Accounts Payable Lead

About the role

Helsing is a defence AI company. Our mission is to protect our democracies. We aim to achieve technological leadership, so that open societies can continue to make sovereign decisions and control their ethical standards. As democracies, we believe we have a special responsibility to be thoughtful about the development and deployment of powerful technologies like AI. We take this responsibility seriously. We are an ambitious and committed team of engineers, AI specialists and customer-facing programme managers. We are looking for mission-driven people to join our European teams - and apply their skills to solve the most complex and impactful problems. We embrace an open and transparent culture that welcomes healthy debates on the use of technology in defence, its benefits, and its ethical implications. As the Accounts Payable Lead, you are the heart of our Procure-to-Pay process and take on the functional and disciplinary leadership of our accounts payable team. In addition to the classic P2P process, Expense Management (travel and out-of-pocket expenses) is also part of your team's responsibility. You ensure that incoming invoices and expenses are checked, coded, and paid efficiently, correctly, and on time. In this role, you are not only the central point of contact for our suppliers and internal departments, but you also actively drive the digitization and automation of our invoicing processes. Furthermore, you significantly support the rollout of a vertical service-admin team that operates and provides services independently of location. In this important function, you report directly to the Head of Accounting. You ensure smooth operations, always keep an eye on our internal guidelines (compliance), support their continuous optimisation, and make a significant contribution to a clean month-end and year-end closing. The day-to-day Lead, support, and develop the multi-location Accounts Payable team, creating an environment where people are enabled to do their best work and grow professionally Own the end-to-end incoming invoice workflow - from data entry and verification through to approval and payment - ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with internal controls at every stage Take a central role in the implementation and configuration of Helsing's new AP Workflow Management System, shaping how the function operates for years to come Plan, execute, and approve regular national and international payment runs in line with cash discount deadlines, liquidity targets, and treasury requirements Maintain oversight of vendor master data quality and serve as the escalation point for complex queries from suppliers and internal stakeholders, resolving issues with clarity and professionalism Deliver all accounts payable closing activities for month-end and year-end, including account reconciliation, provisions, and accruals - to the timelines required by the wider Finance team Identify and implement process improvements across the P2P and expense management cycle, with a particular focus on automation (e.g. OCR recognition) and eliminating paper-based workflows Ensure consistent adherence to internal compliance frameworks (e.g. four-eyes principle, approval matrix) and applicable VAT regulations across all AP activity Support the build-out of a location-independent service and admin team, contributing to the design of scalable operating models and shared service structures You should apply if you Have substantive experience in an Accounts Payable function and have taken on people or functional leadership responsibility - with a track record of developing teams and improving performance Have deep, practical knowledge of the end-to-end Procure-to-Pay process, including expense management, and can demonstrate having owned this cycle in a complex, multi-entity or multi-location environment Are proficient in one or more leading ERP systems (e.g. SAP, DATEV, MS Dynamics) and have worked with modern invoice approval and workflow tools Have contributed to or led a finance systems implementation or process automation project, and can take ownership of similar initiatives at Helsing Bring a highly structured and precise approach to financial operations, paired with the judgement to resolve ambiguous or complex situations pragmatically Are fluent in both German and English, enabling you to communicate with confidence across Helsing's international supplier base and internal stakeholder community Note: We operate in an industry where women, as well as other minority groups, are systematically under-represented. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarised in a few bullet points.

Requirements

• Hands-on experience with specialist procurement, expense, or AP automation platforms (e.g. Coupa, Ariba, Basware, xSuite, TravelPerk, Concur)
• Working knowledge of national and international VAT legislation, includ

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