Location: Birmingham (On-site, 5 days per week) Contract Length: Initial 5-6 monthsAbout the RoleHays is partnering with a local council to recruit an Accounts Payable Surge Lead to support a major finance transformation programme. You will join a dedicated AP Surge Team, created to stabilise, enhance, and accelerate performance across cashflow-critical and customer-facing transactional processes.This is a hands-on SME role, requiring deep Accounts Payable expertise, strong analytical capability, and a proactive approach to preventing payment delays, resolving defects, and protecting business continuity.Key ResponsibilitiesAccounts Payable SME SupportResolve complex supplier invoice processing issues.Investigate and fix 3-way match failures (PO / GR / Invoice).Identify and correct vendor master data defects.Troubleshoot and resolve payment run errors.Address workflow approval breakdowns and bottlenecks.Invoice Processing and Backlog ManagementSupport Invoice Processing Assistants with high-volume transactional work.Clear backlog caused by new system bedding-in.Undertake manual entry when automation fails or exceptions occur.PO / Procurement LiaisonWork with Procurement to resolve PO data issues causing match or posting failures.Support improved PO compliance and quality upstream.Integration and Banking SupportInvestigate and resolve payment file integration issues.Manage and troubleshoot bank acknowledgement failures and reconciliation gaps.About YouWe''re looking for someone