SENIOR DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTS PAYABLE

NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP); New York (NY); On-site; USD 68,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) seeks a Senior Director of Accounts Payable to lead the Large and Small Payment teams. You will drive process improvements, ensure timely contract payments, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality financial services.

The role requires strong leadership in accounts payable, vendor relations, and adherence to city policies. The ACCO oversees payments and procurement across DEP, a large utility in NYC.

Qualifications

• Experience leading large AP teams and payments.
• Strong knowledge of financial controls and audits.
• Familiarity with NYC procurement rules and directives.
• Excellent vendor and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end accounts payable operations, ensuring timely, accurate contract payments per directives.
• Lead and manage a team of 29 staff, providing strategic direction and mentorship.
• Drive process improvements including PASSPort transition and workflow optimization.
• Conduct monthly and year-end closings with oversight of reconciliations and audits.
• Use data analytics to monitor KPIs, identify bottlenecks and support decisions.
• Serve as a key liaison with vendors, agency stakeholders and senior leadership.

Skills

Team leadership

Accounts payable

Financial management

Data analytics

Internal controls

Procurement rules

Job description

Senior Director of Accounts Payable

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing 1.1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP's water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system’s 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the city.

The Agency Chief Contracting Office (ACCO) is responsible for managing all agency procurement and payment activity in accordance with all applicable city and state laws and regulations including General Municipal Law, City Charter, local laws such as LL1 for MWBE, Procurement Policy Board Rules and NYC Comptroller Directives. ACCO works cooperatively with DEP’s bureaus in support of their operational and programmatic needs including procurement of capital construction and related professional services (design, engineering, and construction management services), maintenance and repair contracts, and a wide array of supply and standard service contracts. In addition, ACCO staff manages agency compliance with vendor performance evaluations, MWBE participation goals, opportunities and requirements, prevailing wage, labor law compliance and vendor management. ACCO processes hundreds of both large and small contracts and thousands of payment transactions procuring about $2 billion in contracts annually. The ACCO consists of ten (10) organizational groups: Competitive Sealed Bids, Procurement Administration, Technology Development & Innovation, Contract Administration, Contract Compliance and Opportunities, Purchasing Management, Payments & Accounting, Negotiations and Contract Review, Large Contract Payments, and the Process Optimization & Change Management group.

Currently the ACCO Payments Group is split into two teams; Large Contract Payments and Small Contract Payments and Accounting. The Large Contract Payment team is responsible for processing of all capital and large (>$250,000.00) expense funded payments for all large capital contracts for construction, design, construction management and various other professional services. This team generates nearly 3,800 payments per fiscal year, with a value of over $1Billion dollars. The Small Contract Payment team is responsible for processing all micro, small, non-competitive and requirement contract capital and expense payments. In addition, they are responsible for other payment and accounting functions including payment of real estate taxes.

The ACCO's Office is seeking an experienced and energetic candidate to serve as the Senior Director of Accounts Payable. The selected candidate, reporting directly to the ACCO, will be responsible for overseeing both the Large and Small Payment teams. The selected candidate must also be an advocate for process improvement, transparency, teamwork, and maintaining high quality work product within the unit. The selected candidate will be self-motivated, demonstrate the ability to lead a team, and will be instrumental in the growth of the department. This position will interact with various levels of management, must deliver exceptional customer service and build successful relationships interacting cross-functionally, managing projects, and other duties as assigned.

Job Tasks/Duties

• Oversee end-to-end accounts payable operations, ensuring the timely and accurate processing of all contract payments in accordance with Comptroller directives, contract terms, and City policies. Ensure adherence to prompt payment requirements, minimizing interest liabilities and promoting fiscal responsibility.
• Lead and manage a team of 29 staff members, providing strategic direction, mentorship, and ongoing training to enhance team capabilities and performance.
• Drive process improvement initiatives, including the continued transition of all payments into the City’s PASSPort system, streamlining workflows, and ensuring compliance and reporting accuracy.
• Conduct monthly and year-end accounting closings and provide expert oversight of reconciliation and audit processes.
• Leverage data and analytics tools to monitor performance, identify operational bottlenecks, and report on key performance indicators to foster informed decision-making and continuous process optimization.
• Serve as a key liaison with vendors, agency stakeholders, and senior leadership, ensuring issues are resolved with a high standard of customer service.

Preferred Skills

• Strong managerial background in financial management with extensive experience and thorough knowledge of accounting, auditing principles. Experience using data to drive unit performance. - Experience and knowledge of developing internal control and accounting systems. - Knowledge of NYC Procurement Policy Board rules, City Charter, and Comptroller Directives - Ability to develop and maintains strong relationships with departmental personnel, senior management, oversight agencies and other customers/clients.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

, $68,213.00 – $185,000.00