Accounts Payable Specialist

Lawndale Christian Health Center; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Lawndale Christian Health Center in Chicago seeks an Accounts Payable Specialist to manage day-to-day AP, invoice processing, and GL coding. You will oversee vendor onboarding, 1099 reporting, corporate card administration, and cross-system reconciliations, ensuring timely and accurate disbursements.

Ideal candidates have 2+ years in AP, strong Excel skills, and experience with integrated financial systems in a healthcare or non-profit setting.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in accounting or finance, or 3+ years in AP.
• Proficiency with integrated financial systems and Excel.
• Non-profit or healthcare accounting experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day accounts payable process, from invoice intake to GL coding.
• Approve non-payroll expenses and ensure proper approvals.
• Manage vendor onboarding, W-9s, and master file integrity.
• Prepare 1099 reporting and coordinate with Accounting Manager.
• Administer corporate credit card and spend platform.
• Reconcile AP subledger to GL monthly.
• Generate reports for Finance, CFO, and leadership.

Skills

Organizational skills

Analytical thinking

Accounts payable knowledge

Vendor management

Excel skills

Communication

Team collaboration

Mission alignment

Education

Associate’s degree in Accounting/Finance

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Spend management platforms

Purchasing system

General ledger systems

Job description

Position Summary

The Accounts Payable Specialist holds primary responsibility for the day-to-day accounts payable function and administers related processes, including; vendor management and regulatory reporting, corporate credit card and spend management platform administration, purchasing system integration, accounts payable subledger-to-general ledger reconciliation, and third-party program claims administration. The role requires technical knowledge of integrated financial systems, analytical thinking to identify and resolve cross-system discrepancies, and the ability to maintain productive vendor relationships. This position reports to the Accounting Manager.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Accounts Payable Operations

• Owns the day-to-day accounts payable function, including invoice intake, general ledger coding, approval workflow administration, and disbursement via check and electronic payment methods.
• Ensures data accuracy and that appropriate approval has been obtained for all non-payroll expense transactions, including vendor invoices, corporate credit card activity, and employee reimbursements.
• Monitors general ledger account distribution for reasonableness and coordinates with department leadership when transactions deviate from established coding practices.
• Prepares general ledger entries relating to accounts payable, fixed assets, and corporate credit card activity.

Vendor Management and Regulatory Compliance

• Owns the vendor onboarding and maintenance lifecycle, including W-9 collection, tax classification, and vendor master file integrity.
• Organizes and prepares year-end 1099 vendor reporting and filing; performs and documents preparation activities; escalates unresolved items to the Accounting Manager; filings are reviewed and approved by the Accounting Manager or Controller prior to submission.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for vendor inquiries regarding invoice status, payment timing, and account reconciliation; maintains professional vendor relationships on behalf of the organization.
• Supports external reporting and audit requests in areas of ownership, including preparation of client schedules for the annual audit.

Corporate Credit Card and Spend Management Platform Administration

• Administers the corporate credit card and spend management platform, including user provisioning, cardholder maintenance, and terminations.
• Maintains cardholder budgets in the platform as directed by department leadership.
• Monitors expense activity against policy and escalates out-of-policy transactions to leadership.
• Troubleshoots user-reported issues and coordinates with platform vendor support as needed.

Purchasing System Integration

• Coordinates with the Purchasing department to maintain the integrity of the purchase-to-pay process, including purchase order creation, approval, receiving, and invoice matching.
• Troubleshoots upstream data entry issues with Purchasing staff to identify root causes and document corrective actions.
• Ensures accurate and complete migration of purchase documentation between the purchasing system and the accounts payable system.

Reconciliation and System Integrity

• Performs and documents the monthly reconciliation of the accounts payable subledger to the general ledger; escalates unresolved items to the Accounting Manager; reconciliation is reviewed and approved by the Accounting Manager or Controller.
• Identifies sync failures between the accounts payable and general ledger systems, resolves routine issues, and escalates failed payments and potential unclaimed property items to the Accounting Manager.
• Identifies recurring cross-system discrepancies and surfaces them to the Accounting Manager for resolution.

Third-Party Program Administration

• Administers accounts payable activity for third-party contracted programs, including import of claims payment data from external program administration platforms.
• Processes pass-through accounts receivable invoices to third-party program sponsors as part of the program administration workflow.
• Contacts and maintains working relationships with third-party program representatives to resolve processing exceptions.

Reporting

• Provides timely and appropriately detailed reports to the Accounting Manager, Director of Finance and Accounting, CFO, and other leaders regarding accounts payable activity, cash disbursements, vendor activity, and related metrics.
• Assists leadership in preparation of external reports relating to accounts payable activity for regulatory and accrediting organizations, including HRSA and applicable federal and state authorities.

Required Skills or Abilities*

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Analytical thinking, with the ability to trace and resolve discrepancies across multiple financial systems.
• Technical knowledge of accounts payable processes, general ledger structures, and integrated financial platforms.
• Ability to troubleshoot software issues, document root causes, and coordinate with internal users and platform vendors.
• Effective written and verbal communication with vendors, internal stakeholders, and leadership.
• Ability to maintain productive vendor relationships that reflect positively on the organization.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multi-cultural healthcare environment.
• Ability to strongly embrace and personify the mission of Lawndale Christian Health Center.

Required Knowledge, Experience, or Licensure/Registration

• Associate’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field with 2+ years of accounts payable experience; or 3+ years of progressively responsible accounts payable experience in lieu of degree. Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Demonstrated proficiency with integrated financial systems, including general ledger, accounts payable, purchasing, and spend management platforms.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, with intermediate-to-advanced Excel skills.
• Healthcare or non-profit accounting experience preferred.