Purchase To Pay Manager

Main duties and responsibilities

The Finance and Procurement Directorate is a central support service within the university. We are seeking an experienced Purchase To Pay Manager to lead the University’s Purchasing and Payments teams, driving process improvement and embedding best practice across the university.

This role encompasses people management, process ownership, and stakeholder engagement to ensure P2P efficiency, mitigate risks to business continuity, query resolution and guarantee timely supplier payments.

The position carries responsibility for ensuring compliance with the University’s Procurement Policy, financial regulations and relevant legislation.

At DMU, we are proud to create a vibrant, supportive, and inclusive workplace where our staff can thrive both professionally and personally. Join a university committed to driving positive change, recognised globally as a UN Sustainable Development Goals leader, and enjoy working on a stunning campus in the heart of Leicester.

Lead and manage the Purchasing and Payments teams to deliver agreed KPIs and high levels of internal customer satisfaction.

Provide coaching, direction and support to team members, leveraging individual strengths and promoting best practice.

Manage team workload to ensure timely processing of all purchasing and payment requirements.

Embed a culture of continuous improvement across the team.

Act in accordance with the University’s Leadership and Management Standards and Behaviours framework aligned to DMU values.

Oversee weekly BACS and other payment runs, ensuring accuracy and compliance before authorisation.

Maintain and update purchasing and payment procedures, guidance, templates, and training materials to reflect legislative changes, sector best practice, and stakeholder needs.

Administer purchasing cards and ensuring spend is in line with guidelines set out in the Purchasing Card Policy.

Ensure robust controls are in place for new vendor set-up and bank detail changes, to mitigate the risk of fraud.

Own and maintain P2P procedures, driving consistency and purchasing best practice across the University.

Ensure efficient three-way matching and timely vendor payments in line with agreed payment terms. Lead the team through the ERP system upgrade ensuring all system requirements are captured, tested and implemented effectively. Ensure appropriate standard operating procedures and manuals are available.

Build strong relationships with stakeholders to understand needs, resolve issues, and identify inefficiencies.

Analyse performance data, present KPIs and implement improvements to enhance service delivery.

Influence internal stakeholders to maximise use of contracted suppliers for efficiency and compliance.

Ensure compliance with the University’s Procurement and Purchasing Card, and Anti-fraud Policies and relevant legislation.

• Be educated to degree level (or equivalent),
• Have knowledge or experience of working in a Higher Education environment or public sector/regulated industry.
• Proven experience in managing purchasing and payments operations within a complex organisation. Strong leadership and people management skills with a track record of developing high-performing teams.
• In-depth knowledge of P2P processes, ERP systems (ideally SAP), and financial best practice.
• Have excellent communication and influencing skills, with the confidence to work with senior leaders and external bodies.
• Have strong digital and analytical skills, with the motivation to use systems and data to improve services and decision-making.

To view the job description and person specification, please .

For more information about the role please contact Matt Leydon, Head of Financial Operations at

£44,746 to £56,535 per annum