Staff Accountant (Chicago)

Staff Accountant

Shift: Day 5x8-Hour (09:00 - 17:30)

Location: Chicago, IL

Duration: 26 weeks

Summary

Seeking an Accountant for a temp-to-perm opportunity within Accounts Payable. Candidate should have 1-5+ years of accounting or AP experience with strong expertise in account reconciliations, supplier statement reconciliations, banking/payment operations, month-end close support, and Procure-to-Pay processes. Advanced Excel skills required. ERP experience preferred. Looking for an analytical, detail-oriented professional who can manage complex reconciliations, resolve exceptions, and support financial controls in a high-volume environment.

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 1-5 years of accounting, accounts payable, or financial operations experience.
• Strong understanding of accounting principles and financial controls.
• Experience performing account reconciliations and investigating discrepancies.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, and data analysis functions.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to prioritize multiple deadlines.

Preferred

• Experience supporting Procure-to-Pay (P2P) processes in a large organization.
• Experience with ERP systems such as PeopleSoft, Oracle, SAP, Workday, or similar platforms.
• Experience with banking operations, ACH payments, wire transfers, and payment controls.
• Knowledge of supplier statement reconciliations and AP subledger accounting.
• Healthcare or large corporate finance experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Finance & Procure-to-Pay Operations
• Support the complete Procure-to-Pay lifecycle, including supplier payments, invoice processing, purchase order matching, exception resolution, and payment execution.
• Review and reconcile invoices, payment transactions, and supplier statements.
• Investigate and resolve invoice discrepancies, duplicate payments, pricing variances, and unmatched transactions.
• Partner with Procurement, Supplier Management, Treasury, and business stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate payment processing.
• Monitor AP aging and outstanding liabilities to support month-end close activities.
• Reconciliations & Financial Controls
• Perform account reconciliations, supplier statement reconciliations, and subledger-to-general ledger reconciliations.
• Research and resolve reconciling items, ensuring accurate financial reporting.
• Support monthly, quarterly, and year-end close activities.
• Maintain documentation supporting audit and compliance requirements.
• Assist with monitoring internal controls surrounding invoice processing, payment approvals, and disbursement activities.
• Banking & Cash Management
• Support ACH, wire, virtual card, and check payment processes.
• Research banking exceptions and payment returns.
• Assist with bank reconciliation activities and payment file validation.
• Partner with Treasury and banking partners to resolve payment-related issues.
• Ensure compliance with fraud prevention and payment control procedures.
• Analysis & Process Improvement
• Analyze AP, payment, and reconciliation data to identify trends, risks, and process improvement opportunities.
• Utilize Excel and ERP reporting tools to improve operational efficiency and financial accuracy.
• Participate in automation, continuous improvement, and finance transformation initiatives.
• Develop and maintain process documentation and standard operating procedures.