Accounts Payable Manager

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Accounts Payable function across multiple business units and/or geographic regions within a shared services framework.
• Oversee the daily operations of invoice receipt, three-way matching, exception handling, approvals, and payment runs.
• Oversee AP processes related to recurring utility payments and other predictable vendor obligations, ensuring invoices are received, coded, approved, accrued, and paid timely.
• Support forecasting of recurring utility spend, payment timing, and accrual needs in partnership with Accounting, Treasury, and Operations.
• Maintain documentation and audit-ready support for utility-related invoices, payment activity, account reconciliations, vendor records, and exception resolution.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, internal controls, SOX requirements, and local tax regulations.
• Manage vendor relationships and resolve escalated issues related to payments, discrepancies, and disputes.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure high performance and continuous improvement.
• Drive process automation, system enhancements, and standardization initiatives in coordination with IT and process excellence teams.
• Support month-end and year-end closing activities, including AP accruals, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Manage, coach, and develop a high-performing AP team, including goal setting, training, and performance evaluations.
• Build and maintain a standardized AP operating model across team members, entities, regions, and workflows.
• Establish consistent procedures for invoice intake, coding, PO/non-PO handling, approvals, exception resolution, payment readiness, vendor communication, queue ownership, and escalation.
• Maintain SOPs, job aids, training refreshers, cross-training plans, quality checks, and coaching routines to reduce rework and ensure consistent execution across the AP team.
• Collaborate with Procurement, Treasury, Accounting, and other stakeholders to ensure seamless end-to-end processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in Accounts Payable, with at least 3 years in a managerial role.
• Experience partnering with IT or Finance Systems on ERP/workflow enhancements, automation, reporting, dashboards, or AP process improvements.
• Experience standardizing AP operations across multiple team members, business units, regions, or legal entities.
• Strong understanding of recurring invoice processes, accrual support, utility/payment forecasting, audit documentation, and payment controls.
• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance/FSCM strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to build SOPs, enforce process discipline, and improve team consistency in a high-volume environment.
• Experience in a Financial Shared Services or Global Business Services (GBS) environment preferred.
• Strong understanding of procure-to-pay (P2P) processes, controls, and AP best practices.
• Experience with ERP systems (e.g. Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, Oracle, Workday) and AP automation tools.
• Proven ability to lead teams, manage metrics, and drive efficiency in high-volume environments.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and analytical skills.
• Strong Excel skills and data analysis capabilities.
• Familiarity with global tax and compliance regulations (e.g., VAT, 1099, TIN validation).