AP Manager

Accounts Payable Manager

Position at Ruppert Landscape - Corporate Job Title: Accounts Payable Manager Location: This position will be based out of Ruppert's headquarters in Laytonsville, MD. Ruppert Landscape Overview: Headquartered in Laytonsville, MD, Ruppert Landscape is a leading provider of commercial landscaping services that has grown to become a top 10 industry player through its dedication to exceptional professionalism and best-in-class operations. The company prides itself on its strong culture, commitment to its employees, unmatched attention to its customers and giving back to the community. Clients include the nation's leading corporate office parks, mixed-use developments, retail properties, hospitality, cultural and sporting venues. Ruppert currently serves over 5,000 customers and employs 3,000+ team members at 52 branches primarily throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeastern U.S. The company's segments include Landscape Management (Maintenance) and Landscape Construction (Installation). The Company's mission is to provide opportunity for its people, take excellent care of its customers and be a good steward of the environment and community. Ruppert partnered with Knox Lane and became a portfolio company in December 2022.

Reporting Relationship: Financial Controller Position Description: As the leader of the Accounts Payable (A/P) function, the Accounts Payable Manager is responsible for overseeing the entire A/P process including ensuring timeliness and accuracy of all A/P transactions, team leadership, monthly reporting, and system support. The Accounts Payable Manager will drive end-to-end A/P process improvement/optimization, lead system implementations, develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), and ensure exceptional customer service within Ruppert's internal branch structure and to external vendors.

Key Responsibilities

• Team Leadership
• Lead and develop the Accounts Payable team of 4 to 5 A/P Specialists, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Conduct performance reviews, set goals, and promote a culture of accuracy and accountability
• Customer Service
• Serve as the primary customer service liaison for all A/P inquiries for Ruppert's branches, corporate staff, and Leadership team
• Deliver concise, complete, and timely responses to internal and external stakeholders, fostering and maintaining strong business relationships
• Manage crisis and issue resolution by quickly identifying root causes, coordinating corrective actions, and communicating with stakeholders to minimize financial and operational impact
• Ensure all reported issues are tracked, monitored, and resolved within company SLAs
• Accounts Payable Operations
• Manage the day-to-day operations of A/P processes, ensuring the timely and accurate processing and payment of 6,500+ invoices per month
• Implement and maintain internal control procedures, including vendor statement reconciliations and A/P Aging review
• Maintain vendor master data in JD Edwards including approval of new vendor set-up
• Implement monitoring controls through all stages of the A/P workflow, and report on KPIs to the Financial Controller to drive performance improvements and ensure high quality output
• Proactively detect discrepancies, payment errors, or vendor disputes; conduct root-cause analysis and implement corrective actions within agreed SLAs
• Maintain and manage list of vendor holds
• Accounting and Reporting
• Ensure timely and accurate month-end close procedures for Accounts Payable
• Responsible for the accuracy of the A/P subledger, including reconciliation to the General Ledger, and accounting for all Maintenance, Installation and Corporate invoices
• Continuous Improvement
• Identify inefficiencies in invoice processing, payment cycles, and vendor management; design and implement streamlined workflows to reduce errors and cycle times
• Lead and support the implementation of new A/P automation tools for the company's Procure-to-Pay process, as part of the company's initiative to modernize key business processes and systems
• Team Collaboration
• Work collaboratively with members of the Accounts Receivable and Financial Accounting teams, ensuring timely response to inquiries and issue resolution
• Ensure compliance with all relevant accounting standards, regulations, and internal policies, mitigating risks and safeguarding the company's financial integrity

Required Skills and Competencies

• Demonstrate strong commitment to developing a customer-first culture within the A/P team
• Proven ability to manage and motivate a team – excellent people management and coaching skills
• High attention to detail with ability to manage multiple priorities and ensure accuracy in Accounts Payable operations
• Self-starter - takes initiative to solve problems and communicate issues in a timely manner
• Strong analytical and investigative skills with a history of resolving A/P processing issues
• Process-oriented – experience in assessing and streamlining A/P processes and managing the implementation of new software; track record of leading transformation
• Problem solving - identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner and gathers and analyzes information skillfully
• Quality management - looks for ways to improve and promote quality and demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness
• Exhibits sound and accurate judgment and willingness to collaborate in making timely decisions
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills - able to articulate complex issues and manage postmortem discussions with stakeholders
• Proven track record of fostering accountability and helping team members manage workloads effectively
• Strong enthusiasm for identifying inefficiencies within existing accounts payable processes and systems in an environment with evolving software and procedures
• Skilled in navigating high-pressure situations with critical visibility, offering sound judgment and quick, effective decision-making
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Ability to meet deadlines and work well under pressure

Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration
• 6+ years of experience as an Accounts Payable Manager
• Proven track record of managing and optimizing Accounts Payable operations
• 5-10 years of experience working in large-scale organizations (public or private equity backed organizations preferred)
• Familiarity with GAAP and strong working knowledge of internal controls
• Advanced Excel skills (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, Macros)
• Experienced in JD Edwards, Spreadsheet Server, Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and ticketing or project manager tools (e.g. Jira, Zendesk) is preferred