Manager, Accounts Payable

Title: Manager, Accounts Payable

Supervisor: Director, Finance

Department: Finance & Administration

FLSA Status: Exempt

Level: Manager

Location: Remote (USA)-Eastern Timezone strongly preferred

Alt Work Eligibility: CWW-Y, Remote-Y

The starting base pay range for this position is $80,000-$90,000. Individual compensation will be commensurate with candidate's experience. This position is eligible for full benefits, as well as the Manager level annual incentive bonus program.

Summary of Position:

The Manager, Accounts Payable is a hands-on, people leader role responsible for overseeing and actively participating in the organization's full accounts payable lifecycle. This position directly manages the Accounts Payable Specialist while maintaining day-to-day ownership of critical AP activities, including invoice review, payment-batch preparation, approvals, payment release coordination, vendor issue resolution, account reconciliations, expense management, and month-end close support.

The role requires experience processing domestic and international payments, including foreign-currency transactions, across multiple payment methods such as ACH, domestic and international wires, checks, and virtual cards. The Manager also administers the organization's travel and expense system and supports AP controls, compliance, reporting, and process improvement. The successful candidate will be comfortable moving between team leadership, detailed transaction-level work, and broader process oversight.

Major Duties & Responsibilities:

Hands-On Accounts Payable and Payment Management

• Own and actively participate in the full accounts payable lifecycle, including invoice intake and review, coding validation, approval routing, payment-batch preparation, payment release coordination, vendor issue resolution, reconciliations, and month-end close support.
• Prepare, review, and process domestic and international payments using multiple payment methods, including ACH, domestic and international wires, checks, virtual cards, and other applicable payment channels.
• Process and oversee payments in foreign currencies, ensuring appropriate documentation, authorization, coding, reconciliation, and resolution of payment discrepancies.
• Review invoices and supporting documentation for accuracy, appropriate authorization, correct coding, payment terms, tax treatment, and compliance with organizational policies.
• Prepare and review payment batches and coordinate required approvals and payment release in accordance with established internal controls.
• Perform and review AP-related account reconciliations; research and resolve outstanding, duplicate, rejected, returned, or incorrectly applied payments.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for escalated vendor inquiries, payment issues, discrepancies, and dispute resolution.
• Manage vendor onboarding, maintenance, and documentation, including W-9 collection and vendor record validation.
• Monitor AP aging, payment schedules, and cash requirements to support effective cash management.
• Support month-end and year-end close activities, including accruals, journal entries, account analysis, reconciliations, and financial reporting.
• Manage annual IRS Form 1099 reporting and filing, including vendor eligibility validation and timely distribution of required forms.
• Develop AP performance metrics with the Director, Finance and provide timely reporting on invoice processing, vendor onboarding, payment accuracy, service levels, and other relevant measures.

Financial Reporting & Reconciliations

• Responsible for all accounts payable-related balance sheet accounts
• Review journal entries and account reconciliations related to Accounts Payable
• Prepare and review monthly reconciliations for accounts payable, prepayments, accrued liabilities, and related balance sheet accounts
• Support month-end and year-end close activities, including accruals, account analyses, journal entries, and financial reporting
• Prepare operational reports, payment metrics, vendor analyses, and management reporting related to Accounts Payable performance

Expense Management & Systems Administration

• Administer the organization's expense management and AP automation platform (currently Concur), including system configuration, approval workflows, user access, and policy administration
• Monitor system performance and identify opportunities to improve automation, efficiency, and data integrity
• Collaborate with Finance, IT, and business stakeholders to support system enhancements and process optimization
• Maintain Accounts Payable policies, procedures, documentation, and user guidance materials

Systems, Controls & Process Improvement

• Implement and maintain controls to ensure accurate and compliant payable records and AP transactional data
• Coordinate system enhancements, monitor integration performance, identify anomalies, and recommend process improvements
• Collaborate with IT and business stakeholders to support system optimization and data integrity initiatives
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency through automation, reporting enhancements, and process redesign

Team Leadership

• Directly supervise, coach, and develop the Accounts Payable Specialist, including responsibility for workload allocation, performance expectations, feedback, development planning, and accountability.
• Operate as a hands-on people leader who balances formal people leadership with direct, hands-on participation in daily AP processing, payment administration, reconciliations, vendor support, and close activities.
• Assign and prioritize work based on payment deadlines, close requirements, service needs, risk, and team capacity.
• Review work for accuracy, timeliness, policy compliance, documentation, and adherence to internal controls.
• Provide regular coaching and performance feedback and address performance or quality concerns promptly and constructively.
• Develop cross-training plans, process documentation, and backup coverage to reduce single points of failure and maintain continuity.
• Step into transaction-level AP work when required to meet deadlines, resolve complex issues, or support changes in workload.
• Foster a culture of accountability, customer service, continuous improvement, collaboration, and professional development.

Other Duties

• Support audit requests, and special project work, as assigned
• Supports Finance & Administration leadership in cross-functional initiatives
• Contributes to the Finance team's continuous improvement culture and undertakes additional responsibilities as required to advance departmental and organizational objectives

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum five years of progressive accounts payable, accounting, or financial operations experience, including substantial hands-on responsibility for the full AP lifecycle.
• Minimum two years of formal people-management experience, including direct responsibility for workload allocation, performance expectations, coaching, performance feedback, and employee development.
• Demonstrated experience operating in a hands-on leader capacity, balancing direct staff supervision with hands-on AP processing and problem resolution.
• Experience personally performing or directly overseeing invoice review, payment-batch preparation, approvals, payment release, vendor issue resolution, reconciliations, and month-end close support.
• Experience processing domestic and international payments, including payments made in foreign currencies.
• Experience with multiple payment methods, including ACH, domestic wires, international wires, checks, and virtual cards.
• Extensive experience administering or working within a travel and expense management system, including workflows, user access, policy administration, expense review, issue resolution, and user support.
• Experience managing vendor relationships, onboarding, payment inquiries, discrepancies, and escalations.
• Experience preparing or reviewing AP-related balance sheet reconciliations and supporting month-end close.
• Strong knowledge of AP controls, approval requirements, documentation standards, and payment-related risk.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Strong analytical, reconciliation, problem-solving, communication, and customer-service skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience administering Concur.
• Experience supporting AP across multiple legal entities, business units, or operating entities.
• Experience with Sage Intacct.
• Familiarity with nonprofit AP and tax compliance requirements, including IRS Form 1099 reporting and W-9 administration.
• Experience supporting audits, system implementations, process redesign, or AP automation initiatives.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related discipline; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.

What Success Looks Like:

The successful candidate will:

• Take personal ownership of the accuracy, timeliness, and control of AP transactions and payments.
• Remain close enough to the work to identify issues, resolve exceptions, and provide effective backup coverage.
• Lead and develop the AP Specialist while maintaining accountability for daily execution.
• Confidently process and oversee domestic, international, and foreign-currency payments.
• Effectively administer the travel and expense system and support employees with policy and system questions.
• Improve AP processes without losing sight of daily service levels, deadlines, controls, and transaction quality.

This description describes the general duties and responsibilities of the position. It is not a complete list of duties, and the employee may be required to take on additional duties and responsibilities as required by the needs of the association.