Accounts Payable Manager, North America

City:
Chesterfield, State:
Missouri (US-MO), Country:
United States (US), Requisition Number: 42927

The Accounts Payable Manager, North America, is a key leadership role within the Bunge Business Services Procure-to-Pay (PTP) function. This individual is responsible for the oversight and day‑to‑day management of the Accounts Payable function for Bunge's North America entities. The role involves directly overseeing multiple on‑site AP analysts and functionally managing offshore Shared Services staff, communicating with senior‑level internal stakeholders, and contributing to the strategic direction of the PTP function.

• Day‑to‑Day Accounts Payable Service Delivery Execution
  • Manage the daily operations of the Accounts Payable department, including leading and supporting both local and offshore AP teams.
  • Oversee payment runs (checks, ACH/EFT, and wires) for all US and Canadian entities.
  • Manage vendor relationships, including optimizing payment methods and terms, and resolving outstanding issues related to invoices, EDI errors, and credit memos.
  • Ensure accurate Supplier Master Data oversight, including approval of changes and updating supplier information (e.g., name changes, remit‑to addresses, bank details).
  • Lead the annual 1099 process, including vendor research and the generation of appropriate forms and IRS files.
  • Develop and grow relationships with Corporate and Operations management, and partner with Procurement and other stakeholders on initiatives and policy changes impacting suppliers.
• Backoffice Support Management
  • Functionally manage offshore Shared Services staff, ensuring effective service delivery of the Accounts Payable function across Bunge's North America entities.
  • Assist with the design and execution of Bunge's Procure-to-Pay strategy, specifically leading the Accounts Payable function within this framework.
  • Define annual performance goals and drive teams to meet or exceed targets, improving KPIs identified by Procure-to-Pay management or Finance leadership.
  • Manage internal stakeholder feedback on procure‑to‑pay organization and team performance to drive continuous improvement.
• Support of Integration Efforts including Process Improvement and Efficiency
  • Drive increased automation and systems utilization (e.g., EDI, Robotics Process Automation – RPA) to promote ongoing efficiency improvements and enhance user experience.
  • Lead the strategy and execution of the digital transformation of the Accounts Payable function, including process simplification and automation.
  • Maintain a culture of lean process management, continuous process improvement, professional development, and cross‑functional knowledge sharing.
  • Identify, promote, and support process optimization, standardization, and improvement to deliver cost‑savings and efficiencies across the organization.
  • Participate in integration and process improvement projects, including enhancements to ERP systems, and serve as the AP functional lead on acquisitions, integrations, plant closures, and divestitures.
• Internal Controls and Compliance
  • Monitor adherence to company policies for compliance, ensuring accurate coding and processing of invoices, including all SOX controls for the AP function.
  • Liaise with auditors and provide support for SOX, financial, and internal audit requests.
  • Leverage a strong understanding of AP practices, a critical understanding of the key control environment, and accounting policies and processes to maximize user experience while maintaining appropriate policy and procedures.

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business (or relevant discipline).
• Minimum of seven years of Accounts Payable or relevant experience.
• Strong interpersonal skills; previous supervisory experience highly preferred.
• Leadership experience managing an outsourced or shared services partner/delivery model.
• Clear understanding of US GAAP accounting principles, practices, and internal controls, with demonstrated experience applying key accounting controls within the PTP functional workstream (invoice processing, payments, purchase orders, and disbursements).
• Demonstrated Continuous Improvement…