Accounts Payable Manager

About the Company

Since its establishment in 2008, Mulilo has grown into one of the leading Independent Power Producers (IPP) in Southern Africa. Mulilo is majority owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the world’s leading private equity investor in renewable energy assets, through its New Markets Fund I. Mulilo has concluded numerous PPA's in both the Department of Mineral Energy's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP) and with several large corporate energy users. Mulilo currently operates 450MW of wind and solar PV projects and has a further 500MW of projects under financial close. Having adopted a strategy that aligns with the company's long-term vision, Mulilo has accumulated a pipeline of projects exceeding 25GW, and is now positioned as a key player in the renewable energy sector. 

Mulilo places strong emphasis on its human capital and prides itself in providing a world class working environment for all its employees, thereby placing huge value on career progression and personal growth. 

Mulilo is guided by strong ethical principles and adheres to its environmental, social and governance responsibilities.  

 
About Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) 

Founded in 2012, CIP is the world’s largest dedicated renewable energy fund manager and a global leader in offshore wind. CIP currently manages over 30 billion Euro’s, with a target of having 100 billion Euros under management by 2030. The funds managed by CIP focus on investments in offshore and onshore wind, solar PV, biomass and energy-from-waste, transmission and distribution, reserve capacity, storage, advanced bioenergy, and Power-to-X. 

About the Role

The Accounts Payable Manager is responsible for overseeing and managing the full accounts payable (AP) function across multiple renewable-energy project entities and the corporate organisation. This role ensures accurate vendor onboarding, timely and compliant processing of supplier invoices, robust AP controls, and efficient payment cycles. The incumbent will drive process optimisation, system improvements, staff capability, and supplier relationship management to support strong financial governance in a fast-growing renewable-energy business.

Duties and Responsibilities

Vendor Registration, AP Process Ownership & Systems

• Own and manage the end-to-end AP process across all company entities, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and compliance.
• Oversee vendor registration, ensuring proper due diligence, POPIA compliance, banking verification, SARS/VAT validation, and alignment to internal procurement policies.
• Maintain and enhance AP system configurations (e.g., Microsoft Business Central, or project-specific ERP tools).
• Partner with Procurement, Finance, and Project Teams to streamline workflows and improve systems integration.
• Develop, document, and maintain AP standard operating procedures (SOPs) and controls.

Review of PI’s (Purchase Invoices), Vendor Reconciliations & Invoice Accuracy

• Review supplier invoices, and supporting documents for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with contracts (Professional Service Agreements) and purchase orders.
• Ensure correct cost allocations per SPV, project, or cost centre.
• Ensure correct GL and dimension allocation per invoicing line item.
• Perform and approve monthly vendor reconciliations, resolving discrepancies proactively.
• Monitor ageing reports, accruals, and unallocated items to support month-end close.

Payment Process Management

• Manage the full payment cycle: invoice capturing, approval workflows, payment scheduling, and release of payments.
• Prepare weekly and monthly payment proposals in line with cash-flow forecasts and treasury guidelines.
• Ensure accurate EFT/RTGS uploads, segregation of duties, and strong internal controls over banking processes.
• Review and executing of foreign payments in line with SARB guidelines.
• Liaise with Treasury on cash positioning, FX considerations (where applicable), and project-specific funding constraints.

Variation Order / Purchase Order Matching

• Review and approve Variation Orders (VOs) and ensure alignment to contractual terms and project budgets.
• Oversee the 3-way matching process (PO, GRN, Invoice) to ensure accurate AP posting.
• Resolve mismatches by engaging with Procurement, Project Teams, EPC/O&M contractors, and suppliers.
• Monitor PO compliance and ensure no processing occurs without proper approvals.

PDA & KPI Performance

• Managing several AP Clerks responsible for different entities.
• Monitor AP team performance using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), including:
  ▪ Invoice turnaround time
  ▪ Query resolution time
  ▪ % of PO-matched invoices
  ▪ Payment accuracy
  ▪ Reconciliation timeliness
  ▪ SLA adherence
• Track and manage Productivity, Delivery, and Administration (PDA) targets for team members.
• Produce monthly AP performance dashboards for Finance leadership.

Training, Support & Stakeholder Engagement

• Train and support AP clerks, Finance Officers, and Procurement users on AP procedures, systems, and controls.
• Act as the AP subject matter expert (SME)/champion for internal and external audits.
• Provide guidance to project teams on proper documentation, invoice submissions, and budgeting alignment.
• Facilitate continuous improvement initiatives, including automation, system enhancements, and process optimisation.

Required Skills and Educational Background

Minimum Requirements

• Diploma or Degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 5–7 years of Accounts Payable experience, with at least 2–3 years in a supervisory or managerial role.
• Experience working with multi-entity structures (e.g., multiple SPVs in renewable energy or infrastructure).
• Strong ERP experience (SAP / Sage / Microsoft BC or F&O / Oracle / Xero or similar).
• Advanced Excel skills.

Advantageous

• Experience in the renewable-energy IPP sector (Bid Window, SPV governance, EPC/O&M contractor environments).
• Understanding of VAT, withholding tax, and SARS vendor compliance.
• ERP experience in Microsoft BC or FO.
• Exposure to project-based financial controls.

Key Competencies

• Strong people leadership and coaching ability.
• High attention to detail and accuracy under pressure.
• Strong problem-solving and reconciliation capability.
• Excellent communication skills (internal & external stakeholders).
• Ability to manage deadlines in a fast-paced project environment.
• Strong process orientation and continuous improvement mindset.

Performance Indicators

• On-time processing of invoices.
• Accuracy of vendor reconciliations and AP ledger.
• Payment proposal accuracy and timeliness.

Desirable Attributes

The ideal candidate would have a passion for the Renewable Energy sector and personality traits would include a high level of diligence, determination, resilience, and agility.

Mulilo is an employer of choice and is offering an extremely competitive total remuneration package for this position.

Additional Information

Able to work overtime according to operational needs

The position is based at the offices of the company, but travel may be required occasionally.