Senior Accounts Payable Specialist

Kinder's Premium Quality Seasonings & Sauces; Walnut Creek (CA); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work structure

401k/bonus eligibility

Equity grants

Health benefits

Parental leave

Job summary

Kinder's Premium Quality Seasonings & Sauces is seeking a Senior Accounts Payable Specialist to lead the AP team's daily activities in a hybrid Walnut Creek office. You’ll manage invoices, vendor relations, and month-end close while upholding internal controls.

Your background includes 5–7 years in AP with leadership experience, plus strong ERP skills (SAP, NetSuite). The role offers competitive pay and a culture of collaboration and growth.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of accounts payable experience with at least 3 years in a lead role.
• Strong AP process knowledge, three-way matching and internal controls.
• CPG/food & beverage or manufacturing background preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day AP functions and lead the AP team operationally.
• Process invoices end-to-end including coding, routing, and publication.
• Monitor AP activity, due dates, exceptions, and vendor inquiries.
• Manage vendor setups, reconciliations, and payment runs weekly.
• Support month-end close, accruals, and audit requests.
• Identify process improvements and drive automation opportunities.

Skills

Excel Proficiency

Attention to detail

Analytical thinking

Data-driven

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance

CPA preferred

Tools

SAP

NetSuite

Oracle

Job description

BUILT ON FLAVOR. FUELED BY PEOPLE.
What’s it like to work at Kinder’s? Well, there’s a lot of snacking and geeking out over what we all cooked over the weekend.
Beyond that, there’s also plenty of hard work.
Because we don’t just like flavor, we’re obsessed with it.
With over 100 products sold nationwide, we’re now a top-five brand in multiple flavor categories at Costco, Walmart, Whole Foods, and more.
We’re not your typical CPG company. Privately held and founder-led, we like to think of ourselves as a pirate ship in a sea of cruise ships.
Our crew is adventurous and fearless.
We chart our own course and chase big ideas to make food unforgettable.
As we expand globally and approach $1 billion in revenue, we need more smart-and-scrappy, flavor-obsessed people to come aboard.
If you’re looking for a place where you can see the real impact of your work... this is it!
Every day, you’ll be part of a journey to add flavor to millions of meals and lives.

About The Role

The Senior Accounts Payable Specialist is responsible for overseeing day-to-day Accounts Payable functions and serving as the primary operational lead for the AP Team. This role provides direct guidance, training, workload management, and compliance with company policies. The Senior AP Specialist serves as the primary liaison between the AP Staff and the AP Manager, escalating significant issues and providing regular reporting on team performance, aging, and operational metrics.
TheSenior Accounts Payable Specialist, reporting to the Accounts Payable Manager, supports theAccountingteam through the execution of accounts payable activities, vendor account management, and cross-functional support within the AP function.You should be analytical and precise, but able tooperatein ambiguity and adapt quicklyin a fast-paced, evolving environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct daily AP team huddles.
• Maintain a regular assigned invoice-processing workload.
• Personally process invoices from receipt through coding, approval routing, publication, and synchronization.
• Monitor accounts payable activity throughout the day, including inbox volume, draft bills, approval queues, due dates, exceptions, duplicate invoice risk, and items requiring follow-up.
• Oversee high-volume invoice processing, vendor setup and changes, statement reconciliations, credit memos, refunds, and vendor inquiries.
• Prepare and complete weekly check and payment runs, including reviewing approved invoices and due dates, selecting payment methods, confirming cash requirements, printing checks, preparing positive pay files when applicable, and confirming payments are properly recorded and released.
• Review and approve new vendor accounts.
• Present payment package for approval.
• Monitor all AP inboxes and ensure timely response.
• Serve as first escalation point for AP team members, vendor inquiries and issue resolution.
• Assist with timely and accurate month-end close activities related to accounts payable, including accruals and account reconciliations.
• Escalate critical suppliers as appropriate.
• Maintain strong internal controls and ensure compliance with company policies and accounting standards.
• Support audits by preparing documentation and responding to audit requests.
• Identify opportunities to improve AP processes, efficiency and automation.
• Provide training, guidance and support to AP team members.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve discrepancies and improve workflows.
• Review work for accuracy and completeness, identify recurring errors or bottlenecks, and implement process improvements and additional controls as needed.
• Support month-end close by confirming AP cutoff, identifying uninvoiced liabilities, preparing or reviewing accrual support, reviewing the AP aging, and reconciling relevant accounts and reports.
• Assist with vendor reporting, 1099 readiness, audit requests, and other AP-related financial reporting and reconciliations.

What You Bring to the Table

Qualifications

• 5 -7 years of accounts payable experience with at least 3 years’ experience as a lead
• Strong understanding of AP processes, three-way matching and internal controls, including high-volume and multi-entity processing
• Prior experience in CPG, food & beverage, or manufacturing environments strongly preferred
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field
• CPA preferred

Mindset

• Builder mentality with a passion for improving processes and creating structure in growth environments
• High ownership and accountability with strong attention to detail
• Curious, data-driven thinker who challenges assumptions and seeks better ways of working
• Collaborative partner who can translate financial concepts into business insights
• Proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, lookups, basic analysis).
• Exposure to month-end close and audit support.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize and organize effectively.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of company and client information.

Skillset

• Proficiency with accounting software such as SAP
• Understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Familiarity with standard accounts payable procedures and workflows
• High attention to detail for accurate data entry and invoice matching
• Strong time-management skills to meet payment deadlines
• Knowledge of purchasing, invoicing and vendor payment terms
• Competence with spreadsheet tools for tracking and reconciling transactions

Toolset

• ERP systems experience (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, or similar)
• Advanced Excel and data analysis capabilities
• Experience working with large datasets and multiple data sources
• Exposure to SOX controls and financial systems design is a plus

Location and Travel

The position will be based out of our office in Walnut Creek, CA. We strongly believe in the power of culture and community and have a hybrid work structure with 4 days in the office on a weekly basis to encourage collaboration and personal connections that will allow us to better serve our customers and consumer and to have more fun. Fridays are flex days with employees having the opportunity to choose to be either in the office or to work from home based on what makes most sense for them.

Pay Transparency

The expected starting salary range for this role is $115,000- $125,000 per year.The salary range posted for this role reflects the good-faith base pay range Kinder’s reasonably expects to offer at the time of posting and may vary based on the location of the role. Individual compensation within the posted range will be determined based on factors such as relevant education, experience, qualifications, skills, and business needs.

Seasoned For Success

• No two days here are the same.
• We try to be good team members and good communicators, but we don’t live by hierarchy and structure – everyone is a difference maker here.
• We make a lot of decisions in the face of incomplete information – our team embraces ambiguity and tries to make good decisions fast rather than great decisions slow.
• We believe our job is to take smart risk, not to eliminate risk.
• We believe in growing our skills and becoming a better company with more managerial expertise, but we are an entrepreneurial company at heart.
• We aren’t trying to be average – we want to do exceptional things, and we are willing to work hard to achieve them.

Benefits That Bring More To The Table

We offer a range of total rewards that may include paid time off, 401k, bonus / incentive eligibility, equity grants, competitive health benefits, and other family-friendly benefits, including parental leave. Kinder’s benefits vary based on eligibility and can be reviewed in more detail during the interview process.

Our Recipe For Balance

We believe great culture starts with people. We’re a people-first company built on connection, collaboration, and balance. Most of our work happens in the office to spark creativity and community, but we also offer flexibility so team members have the autonomy to work outside the office when needed to support their work-life balance and personal commitments.

Where Every Ingredient Matters

Kinder's is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, citizenship, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, veteran status, as well as any other legally-protected characteristic. If you have a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law, and you need any accommodation during the application process or to perform these job requirements, please reach out to us at [e-mail].