Accounts Payable Manager Job Description: Leadership, Strategy & KPIs [+ Template for Teams]

“Our goal now is to be the best role models we can be, so we pull through the best people in the future too,” says Mark Fritz, the MD of Procedor Limited and a leader in the accounting industry, in the Accounting Influencers podcast with Rob Brown. In the context of how leadership is evolving in the accounting industry, Mark highlights an interesting point: modern-day teams do not simply follow their leaders’ footsteps because of a shift in mindset.


That is why, when hiring for senior leadership roles like Accounts Payable Manager, it is important to look for skills that go beyond the traditional skillset or number crunching and managing a team. Today’s accounting industry has faced many disruptions – Artificial Intelligence, digitalization, more acceptance towards remote work, shift in the mindset of the workforce, shift from the mandatory 80-hour work week, and so on. As a result, Accounts Payable functions have gone beyond invoice processing. It is no longer about cutting checks or ensuring timely payments – it is about managing the cash flow and ensuring its steadiness, optimizing vendor relationships, detecting fraud, and leading digital transformation in the finance functions.

It is essentially a blend of leadership, strategic thinking, and operational excellence. Businesses that want to control costs, scale efficiently, and maintain financial agility need a team with high-performing individuals with clear goals and vision, and KPIs that help drive results.

Let us delve deeper into how to hire a high-performing Accounts Payable Manager for your accounting firm.

Why is this role critical for your business?

An AP manager’s role is more than making payments to the vendors and maintaining business compliance. A strong AP Manager also enables: 

• Stronger vendor negotiations through accurate data

• Better forecasting abilities through cash outflow visibility

• Fraud detection with strong internal controls

• Smoother audits through clean documentation

• Faster month-end closing and reporting

As accounting firms scale and the volume of payments increases, a strategic AP Manager can free up capital, reduce overhead, and bring much-needed clarity to the entire business process.

Key Aspects to Include in Your Accounts Payable Manager Job Description Template

The first step to finding the right Accounts Payable Manager begins with a comprehensive job description that includes all the essential elements. Some of the key things to include: 

• Job Title

When looking for open job positions, this is what candidates search for. Make sure to keep it sharp, to-the-point, and keyword-oriented. Individuals should be able to easily search this. 

• Job Summary

A comprehensive paragraph that includes the purpose of the role, scope, and value of the organization. This highlights how the role contributes strategically to the operations. 

• Key Responsibilities

This is another key area that candidates focus on. This list should include the major tasks and be inclusive of everything that the candidate is expected to do when they come on board. This includes AP workflows, leading teams, and driving process improvements. Later, this can also act as a review and performance point. 

• Qualifications

From the education required to technical and soft skills, this section should outline it all. This helps you get rid of candidates who do not match the requirements well in advance. This is critical for managing AP at scale and finding the best fit. 

• Compensation

In case you are unable to provide an exact number for the compensation, share a range or indicate that it’s competitive and aligned with the market benchmarks. Maintaining transparency here boosts trust and helps attract candidates who match your expectations. 

• About the Organization

Incorporating the company’s mission, vision, and values especially gives candidates an idea of whether they will be able to fit in well with the organization. This helps candidates assess alignment and gives them a reason to apply beyond their paycheck. 

• Application Process

Explaining what candidates should expect gives clarity on how to apply and if there are any documents needed. This should include the interview processes, what the next steps are, and so on. This helps maintain clarity, transparency, and a smooth process to make it more accessible. 

Download Account Payable Job Description Template

What are the common KPIs that should be included?

Just like for any other accounting role, key Performance Indicators can help define success for your AP Manager. These KPIs are not just about the daily tasks, but go beyond. They should reflect efficiency, accuracy, cost control, and leadership. Common KPIs that you should include: 

• Invoice Processing Time: Measures the average time from invoice receipt to approval.

• A shorter cycle time indicates better efficiency and automation.
  
• Invoice Exception Rate:

• Percentage of invoices that require manual intervention.
• Lower exceptions reflect better data quality and process control.

• Discount Capture Rate

• Tracks how often early-payment discounts are utilized.
• Indicates cash flow strategy and vendor negotiation success.
  

• Cost per Invoice Processed

• Helps benchmark AP process efficiency.
• It can be improved through automation and workflow optimization.

• Vendor Satisfaction/Dispute Resolution TimeReflects relationship management and service quality.

• Measured through periodic vendor surveys or ticket resolution data.

• On-Time Payment Rate

• Shows how well the AP function is managing payment obligations.
• Critical for vendor trust and financial credibility.

• Team Productivity

• Measured by a number of invoices processed per team member.
• Helps set realistic staffing and workload benchmarks.

Strategic Things to Look for in an Accounts Payable Manager: 

While the technical abilities and skills are great to have, an AP Manager needs to go beyond that. Some of the most common strategic skills that an AP leader should possess include: 

• Process thinking: This can help AP Managers find inefficiencies and suggest ways to improve or automate workflows.

• Data-driven decision making: Data is the only thing that counts. Strategic leaders should rely on metrics, and not just their gut feeling. This helps make adequate improvements.

• People person: The leaders should be capable of leading a team, building a high-performing team, mentoring juniors, and resolving conflicts well.

• Fraud awareness: Frauds are a common practice, especially in an industry like this. It is important for a leader in the Accounts Payable role be aware of the red flags related to fraud and be able to control the situations before they blow out of proportion.

• Tech awareness and fluency: They should be able to evaluate and implement AP automation platforms and integrate them with your ERP and accounting systems.

How do you get started with hiring an AP Manager for your firm?

To help accounting firms navigate this path with ease, we have crafted free, editable Accounts Payable Manager job template that helps you find the right candidate with the right skills and knowledge. 

DOWNLOAD THE FREE TEMPLATE PACKAGE HERE

How can Finsmart Accounting help you hire the right candidate?

At Finsmart Accounting, we have witnessed accounting firms struggle with finding the right talent, mainly because of the acute talent crunch in the US. Our team of pre-qualified, pre-vetted, English-speaking talent helps you build offshore AP Teams with backup that integrate within your in-house processes. With us, you get: 

• AP specialists trained in Global Accounting
• Flexible models – hourly and dedicated
• Quality control and performance monitoring systems

If you want to reduce your AP processing time, improve accuracy, and scale operations, speak to our offshore experts today: https://finsmartaccounting.com/usa/free-consultation/