Accounts Payable Associate

Company Description

About KIPP TEAM & Family

KIPP TEAM & Family is our network office that includes support teams - such as Leadership Development, Recruitment, Advocacy, Facilities, Finance, HR and more - dedicated to empowering our schools and ensuring the success of KIPP students throughout New Jersey and Miami. Our schools are part of the nationally recognized “Knowledge Is Power Program” network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students for success in college and in life in our schools located in Newark, NJ, Camden,NJ, Paterson, NJ, and Miami, FL.

Job Description

The Accounts Payable Associate, reporting to the AP Manager supports the organization’s financial operations by managing day-to-day accounts payable activities, ensuring timely and accurate processing of vendor payments, and delivering high-quality customer service to internal stakeholders and external vendors.

This role is well-suited for a detail-oriented professional who thrives in a high-volume, process-driven environment and is interested in developing expertise in accounts payable operations within a complex, multi-entity organization.

The Accounts Payable Associate works closely with the Accounting team, Purchasing, and Technology teams to support efficient payment processing, maintain accurate financial records, and contribute to continuous process improvement and system optimization.

Accounts Payable Processing

• Process purchase order-backed invoices in a timely and accurate manner.
• Review, validate, and enter invoices into the accounting system, ensuring proper general ledger coding, purchase order matching, and approval workflows.
• Support timely payment execution by monitoring invoice status and following up on outstanding approvals.
• Maintain accurate and complete documentation for all accounts payable transactions in accordance with internal controls and procedures.

Vendor and Stakeholder Support

• Serve as a primary point of contact for vendor and internal inquiries related to accounts payable.
• Respond to inquiries in a timely, professional, and customer-focused manner using designated systems (e.g., Zendesk).
• Communicate payment status and timelines clearly to vendors and internal stakeholders.
• Collaborate with vendors to ensure invoices are submitted correctly and to the appropriate channels.

Systems and Process Support

• Utilize financial and workflow systems (e.g., Coupa, Sage Intacct) to manage accounts payable processes efficiently.
• Identify, troubleshoot, and escalate system or integration issues impacting invoice processing or payments.
• Perform basic reconciliations between systems to identify and resolve discrepancies.
• Partner with Purchasing and Technology teams to resolve purchase order issues, coding questions, and workflow bottlenecks.

Continuous Improvement and Team Support

• Identify recurring issues or inefficiencies in accounts payable processes and recommend improvements.
• Support ongoing efforts to enhance automation and improve the end-user experience.
• Assist with ad-hoc projects and process improvement initiatives as needed.
• Contribute to maintaining a collaborative, solutions-oriented team environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field 
• 1–5 years of accounts payable, finance, or related experience in a high-volume environment.
• Experience with financial systems such as Coupa, Sage Intacct, or similar platforms preferred.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Strong customer service and communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Outlook.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

Additional Information

Location

This is a hybrid role. At this time, we typically work on-site 2 days per week and work remotely 3 days per week. Therefore, this role requires teammates to live within commuting distance of one of the three cities within which we work: Newark, NJ, Camden, NJ, or Miami, FL. Candidates who can work from our Newark office will be given preference for this role.

Compensation & Benefits

KIPP Team & Family offers a market-competitive salary range of $65,000 - $75,000. Salary ranges at KIPP are set based upon the role level and function using benchmarks in the education and non-profit sector and allow for growth within the role. Individual compensation within this range will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to: relevant professional experience and qualifications; education, skills and training; and market conditions.

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer a generous benefits package including, but not limited to, the following:

• Robust benefits that include medical, dental, and vision 
• Optional participation in the KIPP NJ 403b retirement plan, including matching contributions
• An organization-issued laptop
• Transportation benefits for TEAMmates commuting into Newark from the New York City area
• Generous Time-Off policy
• Up to 12 weeks 100% parental leave for primary caregivers
• Employer paid life insurance
• Extensive optional ancillary benefits including, short term and long term disability and accident and hospital indemnity

Our organization is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender, age, religion, national origin, citizen status, marital status, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Our organization will make a reasonable accommodation to known physical or mental limitations of a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the organization. No questions on this application are asked for any unlawful purpose.

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