Accounts Payable Manager

KAHANA & FELD LLP; Sacramento (CA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

KAHANA & FELD LLP is seeking an Accounts Payable Manager to lead the firm’s AP operations, drive process improvements, and develop the AP team. The role ensures timely payments, accurate coding, and strong internal controls in a hybrid work environment in California/Sacramento.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years in AP with supervisory experience, familiarity with legal accounting systems like Aderant, and a bachelor’s degree in accounting or related field.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of accounts payable or accounting experience, including leading a team.
• Experience in a law firm or professional services environment preferred.
• Strong understanding of AP controls, GL coding, reconciliations, and expense management.
• Experience with a legal accounting system such as Aderant preferred.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills; ability to resolve cross-department issues.

Responsibilities

• Manage the full accounts payable cycle, from invoice receipt and review through approval, payment, reconciliation, and record retention.
• Review invoices and expenses for documentation, approvals, accurate coding, and compliance with firm policies and client billing guidelines.
• Coordinate payment runs and resolve vendor inquiries while maintaining appropriate approvals and segregation of duties.
• Maintain vendor records and oversee controls for vendor setup, tax documentation, and changes to payment instructions.
• Reconcile accounts payable records and support month-end and year-end close, accruals, audits, and Form 1099 preparation.
• Supervise and develop accounts payable staff by establishing daily priorities, managing workloads, and monitoring performance and processing accuracy.
• Oversee recording of client and matter expenses, coordinating with Billing to resolve coding issues and support timely, accurate client cost recovery.
• Coordinate with AP-related payment processing and accounting activities for employee reimbursements and corporate card transactions.
• Develop procedures, reporting, and performance measures to improve payment accuracy, processing times, and visibility into outstanding obligations.
• Partner with Finance leadership to identify process risks, strengthen internal controls, and support system and workflow improvements.
• Lead special projects as assigned.

Skills

Accounts payable management

Supervisory experience

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Internal controls

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance

Tools

Aderant

Job description

Description

Summary

The Accounts Payable Manager oversees the firm’s accounts payable operations, including vendor invoice processing, payment administration, reconciliations, and related financial controls. This role leads and develops the accounts payable team, maintains effective internal controls, and collaborates closely with attorneys, administrative departments, and Finance to ensure expenses are accurate, appropriately approved, paid on time and recorded to the appropriate general ledger account or client matter.

Duties and Responsibilities

Accounts Payable Operations and Financial Controls

• Manage the full accounts payable cycle, from invoice receipt and review through approval, payment, reconciliation, and record retention.
• Review invoices and expenses for required documentation, appropriate approvals, accurate coding, and compliance with firm policies and applicable client billing guidelines.
• Coordinate payment runs and resolves vendor inquiries while maintaining appropriate approval processes and segregation of duties.
• Maintain vendor records and oversee controls for vendor setup, tax documentation, and changes to payment instructions.
• Reconcile accounts payable records and support month-end and year-end close, accruals, audits, and Form 1099 preparation.

Team Leadership and Development

• Supervise and develop accounts payable staff by establishing daily priorities, managing workloads, and monitoring performance and processing accuracy.
• Coordinate with the Procurement and Expense Manager regarding analytical standards, specialized training, and review procedures for AP Analysts.

Client Expense Accounting and Payment Coordination

• Oversee the recording of client and matter expenses, coordinating with Billing to resolve coding issues and support timely, accurate client cost recovery.
• Coordinate with the Procurement & Expense Manager regarding AP-related payment processing and accounting activities for employee reimbursements and corporate credit card transactions.

Process Improvement and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Develop procedures, reporting, and performance measures to improve payment accuracy, processing times, and visibility into outstanding obligations.
• Partner with Finance leadership to identify process risks, strengthen internal controls, and support system and workflow improvements.
• Lead special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressively responsible accounts payable or accounting experience, including experience supervising or leading a team.
• Experience in a law firm or other professional services environment preferred.
• Strong understanding of accounts payable controls, general ledger coding, reconciliations, and expense management.
• Experience with a legal accounting system, such as Aderant, preferred.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills, with the ability to resolve issues across departments.
• Sound judgment and discretion when handling confidential financial, employee, vendor, and client information.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.

This job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Kahana Feld provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Job Type

Full-Time, Exempt

Supervisory Responsibilities

Manager

Work Location

Hybrid

Work Schedule

8:30-5:30pm Monday-Friday. Occasional weekends and holidays.

Salary

$110,000 - $130,000

Physical Requirements

Primarily sedentary work. Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Repetitive motion. Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading. Work is performed in an office environment and requires the ability to operate standard office equipment and keyboards. Must have the ability to walk short distances, and/or drive a vehicle to deliver and pick up materials. Work can be performed with or without accommodations.

Travel

5-10% domestic travel by car and by plane.