Senior Accounts Payable Specialist

Senior Accounts Payable Specialist

The Senior Accounts Payable Specialist supports the full accounts payable function through accurate invoice processing, vendor management, payment execution, internal controls, documentation, reporting, process improvement, and effective use of automation and AI-enabled tools. This role requires a detail-oriented accounts payable professional with high-volume AP experience, strong system knowledge, sound judgment, and the ability to resolve complex issues while improving efficiency, accuracy, and controls.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Accounts Payable Operations:

• Support full-cycle accounts payable processing, including: high-volume invoice review, account coding, approval workflow management, supporting documentation review, invoice entry, payment preparation, posting transactions to the correct accounting periods, vendor follow-up.
• Manage high-volume invoice activity while maintaining accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with internal policies and procedures.
• Serve as a subject matter resource for AP policies, procedures, systems, vendor requirements, payment processes, and issue resolution.
• Process and review payment runs, including ACH, EFT, check payments, and other approved payment methods.
• Support initiatives to reduce reliance on manual checks.

Vendor Management:

• Maintain strong vendor relationships by responding to inquiries and resolving discrepancies.
• Research and resolve payment issues.
• Reconcile vendor statements.
• Manage vendor onboarding and vendor master file maintenance, including W-9 collection, payment information updates, data accuracy reviews.
• Support internal controls to prevent duplicate payments, unauthorized payments, fraud, vendor master file errors.

Compliance & Reporting:

• Support annual 1099 preparation and filing activities, including vendor tax data validation, corrections and updates, filing support.
• Generate, review, and analyze weekly and monthly AP reporting.
• Review invoice aging, outstanding liabilities, accuracy and completeness of AP transactions, process improvement opportunities.
• Maintain organized records and provide supporting documentation for audits and business requirements.

Reconciliations & Month-End Close:

• Reconcile corporate purchasing card accounts.
• Support employee expense reporting, receipt collection, coding, approvals, and posting.
• Assist with month-end close activities, including accrual support, AP reconciliations, open invoice review, aging analysis, general ledger reconciliations, exception reporting.

Process Improvement & Technology:

• Identify, recommend, and implement AP process improvements.
• Enhance workflow automation and reporting capabilities.
• Improve documentation standards and operating procedures.
• Utilize AI-enabled tools and automation features to validate data, identify exceptions, reduce manual effort, improve reporting, increase process efficiency.

Collaboration & Support:

• Collaborate with accounting, operations, procurement, property managers, vendors, and leadership to resolve invoice, coding, payment, workflow, and documentation issues.
• Train, guide, and support AP team members by sharing knowledge and reinforcing best practices.
• Take ownership of assigned vendors, processes, and recurring responsibilities.
• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism when handling vendor, employee, banking, tax, and financial information.
• Maintain accuracy and organization during month-end close, year-end reporting, audit periods, high-volume processing cycles.
• Perform special projects and additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field preferred.

Experience:

• 5+ years of progressive accounts payable experience preferred.
• Experience with full-cycle AP processing, vendor management, workflow management, payment processing, account coding, reconciliations, month-end close support.
• Experience working in a high-volume accounts payable environment.
• Strong understanding of accounts payable principles, internal controls, vendor master file management, invoice workflows, payment methods, unclaimed property requirements, 1099 reporting.
• Experience processing three-way match invoices, non-PO invoices, tax-sensitive invoices, international invoices, recurring invoices.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

Communication

Skills:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively with vendors, accounting teams, operations partners, property…