Director of Payment Operations

We're looking for a Director of Payment Operations to join us in Bradford.

Job Purpose

To lead Liberty Blume's Payment Operations function, a multi-customer operation of 100 people delivering Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable services to Liberty Global group companies and external customers.

The role sets the strategy and transformation roadmap for the function, owns senior customer relationships and commercial performance, and is accountable for operational excellence and a robust control environment.

The Payment Operations team is at the fulcrum of Liberty Blume’s tech enabled service offering and is seeking to continue to stay on the cutting edge of technological change over the next 2-3 years while delivering a service that customers recommend to others.

As a member of the VP Finance Operations leadership team, the Director drives digital and AI-led transformation that delivers measurable efficiency, quality and value for customers, while building a high-performing, engaged team equipped for the future of finance operations.

What will you be doing?

1. Strategy & Leadership

• Set the multi-year Payment Operations strategy and transformation roadmap, aligned to Liberty Blume's Business Solutions roadmap and to customers' P2P and O2C strategies, contributing to customer P2P Strategy & Transformation Boards and annual roadmap planning.
• Act as a member of the VP Finance Operations leadership team, shaping wider Finance Business Solutions priorities and decisions.
• Embed a culture of proactivity, continuous improvement, and customer centricity throughout the entire team
• Lead a100 strong team through a group of senior managers, owning organisational design, team structures, succession and talent planning, including regular structure reviews and risk and talent assessments.
• Recruit, develop and retain senior managers, actively manage performance, build capability through targeted development plans, and foster an inclusive, high-performance culture through regular communication, engagement and recognition initiatives.

2. Accounts Payable & Payments

• Own end-to-end Accounts Payable, including invoice processing, query management and supplier master data, with robust bank-detail verification and anti-fraud processes.Ensure accurate, timely payment runs across multiple ERPs and legal entities, including intercompany and the management of payment exceptions.
• Prevent duplicate payments and reduce leakage through supplier statement reconciliation, reduction of invoice holds and improved PO compliance.
• Provide operational cash forecasting and working-capital tracking, and lead month-end governance for payables.

3. Accounts Receivable, Billing & Collections

• Own billing initiation, cash allocation and application, debt collection, aged-debt management, refunds and customer query management for all customers in scope.
• Define and maintain AR KPI frameworks that give customers clear visibility of performance, cash and risk.
• Evaluate and implement AR and collections technology, including business cases and vendor due diligence for AI collections agents.

4. Customer Management & Commercials

• Own senior relationships with the finance leadership of each customer, acting as the primary point of escalation and a trusted adviser.
• Run Monthly and Quarterly Business Reviews, KPI calls and steering committees, managing SLA and KPI performance with each customers
• Resolve escalations promptly and lead customer satisfaction and NPS programmes that turn feedback into improvement actions.
• Own P&L performance by customer, including cost-to-serve and FTE analysis, and work with the Commercial & Pricing team on pricing and change notes.
• Evidence customer profitability and value creation, and support RFPs and new-business proposals.

5. Transformation, Digitisation & AI

• Identify opportunities to utilize technology to improve cost efficiencies, build scale, and improve customer services
• Work closely with Transformation and Technology teams to deliver programs on time and on budget, and to ensure that technology is being used to maximum effect to delivery a high quality service to customers
• Drive continuous improvement through maturity assessments and finance diagnostics, delivering headcount efficiencies and budget targets through technology.

6. Transitions & Growth

• Lead due diligence, transition planning, knowledge transfer and stabilisation for new customers and expanded scope
• Complete task and FTE analysis and define target operating models and roadmaps for transitioning services.
• Support Liberty Blume's growth agenda and partnerships, helping to shape propositions that win and retain business.

7. Governance, Risk & Control

• Own the operational control framework, including SOX controls (IT application and manual), ensuring controls are designed and operating effectively.
• Lead engagement with internal and external audit and ensure timely remediation of audit actions.
• Own and maintain business continuity plans for all services.
• Ensure segregation of duties, regular access reviews and compliance with group and customer policies.

8. Financial & Performance Management

• Own the departmental budget, headcount and FTE plans, delivering against agreed financial targets.
• Produce the monthly KPI pack and MI reporting, including Power BI dashboards, for leadership and customers.
• Drive data-driven decision-making and ROI-based investment cases for technology and process change.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Significant senior leadership experience in a shared service, GBS or BPO finance operations environment, leading large, multi-layered teams (100+), ideally across multiple countries
• Team building credentials in fast-paced, customer facing organisations
• Significant experience in an operational setting which requires constant resource allocation and optimization judgements to be made
• Deep end-to-end Procure to Pay and Order to Cash expertise.
• Proven track record of finance transformation, automation and technology adoption with measurable benefits.
• Strong customer-facing and C-suite stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills.
• Commercial acumen, including P&L, pricing, cost-to-serve and business case and ROI development.
• Experience of SLA and KPI governance & reporting under Master Services Agreements.
• Strong knowledge of SOX, internal controls and audit.
• Experience of leading transitions and organisational change.

DESIRABLE SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Experience applying AI and agentic solutions, RPA, OCR and conversational AI in finance operations.
• Telecoms or media sector experience.
• Experience of working across European markets.
• Experience of P2P tools, duplicate-payment and fraud detection tools & O2C Technology
• Qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA or ACA) or equivalent experience.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary + annual bonus + car allowance + equity
• 25 days annual leave with the option to purchase 5 more
• Access to wellbeing and mental health benefits such as the Calm app, personal medical, critical illness cover and dental insurance
• Matched pension contribution up to 10%
• Access to our car benefit scheme
• Access to our online learning platform to continue to develop and grow your career with us
• The chance to join an innovative, fast-paced and passionate team

Who We Are

Liberty Blume, a Liberty Global company, is a rapidly growing business services provider, specialising in tech-enabled back-office solutions. Our mission is to deliver efficiency, scale and value to our customers through Business, Procurement and Financial Solutions. If you’re curious, customer centric and enjoy being one step ahead, join us on our scale up journey and unlock your freedom to grow!

Liberty Global is an equal opportunity employer, committed to an inclusive environment and accommodating all candidates. We’re eager to hear from you, no matter your background