AP Manager | Fast-Growth Retail Brand | Manchester - #2108231

AP Manager (12-Month FTC) | Fast-Growth Online Retail Brand | Manchester

The Client

Harmonic are delighted to be partnering with a fast-growing UK activewear brand, based in Manchester and operating at over £80m+ turnover. The business has more than doubled its revenue over the past two years, driven by a direct-to-consumer model alongside a selective wholesale presence. It recently took on investment from a PE firm to fund international expansion.

Finance has stayed lean while the rest of the business has scaled quickly, and Accounts Payable is a close-knit team of four who have worked together through a period of rapid growth. This role has been created to bring the function up to the standard the business now needs, and to give that team a leader who can guide them through the change with genuine care. The business runs on NetSuite, and hands-on NetSuite experience is a firm requirement for this role.

The Role

The Accounts Payable function currently sits within a lean team, with roughly 1,000 invoices processed each month across factory, services, and card spend. This is a senior interim position on a 12-month fixed-term contract, created to lead the end-to-end transformation of the Accounts Payable. The AP team will report directly into this role for the duration of the contract, and you will act as line manager for a team of four, providing hands-on leadership through a period of genuine change.

What makes this role distinct is the dual mandate. Alongside keeping BAU running (invoice processing, payment runs, vendor management, and reconciliations), you will own the transformation agenda in full: redesigning processes from purchase order through to payment, documenting SOPs, embedding AI tools into day-to-day workflows, and leaving behind a robust succession plan for the permanent team.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the AP transformation roadmap, redesigning processes end-to-end to improve efficiency, accuracy, and control
• Identify and implement automation and digital solutions, including AI tools such as invoice capture and anomaly detection, embedding these sustainably into the team's ways of working
• Act as line manager for the AP team for the duration of the contract, providing hands-on leadership and support through a period of change
• Design and document comprehensive SOPs for all key AP processes, establishing robust controls and governance frameworks
• Lead the implementation of approved process changes, managing stakeholder communication and delivering training across the team
• Oversee BAU AP operations throughout, including invoice processing, payment runs, vendor management, and month-end reconciliations
• Develop and hand over a detailed succession plan to ensure transformation gains are sustained after the contract ends
• Benchmark AP performance against best practice for businesses of comparable scale and set measurable improvement targets

What our client needs to see (essential):

• Hands-on experience with NetSuite, specifically the AP modules, workflows, and reporting - this is essential for the role
• Experience working within a business with £80m+ annual turnover
• A demonstrable track record of leading AP transformation, including process redesign, SOP documentation, and change implementation
• Experience identifying and embedding AI tools within a finance or AP function, with the ability to assess use cases pragmatically and build genuine team adoption
• Strong people management and change leadership skills, with the empathy to bring a team through a period of uncertainty
• Strong working knowledge of AP best practice, controls, and compliance requirements

What we'd like to see (non-essential):

• Previous experience in an interim or fixed-term transformation role
• Experience in an online retail or e-commerce environment

Package

• Salary: £60,000 - £65,000 (pro rata for the contract term)
• Location: Manchester (Office-Based - 3 days a week)
• Start Date: ASAP

At Harmonic, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. We actively welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and assure you that every candidate will be thoughtfully considered for the roles we represent, without regard to race, religion, gender expression, disability, or sexual orientation.