VP - Head of Spend Operations (Finance)

PJT Partners is a global advisory-focused investment bank. Our team of senior professionals delivers strategic advisory, shareholder advisory, restructuring and special situations, and private fund advisory and placement services to corporations, financial sponsors, institutional investors, and governments worldwide. We offer a unique portfolio of advisory services designed to help clients achieve their strategic objectives. Through PJT Park Hill, we provide private fund advisory and fundraising services for alternative investment managers, including private equity funds, real estate funds, and hedge funds. We believe that having the best people is key to building an enduring franchise, fostering an inclusive culture that welcomes differing perspectives and enables us to provide the best advice and insights to our clients.

About the role

The Head of Spend Operations will own and innovate the firm’s accounts payable (AP) and corporate expense functions end-to-end. Beyond ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and governance of all outbound vendor and employee spending, this role focuses on large-scale innovation programs, including data & analytics, performance indicators, and improving the overall employee experience. The role partners closely with the Head of Finance Operations & Transformation to modernize and automate the procure-to-pay and travel-and-expense (T&E) stack, collaborating across Finance, Procurement, COO functions, and Technology with a high degree of autonomy and ownership.

Responsibilities

Operations & Service Delivery

• Own end-to-end accounts payable operations ensuring all payments are accurate, timely, and policy compliant.
• Manage recurring spends, identify gaps in expected payments, and proactively engage cost center owners and/or vendors to ensure timely invoice receipt.
• Maintain accurate vendor master data, including banking details and tax documentation.
• Oversee the corporate card and T&E program, including expense report review, reimbursement timeliness, and resolution of escalated issues.

Controls, Compliance & Risk

• Design, document, and enforce AP and expense policies, approval matrices, and spend controls.
• Maintain a strong internal control environment aligned to the SOX framework and the firm’s record-retention obligations; partner effectively with internal and external audit.
• Lead a data & analytics program for detecting anomalies, fraud, and out-of-policy spend through automated controls and exception monitoring.
• Provide controller and tax teams with required reporting to support applicable tax and regulatory requirements, including 1099 / sales-and-use tax and IRS accountable-plan substantiation.

Transformation & Analytics

• Drive continuous modernization and automation of the procure-to-pay and T&E stack, reducing manual processing, cycle times, and cost-per-invoice.
• Assist with platform selection and implementation—RFPs, vendor evaluation, and rollout—for AP, expense, and spend-management tools, ensuring alignment with operational requirements.
• Build spend visibility through KPI dashboards, aging and exception reporting, and vendor/category spend analytics.
• Identify and execute continuous-improvement initiatives that increase straight-through processing and operational efficiency.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Oversee the spend operations team spanning onshore and offshore locations, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Manage day-to-day delivery across distributed teams, ensuring consistent service levels, clear handoffs, and accountability across time zones.
• Communicate function performance, risks, and the transformation roadmap to senior Finance leadership.

Qualifications

• 6-10 years of relevant experience in accounts payable, spend/expense operations, procure-to-pay, or finance transformation, ideally within financial services or another regulated, fast-paced environment.
• Minimum 5+ years in a people-management role, leading and developing teams across multiple locations, including onshore and offshore/outsourced staff with direct accountability for performance and service delivery.
• Demonstrated track record of running a high-volume AP and/or T&E function with measurable improvements in timeliness, accuracy, and control.
• Experience modernizing or automating finance operations (e.g., AP automation, expense platforms, ERP/spend-management systems such as Workday, Concur, Coupa, SAP, or Oracle).
• Strong command of internal controls, SOX, and compliance frameworks.
• Excellent quantitative and analytical skills, with fluency in translating spend data into actionable insights (e.g., leveraging AI or EPM tools: Anaplan, Adaptive, Pigment).
• Exceptional organizational and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust with executive stakeholders and influence cross-functionally.
• A self-starter who thrives on autonomy, ownership, and ambiguity to grow alongside the function.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution; relevant certifications (e.g., CPA, APP/CAPP, Lean/Six Sigma) a plus.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Suite (Excel, PowerPoint) and comfort with data and automation tools; a builder’s mindset toward process improvement.

Pay

Expected annualized base salary of $175,000 to $200,000. This range represents the low and high ends of the expected annualized base salary for this position. The specific base salary received by any employee will be informed by factors including role level and scope, location, and candidate’s relevant qualifications, skills, and experience. Base salary is one component of PJT Partners’ compensation structure, which may also include additional rewards, incentives, and benefits, such as a discretionary bonus component.