Description:

Assistant Vice President (AVP), Accounts Payable - Compliance & Governance

Job Description:

We are seeking a highly experienced and technically proficient Assistant Vice President (AVP), Accounts Payable to ensure the integrity, efficiency, and regulatory compliance of all vendor payment operations in India.

This individual contributor role requires a strong Team Player who can actively Identify Trends in process performance and regulatory changes.

The AVP will be the primary authority responsible for monitoring GST and TDS compliance associated with all vendor payments, managing the performance of outsourced service providers, and performing critical general ledger certifications.

This position demands a deep understanding of Indian tax scenarios, robust control measures, and an unwavering focus on operational Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Key Responsibilities:

- Tax Compliance and Regulatory Oversight: Serve as the subject matter expert to monitor all GST (Goods and Services Tax) and TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) related regulatory compliances specifically associated with vendor payments within the complex Indian tax scenario.

- Tax Team Partnership: Proactively partner with the internal Tax team to ensure the accurate and timely preparation, submission, and scheduling of various statutory tax returns, focusing on reconciliation data originating from the Accounts Payable function.

- Outsourced Service Provider (OSP) Governance: Establish, monitor, and report on the performance of the Outsourced Service Provider (OSP) responsible for vendor payment processing, ensuring consistent adherence to agreed-upon Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and operational efficiency metrics.

- General Ledger Account Ownership and Certification: Perform rigorous certification of General Ledger Accounting Operations (GLAO) accounts specifically related to Accounts Payable, ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and proper classification of all AP balances and accruals.

- Operational Support and Timeliness: Provide expert support to the vendor payments processing team as and when required, ensuring all payment disbursements are executed efficiently to achieve agreed upon Turnaround Times (TAT) and maintain supplier relationships.

- Control and Audit Readiness: Implement and maintain robust internal controls over the entire procure-to-pay process to ensure the accuracy of financial records and facilitate a smooth, error-free experience during internal and external audits.

- Process Improvement and Trend Identification: Continuously identify trends in payment discrepancies, compliance gaps, or OSP performance, proposing and implementing corrective and preventative process enhancements to mitigate financial and regulatory risk.

Required Skills:

- Post Graduate (PG/Master) qualification in Accounting, Finance, or a related technical field.

- Extensive experience in a core Finance and Accounting function, with substantial focus on Accounts Payable and vendor management.

- Deep, verifiable technical knowledge and practical experience with Indian Tax Scenarios, specifically the implications and regulatory compliance requirements for GST and TDS related to vendor payments.

- Proven experience in managing and monitoring Outsourced Service Providers (OSPs) against stringent operational SLAs.

- Strong technical background in General Ledger (GL) accounting, with demonstrated ability to perform and certify account reconciliations and balances (GLAO Certification).

- Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify performance trends and root causes of operational and compliance issues.

- Proficiency in a major ERP system (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics) for high-volume Accounts Payable processing.

Preferred Skills:

- Prior experience in a shared service center or a role with governance responsibility over global/regional AP processes.

- Specific experience in liaising directly with internal and external Tax teams on audit and compliance matters.

- Certifications such as CA, CPA, or specialized tax certifications in India.

- Demonstrated ability to function effectively as an individual contributor while maintaining strong cross-functional relationships as a Team Player