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 P2P Operations Manager - Driving Excellence in Supplier Spend Operations & Governance. Are you ready to take a leading role in delivering supplier spend operations & governance? As the P2P Operations Manager, you will translate the strategic direction set by the G7 into consistent, accurate and timely operational delivery across our P2P (purchase to pay) processes. You’ll lead the day to day running of our P2P operations, ensuring spend is well controlled, auditable and aligned to contractual and financial requirements. You will line manage the P2P Process Leads, providing direction, coaching and support to ensure high quality delivery across the team. Alongside your leadership responsibilities, you’ll also personally handle the more complex operational tasks, escalations and cost models within the portfolio. This is a role for someone who thrives in a fast paced environment, enjoys solving operational challenges, and can build trusted relationships with suppliers and internal teams. Why Join Us? Lead Operational Delivery You’ll be responsible for delivering the operational outcomes that underpin DDTS’s supplier spend governance. Working to the strategy and priorities set by the G7, you’ll ensure the team delivers consistent, compliant and high quality P2P activity across a diverse contract landscape. You’ll act as the senior operational escalation point, resolving issues and ensuring processes run smoothly end to end. You’ll also work closely with the G7, providing insight, operational intelligence and support to help shape priorities and decision making. Shape Operational Excellence The G7 owns the P2P processes, tools and continuous improvement roadmap — your role is to make those processes land operationally. You’ll ensure the team follows them accurately, consistently and at pace, and you’ll take responsibility for getting high quality data in and out of our P2P tools. You’ll refine day to day ways of working, improve data quality, and ensure every stage of the P2P cycle is delivered reliably through the team and through your own hands on work on the more complex tasks. Collaborate and Build Trust You’ll develop strong, productive relationships with suppliers, commercial teams, delivery groups and finance partners. You’ll help stakeholders navigate our processes, resolve issues quickly, and ensure spend activity is well controlled, transparent and aligned to policy, governance and contractual requirements. You’ll also support the team to build their own stakeholder relationships, ensuring consistent, professional engagement across the portfolio. Responsibilities: Governance & Operational Control Lead key P2P activities including requisitioning, PO management, receipting, forecasting and reconciliation. Maintain high quality, auditable data across all P2P tools and processes, ensuring spend is transparent, controlled and compliant. Personally deliver the more complex or sensitive operational tasks, ensuring accuracy and strong audit trails. Supplier & Stakeholder Engagement Build trusted relationships with suppliers, Supplier Management, Delivery Groups and cross departmental teams. Guide stakeholders through P2P processes, ensuring spend remains compliant and well controlled. Act as a senior operational escalation point for issues raised by the team or delivery groups, ensuring timely, well evidenced and compliant resolutions. Financial & Contractual Oversight Ensure accurate, reliable inputs and outputs across P2P tools, supporting financial controls, governance and audit requirements. Oversee reconciliation and reporting activity, ensuring billing and contractual data is robust, complete and ready for scrutiny. Support Value for Money by ensuring spend aligns with contractual terms, approved budgets and operational requirements. Leadership & Team Development Line manage the P2P Process Leads, providing day-to-day leadership, coaching and support. Drive consistent, high quality delivery across the team, ensuring processes are followed and audit trails are complete Support capability development within the team, promoting continuous improvement and operational excellence. Ensure the team’s work aligns with the strategic direction and priorities set by the G7. Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme Disability Confident About Disability Confident A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident .