Accounts Payable Manager - Governance

About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins is one of the world’s leading global law firms advising the businesses and institutions that drive the global economy. We are the market leaders in major financial and business centers around the world. Our investment in people, commitment to innovation, and focus on the future empower you to build an incredible career and thrive as an exceptional professional in a supportive culture. If you aspire to be the best, and work with the best, this is where you belong.

About the Role

The Manager – Accounts Payable (AP), Governance is an integral part of Latham’s Global Finance team. This role will be responsible for establishing and maintaining a scalable governance framework across vendor management, corporate card programs, payment governance, policy and procedure documentation, risk and compliance, and continuous improvement, while owning and developing the global AP governance framework, ensuring policies, procedures, standards, decision rights and controls are clear, current and consistently applied across regions. This role will be located in our Manchester office. Please note that this role may be eligible for a flexible working schedule that allows for a hybrid and in-office presence.

Responsibilities & Qualifications

Other key responsibilities include:

• Leading global vendor management governance, including vendor master standards, onboarding controls, data quality, compliance expectations and coordination with Procurement, Vendor Risk Management, Treasury, Tax and local Finance teams
• Providing governance leadership for corporate card and e‑invoicing programs, including policy coordination, administration standards, control design, issue escalation and development of a more globally aligned operating model
• Developing and maintaining payment governance standards, including control requirements, approval principles, bank‑detail validation expectations, exception management and coordination with Treasury and AP operational leaders
• Owning the AP policy, procedure and process‑documentation framework, setting expectations for documentation quality, review cycles, ownership, version control and accessibility
• Leading the assessment, design and improvement of AP controls, working with Audit, Risk, Treasury, Procurement, Tax, Financial Accounting and other stakeholders to identify gaps, agree remediation and monitor sustainable completion

We’d love to hear from you if you:

• Demonstrate excellent leadership skills (i.e., organising, planning, problem-solving, and decision-making) necessary for effective management
• Possess the ability to develop or improve policies, controls, process documentation, vendor governance or compliance frameworks
• Exhibit organisational skills needed to manage time well, prioritise effectively, and handle multiple deadlines

And have:

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Relevant experience in Accounts Payable, finance operations, governance, controls, shared services or Procure-to-Pay within a similarly sized organisation, global multi-office law firm, accounting firm, or other professional services organisation
• Experience with vendor master data, corporate cards, payment controls, e-invoicing, audit remediation or related governance disciplines, preferably

Benefits & Additional Information

Successful candidates will not only be provided with an outstanding career opportunity and welcoming environment, but will also be provided with a generous total compensation package with bonuses awarded in recognition of both individual and firm performance. Eligible employees can participate in Latham’s comprehensive benefit program which includes:

• Health insurance as well as group income protection and life assurance
• A pension plan
• Wellness programs
• Employee discounts
• And more!

Additionally, we have a range of programming including Global Affinity Groups, which are open to all. These groups provide a firmwide platform to share experiences and advice as well as an opportunity to participate in a supportive network with common interests to help make life at the firm even better.

Latham & Watkins is an equal opportunity employer. The Firm prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, or any other characteristic or condition protected by applicable statute. #MidSenior