Supervisor of Accounts Payable

Sarasota County; Sarasota (FL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Sarasota County is looking for a Supervisor of Accounts Payable to lead operations within the Comptroller Department. This role is crucial for ensuring timely and compliant payment disbursements, providing direction and mentorship to staff, and maintaining adherence to financial regulations.

The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership and communication skills, with extensive experience in accounts payable operations. Responsibilities include overseeing workflow efficiency, handling vendor inquiries, and supporting audits to ensure operational effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience overseeing accounts payable operations in a public sector environment.
• Skilled in supervising accounts payable staff and managing financial transactions.
• Experience in enforcing internal controls and compliance with regulations.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations of the Accounts Payable team.
• Provide guidance on vendor invoice auditing and payment processing.
• Resolve escalated vendor inquiries and correct payment discrepancies.
• Support year-end close processes and financial system upgrades.

Skills

Leadership Skills

Organizational Skills

Communication Skills

Accounts Payable Knowledge

Education

Associate's degree or equivalent coursework

Job description

The Supervisor of Accounts Payable is a key leadership position within the Comptroller Department of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller’s Office, responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Accounts Payable team. This role ensures the accurate, timely, and compliant disbursement of payments in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, contractual obligations, and internal policies.

As a key leader within the Comptroller Department, the Supervisor of Accounts Payable provides direction, training, and mentorship to accounts payable staff while managing complex financial transactions and payment workflows. Core responsibilities include overseeing daily workflow to ensure alignment with departmental performance measures, providing guidance to Accounts Payable staff on the auditing of vendor invoices, and ensuring the lawful, accurate and timely processing of check and ACH disbursements. The Supervisor also reviews purchasing card transactions for compliance, ensures proper general ledger coding, enforces internal controls, and supports adherence to governmental accounting standards and audit requirements.

The Supervisor of Accounts Payable demonstrates advanced knowledge of accounts payable processes, governmental accounting principles, procurement policies, and financial systems. This position develops and enforces internal procedures, promotes workflow efficiencies, and contributes to internal control design and maintenance within a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Additional responsibilities include resolving escalated vendor inquiries, investigating and correcting payment discrepancies, providing input to departments to ensure accurate and lawful use of public funds, supporting year-end close processes, and assisting with financial system upgrades and cross-functional initiatives. The role collaborates closely with County staff in Procurement, and internal teams to ensure alignment across financial functions.

Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills are essential to motivate staff, manage multiple priorities, and deliver high standards of customer service. The Supervisor of Accounts Payable serves as a role model for professionalism and ethical stewardship, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement. Success in this role is measured by the accuracy and timeliness of disbursements, audit readiness, vendor satisfaction, and operational efficiency. This position also plays a critical role in continuity of operations planning (COOP) by ensuring essential accounts payable functions remain operational during emergencies and supporting the implementation of emergency response protocols.

In all interactions, the position exemplifies the Clerk and Comptroller’s core values of integrity, making a difference, and proficiency, while promoting a culture of accountability, commitment, and trustworthiness. By setting high standards for professionalism in appearance and demeanor, leaders promote respectful work and service environments that emphasize individual commitment to excellence and integrity across all functions.

The Clerk and Comptroller retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position to align with the mission, core values, and goals of the organization.

Education

Required: Associate’s degree, or equivalent coursework

Relevant Field: Business, Business Management/Administration, Accounting, Finance, Public Administration, or a related discipline.

Extensive experience overseeing complex accounts payable operations in a public sector or highly regulated environment, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, as well as internal policies and audit requirements. Skilled in supervising A/P staff, managing invoice processing, check and ACH disbursements, and enforcing internal controls. Proven ability to interpret contracts and agreements, resolve vendor payment discrepancies, support audits, and lead year-end financial close activities.

Certification

Required: N/A

Preferred: Certified Bookkeeper (CB), Accredited Payables Specialist (APS)

Drug Free Work Environment

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

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