Global Process Owner - Accounts Payable

Job Description

Global Process Owner Accounts Payable

Full time

London/Hybrid

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Why Rolls-Royce?

Rolls-Royce is one of the most enduring and iconic brands in the world and has been at the forefront of innovation for over a century. We design, build and service systems that provide critical power to customers where safety and reliability are paramount.

We are proud to be a force for progress, powering, protecting and connecting people everywhere.

We want to ensure that the excellence and ingenuity that has shaped our history continues into our future and we need people like you to come and join us on this journey.

We’ll provide an environment of caring and belonging where you can be yourself. An inclusive, innovative culture that invests in you, gives you access to an incredible breadth and depth of opportunities where you can grow your career and make a difference.

What we offer

We offer excellent development opportunities, a competitive salary, and exceptional benefits. These include bonus, employee support assistance and employee discounts.

Your needs are as unique as you are. Hybrid working is a way in which our people can balance their time between the office, home, or another remote location.  It’s a locally managed and flexed informal discretionary arrangement.  As a minimum we’re all expected to attend the workplace for collaboration and other specific reasons, on average three days per week.

What you will be doing

The Global Process Owner for Accounts Payable (AP GPO) is accountable for the end-to-end design, standardization, and continuous improvement of the global accounts payable process. The role ensures operational excellence, compliance, efficiency, governance, and alignment with business and GBS strategy.

The AP GPO is accountable for designing, governing, and continuously improving end-to-end global processes within GBS. This role ensures standardisation, efficiency, compliance, and automation across regions, driving consistency while balancing local requirements. The AP GPO is critical in shaping the digital and process agenda, acting as global custodian of process excellence.

The role requires a systemic perspective, business acumen, and the ability to engage stakeholders across multiple markets and functions.

The AP GPOs influence senior business leaders, ensure alignment with global standards, coordinate compliance and integration, ensure scalability, automation, and operational effectiveness.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Process Ownership & Governance

• Own the end-to-end global AP process, including invoice receipt, processing, approvals, payments, and supplier queries

• Define and maintain the global process framework, standards, and best practices

• Establish and lead AP governance forums with regional finance leads and shared services

• Ensure process compliance with internal policies and external regulations (e.g., tax laws, UK SOX, local statutory rules)

• Support the development of process capability within delivery teams through knowledge sharing and training

2. Standardisation & Optimisation

• Drive global standardization of AP processes and systems across regions and business units

• Identify and lead process improvements using methodologies like Lean, Six Sigma, or Kaizen

• Promote and support digital transformation of the AP function

• Sponsor global process improvement initiatives, including automation and digital enablement

3 . Performance Management

• Define and track KPIs and SLAs (e.g., DPO, on-time payment rate, invoice processing time)

• Monitor process performance metrics globally; identify and address risks or inefficiencies

• Benchmark performance across regions and drive improvements

• Ensure timely and accurate reporting on AP performance and compliance

4. Technology & Systems

• Partner with IT and ERP teams (e.g., SAP, Coupa) to design and enhance AP solutions

• Drive global rollout of AP tools and technologies

• Evaluate and implement automation tools (e.g., OCR, AI, RPA, e-invoicing)

5. Stakeholder Management

• Act as the global point of contact for AP process matters

• Act as the key authority for process design decisions, working closely with IT, Digital, and Transformation teams

• Engage with functional leaders, local operations managers, and stakeholders to ensure effective adoption and compliance

• Collaborate with Procurement, Treasury, Tax, and Business Units to align processes

• Manage relationships with external service providers (e.g., service providers, technology vendors)

6. Risk, Compliance & Controls

• Ensure appropriate internal controls and segregation of duties are in place

• Support internal and external audits

• Drive compliance with anti-bribery, data safeguarding, sanctions, and fraud prevention policies

Who we’re looking for:

At Rolls-Royce we put safety first, do the right thing, keep it simple and make a difference. These principles form the behaviours that guide us and are an essential component of our assessment process. They are the fundamental qualities that we seek for all roles.

Experience:

• Proven experience in GBS or Shared Services, with significant AP process expertise

• Proven experience in end-to-end process ownership across regions or business units

• Strong track record in change management and stakeholder engagement

• Demonstrated success in delivering process transformation and automation at scale

• Experience aligning processes with enabling technology platforms (ERP, workflow tools)

• Evidence of leading cross-functional stakeholder groups to drive adoption of global standards

• Strong track record monitoring and improving process KPIs globally

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field

• Professional certification (e.g., CPA, CMA, or equivalent) preferred

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt desirable

We are an equal opportunities employer. We’re committed to developing a diverse workforce and an inclusive working environment. We believe that people from different backgrounds and cultures give us different perspectives which are crucial to innovation and problem solving. We believe the more diverse perspectives we have, the more successful we’ll be. By building a culture of caring and belonging, we give everyone who works here the opportunity to realise their full potential.

You can learn more about our global Inclusion strategy at Our people | Rolls-Royce

Closing date: 5th November 2025

Job Category

Finance