Senior Director, Accounts Payable (M2)

Save the Children

For over 100 years, Save the Children has been fighting for the rights of children. The right to a healthy start in life. To have access to education. To be in a safe environment, protected from harm. We work in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places – over 100 countries, including the U.S. No matter what your role is, when you join Save the Children, you’re creating positive, irreversible change for children, and the future we all share.

The Role

As the Senior Director, Accounts Payable, you’ll be integral to our work in helping vulnerable children achieve a brighter future. You will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight of the Accounts Payable department, ensuring the delivery of timely, accurate, and compliant AP services across Save the Children US. You will be responsible for setting and monitoring performance standards, strengthening internal controls, and driving process improvements to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and service quality. You will cultivate strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and demonstrate agility in responding to emerging needs, ensuring that exceptional customer service remains a hallmark of AP operations. A key focus will be guiding the AP team through the implementation of a new financial management system, maintaining continuity of service while positioning the department for long-term success.  Additionally, you will provide other projects management oversight for strategic initiatives in close partnership with Accounting, Procurement, Treasury, and other divisions. You will help resolve complex issues, support audit readiness, and deliver seamless AP operations that enable the organization’s broader financial and programmatic goals.

Location 

Hybrid – Washington DC, Fairfield, CT or Lexington, KY office locations 

 

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties) 

*not inclusive of all role responsibilities. May be subject to change 

Leadership & Management (40%)

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the Accounts Payable department, directly managing a Director of Accounts Payable and a Lead Associate while setting priorities and ensuring operational excellence. Train, develop, coach, lead, and supervise staff, clearly communicating organization, division and department priorities, and how their work contributes to our mission and supports Save the Children values 
• Oversee AP operations to deliver high-value, high-impact transformation, ensuring efficiency, timeliness, and delivery of agreed business benefits
• Establish and adapt departmental plans to address resource and operational challenges, ensuring agility and responsiveness in a fast-paced environment.
• Maintain strong vendor and stakeholder relationships, ensuring a high level of customer service by responding quickly to issues and fostering trust with internal and external partners.
• Hold accountability for AP outcomes and KPIs, including timeliness, accuracy, compliance, and customer service standards.
• Communicate effectively with all levels of the organization, including senior leadership and project sponsors, to ensure transparency on departmental goals, transformation initiatives, and progress against strategic objectives.
• Provide subject matter guidance to interdepartmental staff involved in S2P-related outcomes, acting as a trusted advisor and escalation point for complex issues.
• Integrate industry best practices into departmental strategy, ensuring AP operations remain innovative, efficient, and aligned with organizational objectives.

Compliance, Performance Monitoring & Process Optimization (30%)

• Monitor and enforce compliance with the Source-to-Pay (S2P) Policy, ensuring adherence to established compliance codes and internal controls through both direct oversight and collaboration with the Strategic Sourcing team.
• Evaluate and interpret KPI performance data, in partnership with Strategic Sourcing, developing methods for systematic analysis and reporting to leadership, and using insights to strengthen AP and procurement outcomes.
• Advance the decentralized procurement processes by identifying compliance gaps, monitoring risk, sharing findings with Strategic Sourcing, and co-developing solutions for greater consistency and accountability across departments.
• Advance automation and technology-enabled efficienc