Associate Manager, AP Media US

Publicis Groupe is the world's most valuable agency group, and they are seeking an Associate Manager for their Media Payables team. This role involves overseeing the AP function, managing offshore Shared Services staff, and ensuring high-quality service delivery while acting as a liaison between finance and media buying teams.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary business partner for Media Agencies: Act as the main point of contact for Agency Finance and Media Buying teams. Build strong relationships with stakeholders, provide guidance on Accounts Payable processes, resolve operational issues, and ensure service delivery meets business expectations and service level agreements (SLAs)Lead, coach, and manage the offshore Shared Services Media Payables team: Establish clear performance expectations, monitoring productivity, providing regular feedback, and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Ensure resources are effectively allocated to support business priorities while maintaining high service qualityMonitor, analyze, and communicate key performance indicators (KPIs): Related to Media Accounts Payable operations, including invoice processing, payment timeliness, exception management, query resolution, and vendor performance. Present findings to agency leadership, identify trends, recommend corrective actions, and drive initiatives that improve operational performancePartner with cross-functional departments: Includes Treasury, Billing, Procurement, Master Data Management (MDM), Finance, and IT, to ensure efficient end-to-end Accounts Payable operations. Collaborate on issue resolution, process alignment, and cross-functional initiatives that improve overall financial operationsSupport the implementation, integration, and continuous optimization of financial and media systems: Ensure accurate data flow between platforms, improving automation, and enhancing operational efficiency. Participate in system testing, process validation, user acceptance testing (UAT), and change management initiatives to support technology enhancementsOversee the Agency Workflow Query (AWQ) process: Ensure the platform remains efficient, user-friendly, and capable of supporting timely issue resolution. Monitor aging, identify recurring issues, implement corrective actions, and ensure service requests are resolved within established service levelsLead continuous process improvement initiatives: Identify opportunities to standardize procedures, eliminate manual activities, reduce processing errors, and increase automation. Partner with internal stakeholders to implement best practices that improve operational effectiveness and scalabilityCoordinate internal and external audit activities: Ensure all Accounts Payable documentation, controls, and supporting evidence are maintained accurately and delivered on time. Partner with auditors and internal compliance teams to address findings, implement corrective actions, and strengthen internal control environmentsManage vendor master data maintenance and profile updates: Ensure vendor records remain accurate and compliant to facilitate invoice processing, payment execution, refund management, and regulatory requirements. Collaborate with Master Data Management teams to maintain data integrity across systemsApply strong business and technical knowledge: Analyze complex operational issues, identify root causes, evaluate risks, and implement sustainable solutions. Support informed decision-making by leveraging financial reporting, system capabilities, and business process expertiseEnsure compliance with company policies, internal controls, and regulatory requirements: Maintain adherence to financial governance standards while minimizing operational and financial riskSupport strategic initiatives and special projects: Assigned by senior leadership, contributing subject matter expertise to business transformations, acquisitions, system implementations, and organizational changes affecting the Media Accounts Payable functionPromote a customer-focused service culture: Maintain effective communication with internal and external stakeholders, proactively addressing concerns, managing escalations, and continuously enhancing the overall stakeholder experience
Skills

Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field5–8 years of relevant experience in Accounts Payable, preferably within a Shared Services or centralized finance environmentMinimum 2–3 years in a supervisory or managerial roleExperience working with media agencies, media finance operations, or media vendor payments (e.g., digital, print, broadcast)Exhibit strong leadership skills, ability to teach and mentor in previous roles
Company Overview

Publicis Groupe is a digital and interactive communication services provider. It was founded in 1926, and is headquartered in Paris, Ile-de-France, FRA, with a workforce of 10001+ employees. Its website is https://www.publicisgroupe.com.