Objective
The Lead, Accounts Payable will be responsible for managing the complete Accounts Payable function, ensuring that all vendor invoices, employee expenses, advances, recurring operating expenses, project expenses, and statutory deductions are accurately recorded, properly approved, reconciled, and paid within agreed timelines. The role will also strengthen controls around vendor onboarding, invoice verification, payment approvals, GST/TDS compliance, ageing, reconciliations, month-end closure, and audit readiness.
Key Day-to-Day Responsibilities
End-to-End Accounts Payable Management
- Own the complete AP cycle, ensuring invoices are booked accurately and within defined TAT preferably within 3–4 working days of receipt of complete documentation.
- Review invoices and ensure none are processed without appropriate business and financial approvals.
- Monitor recurring monthly invoices such as rent/lease rentals, CAM/maintenance, electricity, internet, security, housekeeping, facility management, AMC, software subscriptions, professional fees, insurance, repairs and maintenance, and other centre operating expenses.
- Ensure expenses are properly allocated to the correct centre, entity, project, and cost centre, with correct centre/location tagging.
- Review centre-wise expenses against approved budgets before booking and monitor unusual or exceptional centre expenses.
- Coordinate with Centre/Community teams for missing invoices and approvals.
- Ensure expenses relating to different entities are not incorrectly booked into another entity; review inter-centre/inter-company expenses.
- Ensure project expenses including client-specific fitouts and customized works — are separately identified from routine operational expenses.
Vendor Management
- Manage the complete vendor onboarding process from a Finance perspective, including independent verification of vendor bank details.
- Establish maker-checker controls for vendor creation and modification and review duplicate vendor records.
- Resolve vendor payment and invoice disputes and conduct periodic vendor ledger reconciliation.
- Maintain proper vendor communication and escalation mechanisms.
- Monitor vendors with long-pending balances and disputed invoices.
- Maintain a proper process for identifying MSME vendors.
Payment Management
- Prepare and prioritize vendor payment proposals based on criticality of service, centre operations, statutory obligations, cash-flow position, and management priorities.
- Ensure no payment is released without complete documentation and approval.
GST & TDS Compliance
- Coordinate monthly GSTR-2B reconciliation and identify invoices appearing in books but not in GSTR-2B.
- Follow up with vendors for missing or incorrect GST reporting and monitor credit notes/debit notes.
- Ensure blocked/ineligible ITC is appropriately identified.
- Determine applicable TDS sections and rates and validate lower/nil deduction certificates where applicable.
- Ensure TDS is deducted correctly, reconcile TDS payable with vendor ledgers, and coordinate timely TDS deposit and return filing.
Vendor Reconciliation, Advances & Prepayments
- Ensure regular (quarterly) reconciliation of vendor accounts.
- Track and manage vendor advances, employee advances, security deposits, prepaid expenses, project advances, mobilization advances, and retention amounts.
- Ensure advances are adjusted against invoices within defined timelines.
Employee Expenses & Reimbursements
- Review employee reimbursement claims, verify supporting bills, and check against policy.
- Validate GST invoices where applicable and ensure appropriate approvals and timely settlement.
- Review corporate card transactions and identify duplicate or unsupported claims.
Month-End Closing
- Own vendor invoice booking, expense accruals, and prepaid expense accounting for month-end close.
- Complete vendor reconciliation, TDS payable reconciliation, and GST reconciliation support.
- Complete advance, security deposit, and retention reconciliation, AP ageing, and provisioning for unbilled expenses.
Team Management
- Lead and supervise the AP team allocate daily/monthly work and define individual KRAs.
- Monitor productivity and review error rates.
- Conduct periodic team meetings, train team members, and cross-train employees.
Qualifications
- B. Com / M. Com / CA Inter.
- 7–12 years of experience in Accounts Payable, preferably with 3+ years in a managerial AP role.
- Strong technical grounding in accounting: Accounts Payable, General Ledger, accruals, prepayments, and vendor reconciliation.
- Strong command of GST, TDS, and MSME payment provisions.
- Hands-on experience with ERP/accounting software such as Zoho Books, SAP, Oracle, or NetSuite (or equivalent), and expense management systems.
- Advanced MS Excel skills (Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP, VLOOKUP, SUMIFS) and MIS preparation.