AP Senior Accountant

Role Purpose:

The Senior Accounts Payable Processor is a subject-matter expert and operational anchor within the Egypt GBS Payables team. Beyond executing complex transactions, this role owns the quality of AP output across multiple divisions — reviewing balances, leading period-end close activities, driving variance analysis, and coaching junior associates. This person is the go-to for anything that requires judgement, not just process execution. As the Egypt Shared Services centre grows into a fully integrated GBS model, this role will play a visible part in embedding standards, resolving escalations, and supporting knowledge transfer from the broader Shared Services network.

Key Responsibilities: 

AP Balance Review & Ledger Ownership

• Own the completeness and accuracy of the AP sub-ledger across assigned divisions — not just process invoices but actively review and manage the ledger
• Perform and review AP balance reconciliations; investigate and clear aged, stale, or unexplained items within defined timelines
• Identify risks in the AP ledger (unapplied credits, duplicate payments, mispostings) and drive resolution proactively
• Present AP balance position to the Team Lead / Finance Manager in weekly review meetings

GS (Goods & Services) Schedule Support

• Support the preparation and review of GS schedules used for accruals, cut-off, and period-end reporting
• Ensure GS schedules accurately reflect receipt-confirmed but uninvoiced liabilities and are reconciled to the AP ledger
• Coordinate with procurement and operations teams to confirm receipt status and resolve discrepancies in a timely manner
• Maintain schedule templates and support their standardisation across divisions

Multi-Division Variance Analysis

• Perform AP variance analysis across business divisions — explaining movement in AP balances, days payable outstanding (DPO), and payment performance versus prior period and budget
• Identify and explain significant variances between sub-ledger and GL; escalate items requiring journal adjustments
• Prepare variance commentary suitable for Finance Manager review and, where required, for divisional business partners
• Track and trend key AP metrics (aging profile, invoice processing cycle time, exception rates) to highlight operational risks

Month-End & Period Close

• Lead the AP month-end close checklist for assigned entities — accruals, GR/IR clearing, cut-off reviews, and reconciliations
• Post and review AP-related journal entries; ensure period-end entries are accurate, complete, and properly supported
• Coordinate close timelines with the wider GBS team (AR, GL, Reporting) to meet group deadlines
• Review junior associate close deliverables before submission

Team Support & Quality Oversight

• Review AP transactions processed by associates for accuracy, compliance, and completeness — provide structured feedback
• Act as first-level escalation for complex vendor disputes, coding queries, and payment exceptions
• Support onboarding and practical training of new AP team members
• Document and maintain AP process guides and SOPs relevant to the Egypt GBS centre

Stakeholder & Vendor Management

• Manage relationships with key vendors and internal business unit finance contacts across assigned divisions
• Resolve escalated vendor queries professionally and within SLA, with clear documentation
• Liaise with procurement, treasury, and tax teams on AP-related matters (payment terms, withholding tax, intercompany)

Controls & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with DoA, payment policies, and applicable local tax regulations (VAT, withholding tax)
• Identify and flag control gaps or process risks; propose practical process improvements
• Support internal and external audit requirements — documentation, walkthroughs, and audit queries
• Assist in the implementation of process improvements and system enhancements as the GBS model matures

Required Qualifications:

• 4–7 years of progressive AP or broader finance experience, with a minimum of 2–3 years in a Shared Services or GBS environment
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; professional accounting qualification (CMA, CPA, ACCA, or equivalent) is preferred or actively in progress
• Demonstrated experience owning AP reconciliations, period-end close, and balance reviews — not just transactional processing
• Experience supporting or preparing GS/accrual schedules and variance analysis
• Strong SAP S/4HANA experience is required — must be comfortable running reports, querying ledgers, and using core AP transaction codes; hands-on experience with OpenText VIM and/or Invoice Validation is highly preferred
• Prior exposure to multi-entity, multi-currency environments; GCC or international business exposure is a strong advantage
• Advanced Excel skills — comfortable building and reviewing reconciliation models, pivot analyses, and variance schedules