Accounts Payable & Accounting Specialist

Hope Mission Statement

The mission of Hope the Mission is to prevent, reduce and eliminate poverty, hunger, and homelessness by offering immediate assistance and long-term solutions.

Position Purpose and Summary 

Every vendor payment, invoice, and reimbursement that moves through Hope the Mission has to be processed accurately, documented completely, and coded correctly. At an organization operating across dozens of sites with multiple funding sources and grant requirements, that work is not routine. The Accounts Payable and Accounting Specialist is the person who keeps it running.

Reporting to the Director of Finance, Accounts Payable, this position is responsible for high-volume accounts payable administration and related accounting functions. The Specialist processes vendor invoices, manages payment batches, maintains vendor records, codes expenditures to the correct general ledger accounts and grants, supports month-end and year-end close activities, and ensures all documentation is audit-ready and compliant with GAAP, organizational policies, and funder requirements.

Responsibilities

Accounts Payable Administration

• Process vendor invoices in accordance with organizational policies and established payment schedules

• Perform three-way matching of purchase orders, invoices, and receiving documentation

• Review invoices for completeness, proper approvals, and supporting documentation

• Monitor invoice aging and ensure timely payment of vendor obligations

• Prepare payment batches including ACH, checks, and electronic payments

• Process employee reimbursement requests and verify compliance with procurement and travel policies

• Research and resolve invoice discrepancies, duplicate payments, and vendor inquiries

Vendor Management

• Establish and maintain vendor master records

• Collect and maintain W-9s and required vendor documentation

• Monitor vendor records for completeness and accuracy

• Assist vendors with payment status and account inquiries

Expense Management and Financial Coding

• Review and code invoices, credit card transactions, reimbursements, and other expenditures to the appropriate general ledger accounts, departments, classes, and grants

• Verify expenditures are allowable, allocable, reasonable, and properly documented

• Assist with grant expense coding and funding compliance

• Monitor corporate credit card activity and reconcile supporting documentation

Financial Reporting and Month-End Close

• Assist with month-end and year-end close activities

• Prepare accounts payable schedules and supporting documentation

• Assist with reconciliations of AP-related accounts

• Prepare financial reports and analyses as requested

• Maintain organized accounting records to support financial reporting

Audit and Compliance

• Maintain audit-ready accounting documentation at all times

• Assist with annual financial audits and grant monitoring reviews

• Support preparation of IRS Form 1099 reporting

• Ensure compliance with GAAP, organizational accounting policies, procurement standards, and grant requirements

Records Management

• Maintain organized electronic and physical accounting files

• Ensure accounting documentation is retained according to the organization's record retention policy

Additional Duties

• Support continuous process improvement initiatives within the Finance Department

• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Must pass pre-employment criminal background screening

• Must pass pre-employment drug and alcohol screening

• Must provide proof of legal authorization to work in the United States

• Must comply with all organizational policies including safety, confidentiality, and conduct standards

• Must be able to lift up to 30 pounds

Qualifications

• Associate's degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration required; bachelor's degree preferred

• Minimum 3 years of accounting or accounts payable experience

• Experience processing high-volume accounts payable transactions

• Knowledge of GAAP and internal accounting controls

• Experience with QuickBooks Online or comparable accounting software

• Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Excel skills

• Strong understanding of accounts payable best practices and procurement and purchasing workflows

• Ability to interpret contracts, invoices, and financial documentation

• Nonprofit or grant-funded accounting experience preferred

Skills

• Process high-volume accounts payable transactions accurately and on deadline

• Apply GAAP and organizational accounting policies to expense coding, documentation, and reporting

• Perform three-way matching and verify expenditure compliance with grant and procurement requirements

• Prepare payment batches, reconciliations, AP schedules, and supporting audit documentation

• Maintain organized and audit-ready electronic and physical accounting records

• Identify and resolve invoice discrepancies, duplicate payments, and vendor issues efficiently

• Manage multiple concurrent deadlines with strong attention to detail and accuracy

• Communicate clearly and professionally in writing and verbally with vendors, staff, and finance leadership

• Maintain strict confidentiality of financial information and vendor data

• Proficient in QuickBooks Online, Microsoft Excel, and standard accounting and office technology

Mandatory Requirements

• Background Screening – Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of  background checks as required per worksite.

• Drug and Alcohol Testing – Candidates must pass pre-employment and ongoing drug and alcohol screenings in accordance with company policy.

• Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Check – For roles requiring driving, employment is contingent upon an acceptable driving record.

• Legal Eligibility to Work – Candidates must provide proof of legal authorization to work in the US.

• Compliance with Company Policies and HIPAA standards – All employees must comply with company policies, including safety, confidentiality, and conduct standards.

Physical, Demands, Environmental Conditions, Equipment 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. The employee is required to: walk and climb stairs; stand, bend,  squat, climb, kneel, and twist on an intermittent or sometimes continuous basis; grasp, push, pull objects such as  files, file cabinet drawers, and reach overhead; handle, finger, grasp and feel objects and equipment; reach with  hands and arms; be mobile by moving oneself from place to place quickly and easily; repeat various motions with  the wrists, hands, and fingers; be able to perform visual activities for (including, but not limited to) administrative  and clerical tasks; ability to lift up to 25 lbs.; communicate, receive and exchange ideas, information by means of  the spoken and written word; drive vehicles in and around Los Angeles County; be able to enter various buildings  that may require climbing stairs; be periodically subjected to outside environmental conditions. The employee may work in proximity to service animals and emotional support animals; use a desktop and/or laptop computer; various office machines. Complete all required forms in personal writing. 

Work Environment

The employee may be in contact with individuals and families in crisis who may be ill, using alcohol and drugs, and who may not be attentive to basic personal hygiene, health and safety practices. The employee may experience a number of unpleasant sensory demands associated with the participants’ use of alcohol and drugs, and lack of personal hygiene. The employee must be ready to respond quickly and effectively to many types of situations, including crisis situations and potentially hostile situations. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate in an office setting. Sometimes work may become stressful when working under pressure or in crisis intervention.

EEO: HTM (Hope the Mission) provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, HTM complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, placement, promotion, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. 

HTM will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if HTM is concerned about a conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing’s Fair Chance Act webpage.