The Accounts Payable Accountant is responsible for the daily accounts payable operations. This position oversees invoice processing, payment disbursements, vendor maintenance, employee reimbursements, purchase-order matching, accruals, reconciliations, and related accounting activities. The role supports accurate financial reporting, strong internal controls, timely payments, and responsive service to campus departments and external vendors.
Key Responsibilities
- Experience in accounts payable operations, including invoice review, payment processing, employee reimbursements, vendor maintenance, and AP processing queues
- Knowledge of W-9, 1099, vendor maintenance, payment processing, and supporting documentation requirements
- Experience with Ellucian Collegue (higher ED ERP) or similar ERP system
- Strong understanding of accounts payable processes, accruals, account reconciliations, internal controls, and general ledger coding
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Daily accounts payable operations, including invoice review, payment processing, employee reimbursements, vendor maintenance, and AP processing queues.
- Review transactions for accuracy, completeness, documentation, approval, and proper fund, department, account, and general ledger coding.
- Serve as the primary escalation point for vendor inquiries, payment status questions, campus department support, and invoice or purchasing issues.
- Partner with Procurement, Finance colleagues, and campus departments to resolve purchase-order matching exceptions and ensure compliance with University payment processes.
- Prepare AP-related journal entries, accruals, prepaid expense schedules, account reconciliations, and supporting documentation for month-end and year-end close.
- Reconcile the accounts payable subledger to the general ledger and research or resolve outstanding balances, aging items, and discrepancies.
- Check, ACH, and wire payment runs in accordance with University policies, cash management needs, and vendor payment terms.
- Maintain vendor records and support compliance with W-9, 1099, tax reporting, and internal documentation requirements.
- Support audit preparation by maintaining complete records, responding to audit requests, and ensuring transactions are properly supported.
- Help strengthen internal controls to prevent duplicate payments, unauthorized disbursements, fraud risk, and processing errors.
- Assist campus departments with expense questions, budget-to-actual review, fund restrictions, and appropriate use of University resources.
- Identify opportunities to streamline AP workflows, improve electronic invoice intake, strengthen reimbursement and corporate card processes, and reduce manual work.
- Prepare reports, schedules, and analyses related to payable activity, vendor payments, accruals, and University expense activity.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field required.
- Minimum of four years of full-cycle accounts payable, accounting operations, or related finance experience required.
- Strong understanding of accounts payable processes, accruals, account reconciliations, internal controls, and general ledger coding.
- Knowledge of W-9, 1099, vendor maintenance, payment processing, and supporting documentation requirements.
- Strong customer-service orientation and ability to communicate clearly and professionally with campus departments, vendors, and Finance colleagues.
- Excellent attention to detail, organizational skills, and ability to manage multiple deadlines in a high-volume environment.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and financial systems required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in higher education, nonprofit, or fund-accounting environments.
- Experience with Ellucian Colleague or similar ERP systems.
- Experience supporting fiscal year-end close, audit preparation, prepaid expenses, accruals, and financial reporting schedules.
- Familiarity with purchase-order workflows, procurement processes, corporate card administration, and employee reimbursement programs.
- Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, XLOOKUP, account reconciliations, and financial analysis.