resolve clearance of invoices that are blocked for payment.
• Support the audits undertaken across the organisation. Team Leadership • Develop and implement a comprehensive learning and development programme for all team members to ensure their skills and behaviours meet and continue to meet John Crane requirements
• To be a role model and promote Smiths Group Values and Leadership Behaviours
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning. Process Improvement
• Continuously assess and improve finance and accounting processes to enhance efficiency and accuracy
• Implement automation and technology solutions to reduce manual effort and strengthen financial controls

Skills and Experience:

• Proven experience (10+ years) in an Accounts payable management role
• Recent, relevant experience gained within an SSC environment
• Recent relevant experience and strong skills in SAP (ECC6)
• Experience of the use of OCR and Automated Invoice Processing
• Strong understanding of VAT, GST, WHT and other related Indirect Taxes
• Demonstrable experience of taking a hands-on approach to leadership
• Strong people leader and influencer with a record of managing and motivating people in a complex, dynamic environment
• Strong customer service skills and experience
• Excellent English verbal and written communication skills
• Experience of Lean/Six Sigma or other CI systems and tools
• Strong Presentation skills and advanced skills in Microsoft Office applications
• Comfortable interacting at all levels of the organization, from junior to senior executive levels
• Ability to think clearly, be organized and execute effectively. Master or Bachelor's degree in Finance and/or Accounting; MBA or CPA preferred.

Diversity & Inclusion:

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.

At no time during the hiring process will John Crane, Smiths Group nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website (Careers – John Crane)