A/P Specialist

The Accounts Payable Specialist is responsible for the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of vendor invoices, employee reimbursement requests, and vendor payments. This position supports the full accounts payable cycle, including invoice verification and processing, purchase order matching, discrepancy resolution, vendor account reconciliation, payment processing, and vendor master data maintenance.

The successful candidate will work closely with vendors and internal business partners to resolve issues, maintain accurate financial records, support established internal controls, and ensure obligations are processed in accordance with company policies, payment terms, and deadlines.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Process a high volume of vendor invoices and employee reimbursement requests accurately and efficiently, ensuring appropriate documentation, approvals, and compliance with company policies.
• Monitor shared accounts payable inboxes, prioritize requests, and respond promptly and professionally to internal and external inquiries.
• Utilize SAP and other accounting systems to perform day-to-day accounts payable activities, including invoice entry, coding, matching, posting, and exception resolution.
• Review purchase order (PO) and non-PO invoices for accuracy, appropriate general ledger coding, cost center allocation, payment terms, and required approvals.
• Perform two-way and three-way matching of invoices, purchase orders, and goods receipts, as applicable, and investigate discrepancies involving pricing, quantities, receipts, and purchase order balances.
• Research and resolve invoice holds, payment blocks, duplicate invoice concerns, and other processing exceptions, escalating issues to the appropriate stakeholders when necessary.
• Reconcile vendor statements and accounts payable aging reports to SAP records; investigate missing invoices, unapplied credits, payment discrepancies, and outstanding balances through resolution.
• Communicate directly with vendors to address invoice, account balance, payment status, remittance, and other billing-related inquiries.
• Prepare and process scheduled payment runs using approved payment methods, including checks and electronic payments, in accordance with established procedures and authorization requirements.
• Investigate rejected or returned payments, outstanding payment items, and other payment application or clearing discrepancies, coordinating resolution with Treasury, Accounting, vendors, and other stakeholders as appropriate.
• Assist with vendor onboarding and maintenance of accurate vendor master records, including required tax documentation, banking information, and remittance details. Follow established verification, approval, and internal control procedures for new vendors and changes to existing vendor information.
• Monitor recurring discrepancies and trends in invoice processing, vendor accounts, and payment activity; identify potential root causes and recommend opportunities to improve accuracy and efficiency.
• Support month-end and year-end close activities, account reconciliations, audit requests, and other reporting requirements related to accounts payable.
• Maintain complete and organized supporting documentation in accordance with company policies and record-retention requirements.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with Procurement, Receiving, Operations, Accounting, Treasury, other internal business partners, and external vendors.
• Support process improvements, system updates, cross-training, and other accounts payable initiatives as needed.
• Perform other accounting duties and special projects as assigned.

This description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Duties and responsibilities may change based on business needs. The Company will evaluate the essential functions of the position in accordance with applicable law.

Expected Areas of Competence (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, data integrity, and compliance with established procedures.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally with vendors, coworkers, management, and other business partners.
• Strong analytical, research, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to investigate discrepancies, identify root causes, and follow issues through resolution.
• Ability to manage a high volume of transactions while balancing competing priorities and meeting strict deadlines.
• Demonstrated initiative, accountability, and ownership of assigned responsibilities, with appropriate judgment regarding when to escalate issues.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a collaborative team environment.
• Working knowledge of accounts payable processes, internal controls, and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Ability to handle confidential financial, vendor, and banking information responsibly.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook, including the ability to review, organize, and analyze financial data.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing business needs, priorities, and processes.

Education and Experience Requirements

• Minimum of two years of accounts payable processing experience.
• Experience working with accounting systems or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in a medium-to-large business environment; SAP experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience processing vendor invoices, reconciling accounts, researching discrepancies, and supporting vendor payments.
• High school diploma or GED required; an associate degree or higher in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field is strongly preferred.
• Experience with purchase order matching, goods receipt verification, vendor statement reconciliation, and electronic payment processing preferred.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment while maintaining a high level of accuracy and customer service.

Travel Requirements

None anticipated.

Pay Range: $25.00 - 27.00/HR DOE