Senior Accounts Payable Associate

Responsibilities

Accounts Payable Operations

• Process and review high-volume invoices, ensuring accuracy of coding, approvals, and supporting documentation.
• Perform and review 2-way and 3-way matching of invoices, purchase orders, and receipts.
• Prepare and execute ACH, wire, and check payments in accordance with company policies and payment schedules.
• Review AP transactions for accuracy and completeness prior to payment processing.
• Reconcile vendor statements and resolve complex discrepancies in a timely manner.
• Monitor AP aging and proactively address overdue invoices, payment issues, and exceptions.
• Assist with month-end close activities, including accruals, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, approval workflows, and internal control requirements.

Operational Leadership

• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex AP issues from vendors and internal stakeholders.
• Provide guidance, training, and day-to-day support to AP Associates.
• Assist in prioritizing workloads and balancing team responsibilities to meet deadlines and service expectations.
• Support onboarding and development of new AP team members.
• Act as a trusted resource and backup to the Director of Accounts Payable during periods of high volume, special projects, or absences.

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with vendors and internal business partners.
• Lead resolution of complex payment, compliance, and account reconciliation issues.
• Partner with Procurement, Operations, Finance, and other departments to improve communication and issue resolution across the procure-to-pay process.
• Support vendor onboarding and ongoing vendor maintenance activities.

Procure-to-Pay (P2P) Partnership & Continuous Improvement

• Partner with the Director of Accounts Payable to identify and implement process improvements that enhance efficiency, scalability, internal controls, and stakeholder experience.
• Participate in AP and P2P transformation initiatives, including workflow redesign, automation, system enhancements, and policy development.
• Collaborate with Procurement, Operations, Finance, and other business partners to identify upstream and downstream process improvements that support a more efficient procure-to-pay process.
• Analyze operational challenges, recurring exceptions, and manual processes, providing recommendations for improvement and standardization.
• Assist with testing, implementation, and adoption of new technologies, automation tools, and system enhancements.
• Support the development and maintenance of process documentation, standard operating procedures, and internal controls.

Reporting & Analytics

• Prepare and analyze AP reports, including aging, payment activity, exception tracking, and vendor metrics.
• Assist leadership in tracking KPIs and identifying trends that impact performance, compliance, and efficiency.
• Provide recommendations for improving invoice cycle times, reducing exceptions, and enhancing service levels.
• Support audit requests and ensure timely delivery of required documentation.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field preferred.
• 5+ years of Accounts Payable, Accounting, or Procure-to-Pay experience.
• Experience working in high-volume AP environments.
• Strong understanding of AP controls, invoice processing, vendor management, and payment operations.
• Experience with ERP systems and AP automation tools (Microsoft Dynamics, Concur, banking platforms, vendor onboarding solutions, etc.).
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial reporting.
• Experience supporting audits, month-end close, and process improvement initiatives.
• Construction, real estate, or project-based accounting experience preferred.

Key Competencies

• Full cycle knowledge of Accounts Payable operations and best practices.
• Strong understanding of Procure-to-Pay (P2P) processes and controls.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to independently resolve complex discrepancies and payment issues.
• Excellent organizational and prioritization skills.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Systems-oriented thinker with experience improving workflows across multiple departments.
• High attention to detail with a focus on accuracy, compliance, and operational excellence.
• Demonstrates a curious mindset by proactively investigating discrepancies, challenging existing processes, and identifying opportunities to improve workflows and controls.