Accounts Payable Manager
Are you an organised, detail-oriented finance professional ready to step up? As an Accounts Payable (AP) Manager, you’ll take charge of a company’s outgoing payments - overseeing supplier invoices, ensuring accurate records and leading the AP team.
This role is critical in Sydney’s fast-paced business environment. You will work to keep cash flow plentiful, meet payment deadlines, and build strong vendor relationships.
Whether you’re an experienced AP Supervisor or a Senior AP Officer looking for a leadership role, this guide will help you understand the role, the skills employers want, and where it can take your career.
If you are a hiring manager and ready to recruit an Accounts Payable Manager, download our job description template.
In essence, an AP Manager oversees all outgoing payments for a business.
You’ll process supplier invoices, authorise payment runs and supervise your AP team to meet performance targets. Your day might include approving expense claims, running weekly or monthly payment batches, and keeping the accounting system up to date with the correct codes.
In larger Sydney organisations, you may report to a Finance or Shared Services Manager; in smaller companies, you’ll be hands-on with the full accounts payable cycle.
The outcome is always the same: accurate, timely payments that protect supplier trust and avoid late fees or penalties.
On a typical day, an AP Manager can expect to handle a mix of tasks such as:
Monitor and manage the flow of invoices from receipt to payment.
Guide and support AP Officers or other team members, helping them meet deadlines and improve accuracy.
Maintain relationships with vendors and swiftly resolve any invoice queries or disputes.
Ensure the accounting or ERP system is up-to-date, coded correctly, and data reconciles.
Review and authorise employee expense claims and prepare payment runs.
Regularly balance supplier accounts and corporate credit card statements.
Prepare summaries of outstanding payments, aged payables and cash flow forecasts for management.
To succeed as an AP Manager, employers in Sydney typically look for a mix of technical and soft skills. Important qualities include:
Deep understanding and experience of the accounts payable function and the end-to-end process.
Proven ability to manage people or the ability, and readiness to step into a supervisory role.
Confidence with accounting/ERP systems (e.g. SAP, Oracle, Xero, or MYOB) and a minimum of intermediate Microsoft Excel skills.
Clear, professional communication with internal stakeholders and vendors (e.g. negotiating payment terms, resolving issues, etc.).
An analytical mindset to identify invoice discrepancies, investigate root causes, and implement process improvements.
Accuracy under pressure, ensuring invoices (irrespective of the volume) are processed correctly on tight deadlines.
There’s no single career path to become an AP Manager, but many candidates come from similar finance roles. Common backgrounds include:
Accounts Payable Officer or Administrator: Many AP Managers progress from an Accounts Payable Officer or Administrator role after gaining significant experience with the full-function AP process.
Senior Processing/Team Leader: Others have been a team leader or senior AP specialist, building hands-on knowledge and leadership ability.
Formal qualifications: While a CPA or CA is not usually required at this level, a Diploma or Certificate in Accounting/Bookkeeping is great to see on your resume.
On-the-job experience: Demonstrated experience in full-function accounts payable, delegating tasks and improving AP workflows can also benefit your credentials.
If you’ve been supervising an AP team or running month-end payables on your own, highlight those achievements on your resume. Employers will value candidates who can hit the ground running.
A strong AP Manager often brings both solid AP processing skills and some leadership experience
An AP Manager role can be a launchpad to senior finance positions. Depending on your interests, an AP Manager in Sydney might move up to:
Shared Services Manager – managing multiple teams that may include AP, AR and payroll functions
Finance Manager – expanding into broader budgeting, reporting, and compliance
Systems Accountant – specialising in finance software and automation projects
Financial Accountant – with further technical training or qualifications
Searching for an AP Manager job in Sydney? Richard Lloyd works with many Sydney employers (SMEs, multinationals and growing businesses) across industries from corporate and government, to retail and not-for-profits, to assist in their search for an AP Manager.
If you’re ready to explore Accounts Payable Manager positions, we can help.
We’ll work with you to find a role that fits your skills and aspirations in Sydney’s competitive market
Submit your CV, explore open roles, or simply get in touch - we would love to help.
For job seekers who need to write or update their resume, download our resume guide and template.
For hiring managers ready to recruit an Accounts Payable Manager, download our job description template.
An AP Manager is responsible for managing all the company's payments to suppliers. If the company processes a huge volume of supplier invoices, you would manage a team of Accounts Payable Officers to ensure payments are managed and recorded correctly.
Skills required include comprehensive experience in full-function accounts payable processing, strong attention to detail, staff management, and leadership experience. You also need strong technology skills to work with multiple IT systems.
An Accounts Payable Manager can pursue several career paths depending on their strengths. If you excel at managing people, you can pursue a Shared Services Manager role. If you have strong system skills, a role involving data and system migration could be a possibility. If accounting is your speciality and you aren't professionally qualified, you could further your education and then move into a financial accounting role.
Not always. If you’ve been in a senior AP position and demonstrated leadership potential, many employers are open to promoting from within.
You’ll find AP Managers across every industry - from construction and logistics to media, retail, government, and not-for-profits. The breadth of the role will vary across companies.
Yes. There’s strong demand for experienced AP professionals, and the skills are transferable across industries. It can also be a stepping stone to more senior finance roles.
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