Lead Accounts Payable Associate

• Serve as the primary operational backup to the AP Supervisor
• Coordinate daily workflow, priorities, queue coverage, and workload balancing across AP team members
• Monitor backlogs, aging items, open approvals, payment exceptions, and unresolved vendor or employee issues
• Prepare operational updates for the AP Supervisor
• Support department priorities, procedures, control changes, and acquisition-related activities
• Resolve routine first-level escalations and present higher-level issues with recommended next steps
• Provide day-to-day process guidance to AP Associates and offshore AP team members
• Lead onboarding, cross‑training, refresher training, and knowledge transfer
• Create and maintain desk procedures, standard operating procedures, checklists, and training materials
• Perform risk‑based quality reviews of invoices, expenses, corporate card transactions, vendor records, payment support, and reconciliations
• Own or oversee complex vendor invoices, reimbursements, corporate card charges, expert payments, retainers, credits, discounts, and payment exceptions
• Verify contracts, W-9s, approvals, payment information, and supporting documentation before payment processing
• Support setup and maintenance of 1099 contractors and vendors
• Review vendor statements, aged items, duplicate‑payment risks, unresolved credits, and high‑priority escalations
• Coordinate with Finance, Tax, Operations, Cash Applications, project teams, and other stakeholders
• Coordinate payment‑run readiness and confirm required approvals
• Escalate suspected fraud, duplicate‑payment risks, unusual vendor requests, control overrides, and approval bypasses
• Support AP control testing and remediation
• Coordinate the AP portion of the month‑end close
• Prepare or review reconciliations, aging analyses, accrual support, cutoff reviews, open‑item reports, and close schedules
• Compile and analyze operational measures
• Prepare internal and external audit support
• Serve as an AP workstream lead or operational resource for acquisition onboarding
• Support AP discovery, open‑payables validation, vendor‑data review, payment‑method transition, expense and card onboarding, approval routing, and cutover readiness
• Assist with data validation, user acceptance testing, issue tracking, and post‑conversion stabilization
• Act as an AP power user for designated ERP, AP automation, expense, payment, documentation, and workflow systems
• Identify automation and workflow opportunities and assist with testing, documentation, deployment, and training
• Analyze recurring exceptions, manual touches, service delays, and control issues and recommend improvements
• Partner with internal stakeholders to improve approvals and process handoffs
• Perform additional related projects and responsibilities as assigned

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience independently managing complex full-cycle AP transactions, vendor issues, payment preparation, and reconciliations
• Demonstrated experience training, mentoring, coordinating work, or serving as a process lead
• Experience supporting month‑end close, audits, systems implementation, process conversion, or acquisition integration
• Ability to learn system administration concepts, workflow configuration, reporting, and user acceptance testing within assigned platforms
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling banking, tax, vendor, employee, contract, and payment information
• Experience in professional services, legal services, consulting, multi‑entity operations, or an acquisition‑oriented environment is strongly preferred
• Associate degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• Five or more years of progressively responsible accounts payable, accounting operations, or closely related experience, preferably in professional services
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and Word
• Strong proficiency in Sage Intacct, BILL, Ramp, Concur, Nexonia, or comparable ERP, AP automation, spend, or expense platforms
• Position supports east to west coast time zones

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in managing complex full-cycle Accounts Payable transactions, vendor relations, and reconciliations while supporting month‑end close processes and audits. Proficient in training and mentoring team members, ensuring effective workflow coordination and process improvements.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Full-Cycle Accounts Payable Management
• Vendor Issue Resolution
• Month-End Close Support
• Training and Mentoring
• Sage Intacct Proficiency

Hard Skills

• Accounts Payable Transactions
• Reconciliations
• Payment Preparation
• Audit Support
• Workflow Configuration

Soft Skills

• Confidentiality
• Sound Judgment
• Process Coordination

Certifications & Qualifications

• Associate Degree in Accounting
• Finance
• Business

Industry Keywords

• Professional Services
• Legal Services
• Consulting
• Multi-Entity Operations
• Acquisition Integration

Tools & Technologies

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Word
• Sage Intacct
• Concur