Accounting Manager II

Associated Wholesale Grocers; Kansas City (KS); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance

Health Savings Account

401(k) with match

Tuition Reimbursement

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Associated Wholesale Grocers in Kansas City, KS is seeking an Accounting Manager II to lead the accounting operations, including payables, receivables, and dispute management. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on process improvement in a hybrid work model at our AWG Support Center Accounting.

The ideal candidate has a solid accounting background, advanced Excel skills, and proven ability to drive automation, mentor supervisors, and collaborate with IT to ensure on‑time, on‑budget

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field.
• Strong attention to detail with high level of accuracy.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to balance multiple deadlines.
• Experience with PeopleSoft or ERP systems and advanced Excel.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Accounts Payable, Vendor Accounts Receivable, and Case Dispute Management.
• Lead and develop functional supervisors; promote accountability.
• Monitor KPIs and ensure balanced workloads across sub-departments.
• Identify inefficiencies and implement automated processes.
• Collaborate with IT to triage issues and deploy solutions on time.
• Strengthen internal controls and prevent fraud.
• Provide operational insights and financial reporting to leadership.

Skills

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Advanced Excel

Communication skills

Leadership / team management

Process improvement

System triage with IT

Financial analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related business field

Tools

PeopleSoft

ERP systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description

Accounting Manager II

Location: 5000 Kansas Avenue Kansas City, KS 66106

Work Model: Hybrid

Department: AWG Support Center Accounting

Summary: The Accounting Operations Manager oversees the strategic and day‑to‑day operations of Accounts Payable, Vendor Accounts Receivable, and Case Dispute Management. This role directs activities, resources, and leadership within these areas to ensure compliance with corporate policies, internal controls, and procedures. Key responsibilities include compiling, analyzing, and reporting financial metrics to provide leadership with actionable insights. The ideal candidate drives initiatives focused on process automation, cross‑functional collaboration, and excellent customer service to internal stakeholders and external vendors. The role also requires deep process and technical system knowledge to mentor team leads, partner with IT to triage systemic issues, and oversee deployment initiatives to successful, on‑time, and on‑budget completion.

Position Responsibilities

• Manage and develop functional supervisors, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous growth and professional development
• Leverage deep end‑to‑end process and system knowledge to provide strong technical support, guidance, and strategic direction to team leads
• Set clear team goals, monitor performance metrics (KPIs), and ensure equitable workload distribution across sub‑departments
• Critically evaluate current workflows to identify inefficiencies and implement smarter, more automated transactional processes to maximize team efficiency and impact
• Develop a strong understanding of the technical aspects of the overseen financial systems to actively identify, troubleshoot, and triage systemic issues in close partnership with Information Technology (IT)
• Participate in and oversee tactical activities in support of corporate and departmental initiatives, contributing detailed operational insight to ensure successful, on‑time, and on‑budget project deployments with little to no post‑launch disruption
• Strengthen internal controls and risk mitigation strategies to prevent fraud, reduce errors, and ensure compliance with company policies
• Proactively suggest and execute change management initiatives to modernize departmental tools and software
• Act as the ultimate escalation point for complex vendor issues and case dispute management, performing deep‑dive financial research to resolve root causes
• Analyze aging reports, dispute trends, and processing bottlenecks to provide actionable insights to leadership
• Provide reports, support, and feedback to leadership regarding financial performance as it relates to their gross profit centers and/or cost centers
• Manage competing demands seamlessly in a fast‑paced environment, balancing daily transactional deadlines with long‑term strategic projects
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with Procurement, Operations, and Legal on initiatives to investigate root causes and elevate outstanding issues until fully resolved
• Other duties as assigned

Position Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related business field
• Strong attention to detail and high level of accuracy
• Excellent organizational skills with proven ability to balance and prioritize multiple day‑to‑day deadlines and ongoing projects simultaneously
• Solid knowledge of general accounting practices and experience with PeopleSoft (or equivalent ERP systems)
• Strong technical acumen regarding underlying financial system architecture to facilitate effective system triaging and alignment with IT teams
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Access), with advanced proficiency in Excel
• Exceptional research and investigative skills with analytical mindset to identify root‑cause issues
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly, effectively, and persuasively present complex information to all levels of employees, management, and customers
• Demonstrated ability to influence, lead, and manage change thoughtfully and positively
• Previous experience managing supervisors, team leads, or a multi‑tiered team is highly preferred
• Proven experience participating in system implementations or software deployments, with a track record of meeting strict project timelines and budget targets
• Ability to relocate regionally may be necessary for advancement at our division offices

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Paid Vacation, Holiday, and Sick Time
• 401(k) with 4% match along with 3 other contributions
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Basic & Supplemental Life and AD&D
• Employee Assistance Program
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Wellness Program
• Yearly Holiday Bonus