Senior Accounts Payable Specialist

Senior Accounts Payable Specialist

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We are currently seeking a Senior Accounts Payable Specialist in our Finance department, reporting directly to the Accounts Payable Manager. This role will reside in the Washington, DC office with hybrid work capabilities and will be responsible for supporting the firm's accounts payable function by ensuring assigned accounts payable processes are completed accurately, timely, and in accordance with firm policies, procedures, and internal controls.

The Senior Accounts Payable Specialist is expected to perform all responsibilities with a commitment to providing superior service to the firm's attorneys, advisors and staff, and maintaining an atmosphere of teamwork and continuous improvement.

• Review and process attorney and staff expense reports in accordance with the firm's Business Expense and Travel Reimbursement Policies and Guidelines.
• Process e-invoices and support assigned accounts payable workflows using Chrome River and other financial systems.
• Partner with the Shared Services Processing Center to coordinate day-to-day Accounts Payable operations, provide guidance, resolve questions, and support the accurate, timely completion of work in accordance with firm policies and procedures.
• Own the firm's travel reconciliation process by reviewing, reconciling, and resolving discrepancies to ensure transactions are complete and accurate.
• Confirm and validate data received from the Funds Group prior to processing.
• Participate in and support the firm's P-Card reconciliation process by researching reconciliation items, resolving discrepancies, and following up as needed to ensure timely resolution.
• Own the firm's outstanding check research process by identifying aged items, researching payment activity, collaborating with business services teams, vendors, and clients as needed, and recommending appropriate resolution.
• Coordinate vendor onboarding requests and assist in obtaining the information needed to facilitate the onboarding process.
• Monitor and respond to the Accounts Payable mailbox and telephone inquiries, providing timely, solution-oriented customer service to attorneys, secretaries, business services teams, and vendors.
• Review Accounts Payable transactions to verify appropriate approvals, accounting allocation, supporting documentation, policy compliance, accuracy and completeness.
• Research and resolve invoice, expense report, vendor, and payment inquiries by gathering information, identifying the appropriate resources, and recommending practical solutions.
• Exercise sound judgment when resolving issues independently and determine when escalation is appropriate.
• Build productive working relationships with attorneys, secretaries, business services teams, and vendors by providing responsive customer service and timely resolution of Accounts Payable inquiries.
• Identify opportunities to improve existing processes, document procedures, and recommend efficiencies that enhance the effectiveness of the Accounts Payable function.
• Assist with system testing, reporting, reconciliations, and special projects as assigned.
• Serve as a trusted resource to other members of the Accounts Payable team by sharing knowledge, supporting teammates, and contributing to a collaborative work environment.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Two- or four-year college degree is preferred in Accounting, Finance, or a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least 3 years of experience of progressive accounts payable experience, preferably within a professional services or law firm environment.
• Strong knowledge of accounts payable principles, expense reimbursement practices, internal controls, and accounts payable best practices.
• Experience reviewing and processing employee expense reports and interpreting corporate travel and expense policies.
• Experience working with vendor onboarding processes preferred.
• Experience with Chrome River or a comparable expense management system required
• Experience with Aderant or another financial management system preferred.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP, SUMIF functions, reconciliations, reporting, and data analysis.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a strong customer service orientation.
• Commitment to professional growth and development