P2P SSOG Operations Manager

Job summary

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Defra’s Digital, Data and Technology Services (DDTS) manages one of the government’s largest and most complex digital supplier portfolios. We are looking for an experienced P2P (Purchase 2 Pay ) Operations Manager (SEO) to lead the day‑to‑day P2P team delivery of billing governance, financial assurance and cost‑model management across more than 30 contracts.

This is a key role within the P2P team, responsible for leading accurate supplier billing, robust financial controls, and effective management of contractual headroom across a portfolio exceeding £500m annual spend. You will line‑manage a team of P2P specialists, act as the escalation point for billing issues, and work closely with Supplier Managers, SSRMs, Programme Leads and strategic suppliers.

If you thrive in a fast‑paced environment, enjoy working with varied stakeholders and want to help strengthen financial governance across a strategic portfolio, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more about DDTS:

• Defra digital, data and technology blog
• LinkedIn
• Defra Jobs

Job description

P2P SSOG Operations Manager - Driving Excellence in Supplier Spend Operations & Governance.

This is a hands-on operational management role combining personal ownership of complex cost models with responsibility for the timeliness, accuracy and quality of delivery across the P2P SSOG team.

As the P2P SSOG Operations Manager, you will support the G7 Head of P2P Supplier Spend Operations & Governance by ensuring consistently accurate, timely and high-quality operational delivery across the team.

You will personally own and manage several complex cost models and their associated billing, forecasting, purchase order, receipting, reconciliation and contractual headroom activity. Alongside this direct portfolio responsibility, you will lead the day-to-day execution of work across the team, ensuring agreed processes, controls and standards are followed correctly and consistently.

The G7 owns the strategic direction, operating model, tools, processes and continuous improvement roadmap. Your role is to ensure these are applied effectively in practice, that operational deadlines and quality standards are met, and that issues are identified and addressed before they affect financial control, governance or stakeholder outcomes.

You will line manage P2P Process Leads, provide coaching and constructive feedback, act as the first senior operational escalation point and maintain clear visibility of timeliness, quality, accuracy and compliance across the team.

Why Join Us?

Deliver High-Quality Operational Outcomes

You will be accountable for ensuring the team’s P2P activity is completed accurately, consistently, within agreed timescales and in accordance with agreed processes and controls. You will monitor the quality and timeliness of outputs, identify emerging concerns and intervene where delivery or standards are at risk.

You will ensure that cost models, forecasts, billing information, purchase orders, receipts, reconciliations and supporting evidence are complete, accurate and ready for financial, governance or audit scrutiny.

You will work closely with the G7, providing a clear view of operational performance, recurring issues, delivery risks and areas where additional intervention or improvement may be required.

Maintain Operational Standards and Quality

You will ensure the agreed P2P operating model, processes, tools, controls and standards are understood and followed effectively across the team.

You will set clear day-to-day expectations for quality, accuracy, timeliness and accountability, reviewing outputs and providing feedback where standards are not met.

Through your own hands-on portfolio responsibilities, you will model the standards expected from the team and maintain current operational knowledge of complex cost models, billing mechanisms and P2P controls.

Collaborate and Build Trust

You will develop trusted, productive relationships with suppliers, Supplier Managers, SSRMs, Finance colleagues, Programme Leads, Delivery Groups and other internal customers.

You will help stakeholders understand and navigate P2P requirements, resolve issues promptly and ensure spend activity remains transparent, contractually aligned and financially controlled. You will explain requirements clearly while understanding the operational pressures and outcomes stakeholders are trying to achieve.

You will also support P2P Process Leads to build effective stakeholder relationships and deliver a consistent, professional service across the portfolio.

Responsibilities:

Cost-Model and Transactional Ownership

• Personally own and manage several complex cost models from an operational and transactional perspective.
• Deliver accurate and timely billing, forecasting, purchase order, receipting, reconciliation and contractual headroom activity for the allocated portfolio.
• Validate supplier billing and supporting information against contractual mechanisms, approved budgets and delivery evidence.
• Investigate discrepancies, secure corrective action and maintain complete audit trails.
• Maintain accurate, current and reliable information across P2P tools, cost models and associated records.
• Build effective working relationships with the suppliers, delivery teams, Finance colleagues, Supplier Managers and SSRMs associated with the allocated portfolio.

Operational Delivery and Quality

• Ensure P2P activity across the team is completed correctly, consistently and within agreed deadlines.
• Monitor timeliness, accuracy, completeness, data quality and auditability across team outputs.
• Ensure colleagues follow the processes, controls, work instructions and standards owned by the G7.
• Review and quality-assure outputs and supporting evidence, identifying errors, omissions or control concerns and ensuring corrective action is completed promptly.
• Maintain clear visibility of overdue activity, recurring errors, operational risks and issues requiring escalation.
• Act as the first senior operational escalation point, resolving issues within agreed authority and escalating material, recurring or cross-cutting concerns to the G7 with clear evidence and recommended action.
• Provide the G7 with reliable operational insight on performance, quality, risks and recurring issues.

Team Leadership and Capability

• Provide visible day-to-day leadership to the P2P Process Leads, reinforcing the standards, deadlines and priorities set by the G7.
• Line manage colleagues through clear objectives, regular feedback, coaching and performance conversations.
• Coach and develop colleagues to build confidence, competence and accountability in complex P2P and cost-model activity.
• Promote consistent working practices, effective knowledge sharing and complete handovers.
• Help build resilience within the team by reducing dependency on individual knowledge and strengthening cover across operational activity.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means:

• cost models and associated records are accurate, current and reconciled;
• billing, forecasting, PO, receipting and reconciliation activity is completed within agreed timescales;
• team outputs consistently meet required quality standards;
• records and supporting evidence are complete and audit-ready;
• discrepancies and delivery risks are identified early and resolved promptly;
• stakeholders receive clear, accurate and timely support;
• the G7 has reliable visibility of operational performance and emerging concerns.

Person specification

The successful applicant will be able to demonstrate:

• Strong operational P2P experience, including direct ownership of complex cost models, billing mechanisms, forecasting, purchase order management, receipting, reconciliation and spend controls.
• Experience personally managing a portfolio of complex operational activity while also ensuring quality and timeliness across a team.
• A strong track record of delivering accurate, complete and audit-ready outputs against recurring financial deadlines.
• Experience monitoring team outputs, identifying quality or timeliness concerns and taking effective corrective action.
• Confidence line managing, coaching and supporting colleagues to deliver consistently high standards.
• High proficiency in Excel and confidence using collaborative and reporting tools to manage and analyse P2P and contractual data.
• Ability to interpret complex financial and contractual information, identify discrepancies and resolve or escalate issues appropriately.
• Strong stakeholder communication skills, including the ability to explain requirements, challenge incomplete or inaccurate information and secure timely action.
• A proactive, organised and detail-focused approach, with the judgement to balance personal cost-model ownership, team oversight and emerging operational demand.

Selection process

The Civil Service marks each element of the selection process on a merit basis. You can visit the gov.uk website for further information on the Civil Service rating scale.

Ensure you have tailored your CV and your Personal Statement to the 'responsibilities' and 'skills and experience' section of the job advert by providing examples on how you are suitable for the role. You may find the STAR method helpful when writing your personal statement.

For further information on STAR, you can check out our hints and tips document.

Application

As part of the application process, you will be assessed on your experience and will be asked to complete:

• A CV.
• A 750 word Personal Statement: Referring to the person specification section of the job advert, please demonstrate how you are suitable for the role by providing relevant examples.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Sift

Sift will begin shortly after the advert closes.

Should there be a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted using your Personal Statement.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment or interview.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Inte rview

If successful at sift stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the Behaviours listed below as well as strengths.

Interview dates are to be confirmed. Please note that these may be subject to change.

Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

For further information on Success Profiles , please use the links below and watch our videos on Defra Jobs .

• Behaviours
• Strengths
• Experience
• Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,665, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes

£12,360 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 25 days’ leave (rising to 30 days over 5 years) plus bank holidays.
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A day off per year for the King's birthday.
• Access to a range of retail discounts (these include supermarket, tech, gym, holiday, phone and more).
• Flexible working options such as condensed hours, part-time and flexi time.
• 3 paid volunteering days per year.
• Funding for professional membership of a recognised profess