Accounts Payable Specialist

About the role

The AP Specialist Role, will oversee a small team of AP specialists responsible for managing the full invoice lifecycle for a portfolio of global vendors. This role will be a hands-on team lead who ensures accuracy and efficiency, from initial invoice receipt through to payment processing and account reconciliation. This role requires strong leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills to manage team performance, maintain positive vendor relationships, and support the organization's financial goals.

What you'll do

• Mentor and lead a global team of AP specialists, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
• Provide ongoing guidance, training, and support to team members to ensure process consistency and professional growth.
• Manage daily workload allocation and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to meet service level agreements (SLAs) and productivity targets.
• Conduct performance reviews, provide constructive feedback, and identify opportunities for skills development within the team.
• Oversee the end-to-end accounts payable process, including invoice receipt, verification, coding, and entry.
• Ensure the timely and accurate processing of a high volume of vendor invoices using various Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.
• Manage weekly and ad-hoc payment runs for global vendors in multiple currencies.
• Implement and enforce AP policies and procedures to ensure accuracy and compliance with internal controls and company policies.
• Serve as an escalation point for complex vendor inquiries and payment disputes, driving issues to resolution.
• Oversee the monthly and yearly reconciliation of major vendor accounts to ensure account integrity and address discrepancies.
• Cultivate and maintain positive, long-term relationships with external vendors.
• Identify and implement opportunities for process automation and efficiency improvements within the AP workflow.
• Analyze AP performance metrics and KPIs (e.g., invoice processing time, exception rates) to pinpoint root causes of inefficiencies and implement data-driven solutions.
• Actively lead or participate in cross-functional projects focused on streamlining procure-to-pay (P2P) processes, such as the implementation or optimization of new systems and technologies.
• Collaborate with internal departments (e.g., procurement, finance, operations, and IT) to resolve invoice discrepancies, address process bottlenecks, and improve overall payment accuracy.
• Develop, maintain, and enforce standardized AP processes and procedures across all global teams to enhance consistency, control, and efficiency.
• Leverage AP automation tools and ERP systems to streamline processes, reduce manual effort, and improve accuracy.

Examples of desirable skills, knowledge and experience

• Experience: Proven experience in a senior AP or accounting operations role, with a minimum of 2+ years in a leadership or supervisory capacity.
• Education: A bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field is preferred.
• Technical expertise: Strong proficiency with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite) and Microsoft Office Suite, particularly advanced Excel skills. Experience with AP automation tools is a plus.
• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and motivate a team to achieve high performance.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to build effective relationships and influence stakeholders across various departments.
• Problem-solving: Strong analytical skills with a proactive approach to resolving discrepancies and complex cross-functional issues.
• Process improvement: Proven track record of identifying and successfully implementing process improvements in an accounts payable or related environment.
• Detail-oriented: Meticulous attention to detail and accuracy in all financial record-keeping and reporting.
• Global mindset: Experience working with a global or multinational team and managing accounts in different currencies.