Senior Payment Specialist - Finance Department

Senior Payment Specialist

The Finance Department of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, the public defender agency for Massachusetts, is seeking a full-time Senior Payment Specialist to assist in ensuring the timely and efficient process of legal and other payments of agency obligations. The Senior Payment Specialist supports the Finance Department with responsibilities including the timely review, payment, and reconciliations of agency obligations. The Senior Payment Specialist follows Commonwealth and CPCS fiscal policies and procedures to support the agency, vendors and private attorneys. The Senior Payment Specialist is expected to effectively communicate with all levels of the organization, external relationships and oversight agencies in this role.

The duties of the Senior Payment Specialist include, but are not limited to: processing the timely payments for over 3,000 attorneys and 2,000 expert vendors and performing transmission of payment files to the Office of the State Comptroller; processing payments for all other agency goods and services, including discounts as backup and/or as needed; ensuring the appropriate billing mechanisms for payments exist (e.g. NACs, Encumbrance) to ensure timely and appropriate payments; providing technical expertise to V-bill/E-bill systems as well as other Finance systems as needed; providing customer support to V-bill/E-bill systems users as needed and communicating billing information to private attorneys and vendors using Constant Contact and Ebill/Vbill Notice; developing standard and custom queries using the Commonwealth Information Warehouse (CIW) for accurate payment, case spending analyses, and other ad hoc reporting as required; giving input to accounts payable policies and procedures. Researching and resolving billing issues that may require input from Senior Management, Director of Audit & Oversight, and IT; assisting the Accounts Payable Manager or Finance Director with accounts payable activities as needed; supporting ongoing department initiatives which include moving paperless where possible, cross training/cross pollination, standardized/routine reporting and performance management; providing excellent customer service internally and externally; and, other duties as assigned.

Minimum Entrance Requirements: Associate's degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance or similar field or an equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and experience; three years of experience in accounting and/or accounts payable experience; and, access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

Qualifications/Skills: Proficiency with the state accounting system (-MOSAIC) including reconciling accounts and managing accounts payable or similar accounting systems; advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office 2007+ with a strong emphasis on Excel, Access, and Outlook; ability to review and understand financial processes; proactively identify solutions for process improvements and ability to implement effective solutions; ability to create, analyze and interpret financial information and scenarios; knowledge and understanding of state finance law as well as payment and procurement regulations; good communication skills; and, ability to work independently and in a group.

Personal and professional attributes: This person will possess personal and professional integrity, strong communication skills, and strong analytical and decision-making skills. The individual must possess strong leadership and managerial skills, strong interpersonal skills, high energy level and a positive outlook. This person must believe in strong customer service and always act with professionalism and responsiveness. The individual who will succeed in this role can best be described as: motivated; a stickler for accuracy; your attention to detail is critical for success and the success of the agency mission; a believer in customer service; consistent across many communication mediums; a tech enthusiast; a team player; patient; and, a believer that our clients and staff are why we come to work every day and that nearly anything can be accomplished with dedication, patience, and hard work.

EEO Statement: The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation as required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other applicable federal and state statutes and organizational policies.