Accounts Payable Staff Accountant

Essential Responsibilities

• Owns the end-to-end AP process, including invoice receipt, purchase order (PO) matching, coding review, data entry, payment preparation, and distribution in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Reconciles receipts against open purchase orders, closes purchase orders upon full receipt, and ensures open encumbrances are accurate and current.
• Maintains accurate and up-to-date AP records, including vendor master data in the accounting system, and supports sound general ledger (GL) data governance practices.
• Maintains accurate supporting files for contractual POs and those prepared by centralized purchasing.
• Reviews invoices, POs, and requisitions for accuracy, completeness, appropriate coding, and authorization before posting.
• Reconciles AP activity to supporting records and resolves discrepancies promptly.
• Works closely with internal constituents and external vendors to resolve payment issues or discrepancies in a timely manner.
• Reviews invoice allocation reports for accuracy to make adjustments before processing weekly AP payments inclusive of ACH, wire, check, and other forms of payment.
• Matches supporting documentation and authorization with payment requests and distributes in accordance with museum policy and procedure.
• Adheres to organizational data governance processes and practices through effective AP records and database system management.
• Aids Accounting Manager with ongoing maintenance of standard operating procedures for AP system functions and internal controls.
• Prepares AP analyses and reports to support business needs, budget monitoring, open purchase order review, encumbrance tracking, and GL reconciliation as requested by the Accounting Manager.
• Notifies the Accounting Manager if significant discrepancies are detected and investigates the cause.
• Aids in the preparation of audit work papers by providing supporting documentation.
• Assists with month-end and year-end close activities, including accruals, prepaid expense recognition, adjusting journal entries, reconciliations, and related workpapers for accounts payable transactions.
• Supports audit requests and regulatory reporting related to payables, including preparation of annual 1099 and 1096 reporting for applicable vendors and annuitants.
• Identifies opportunities to streamline department workflows, strengthen internal controls, and improve the efficiency and accuracy of AP processes through the optimization of systems and technology usage.
• Provides guidance and training to staff on AP policies and procedures and helps ensure compliance with internal controls.

  Requirements

  • Three (3) years of experience with comparable accounts payable functions; bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, or finance preferred.
  • Experience in a not-for-profit environment utilizing grants preferred.
  • Demonstrated diligence and thorough knowledge of GL data entry and accounting software.
  • Effective communication skills both verbal and written to effectively communicate with internal constituents and external vendors.
  • Critical thinking skills to prioritize work and problem solve AP issues.
  • Demonstrates understanding and proficiency with Microsoft Excel.
  • Working knowledge of other Microsoft Office and Financial Edge NXT accounting software or equivalent accounting software.
  • Required to engage in detailed verbal and email communications with staff and vendors.
  • Must be able to engage in face-to-face, virtual and telephonic communications.
  • Dexterity for efficient and high-capacity keyboard input as well as high volume of paperwork processing.
  • Must be able to sit or stand for extended periods of time.
  • Must be able to negotiate museum facility and campus.
  • Must be able to lift up to 25lbs and tolerate dust in the environment.