Specialist, Global Onboarding

Paul Hastings is a leading international law firm that provides innovative legal solutions to many of the world's top financial institutions and Fortune Global 500 companies. With a strong presence throughout the U.S., Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, we have the global reach and extensive capabilities to provide personalized service wherever our clients' needs take us. As one of the world's leading law firms, we seek dynamic individuals who share our commitment to service, innovation, and professional growth.

Job Title
Specialist, Global Onboarding

Location
Charlotte, Dallas, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C.

Regular/Temporary
Regular

Job Description Summary
We have an opening for a Specialist, Global Onboarding.

The Specialist, Global Onboarding will serve as the centralized gatekeeper for vendor and user setup, compliance verification, and master data management within the Global Accounts Payable function. This role is essential to the firm's P2P implementation success, SOX controls framework, and segregation of duties within AP. The Onboarding Specialist owns the full vendor lifecycle - from initial intake and compliance screening through ongoing master data governance and inactive vendor cleanup. The role is also critical for 1099 processing, year-end tax and audit reporting, and ad hoc analytics that support vendor strategy. As a Coordinator-level position, the Onboarding Specialist operates with a high degree of autonomy, partners directly with Procurement on vendor analytics and payment term optimization and plays a foundational role in ensuring the integrity of the data that drives the end-to-end AP operation.

Job Description

In this capacity, the Specialist, Global Onboarding will:

Vendor Onboarding & Setup

• Serve as the centralized point of intake for all new vendor setup requests, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and compliance before activation in the ERP and P2P systems;
• Collect, validate, and process vendor documentation including W-9s, W-8s, certificates of insurance, banking information, and any required contractual or legal attachments;
• Validate ACH and wire banking details through established verification protocols to prevent fraudulent or erroneous payment routing;
• Configure vendor records in Elite 3E, Emburse (Chrome River) and Zycus, including payment terms, remittance preferences, GL default coding, and currency settings; and
• Manage user setup and access provisioning within AP and P2P platforms in coordination with IT and system administrators.

Compliance Verification & Screening

• Perform OFAC/sanctions screening and debarment verification for all new and existing vendors in accordance with federal regulatory requirements and firm policy;
• Ensure all vendor onboarding activities comply with GAAP standards, SOX controls, and firm-specific segregation of duties requirements;
• Maintain a compliance checklist and onboarding workflow that enforces required approvals, documentation thresholds, and screening steps before vendor activation; and
• Flag and escalate compliance exceptions, incomplete documentation, or suspicious vendor profiles to the Global Analyst, AP Supervisor, and leadership
• Support internal and external audit requests related to vendor onboarding, master data integrity, and compliance verification processes.

Master Data Management & Governance

• Own the vendor master file across all AP and P2P systems, ensuring data accuracy, consistency, and completeness on an ongoing basis;
• Perform periodic vendor master audits to identify and remediate duplicate records, incomplete profiles, outdated banking information, and data quality issues;
• Execute vendor performance score carding in partnership with the Global Analyst and Procurement, evaluating compliance, responsiveness, and data quality metrics;
• Lead inactive vendor cleanup initiatives, deactivating vendors with no recent activity per firm-defined thresholds and maintaining documentation of all changes; and
• Establish and enforce data governance standards for vendor records, including naming conventions, categorization, and required field completeness.

Vendor Portal Administration

• Serve as the primary administrator for the Zycus supplier portal and Elite 3E, managing vendor self-service registration, profile updates, and communication workflows;
• Monitor portal adoption, troubleshoot vendor access issues, and coordinate with Zycus support and IT on system configuration or enhancement needs; and
• Develop and maintain vendor-facing onboarding guides and portal reference materials to support a seamless registration experience.

1099 Processing & Year-End Tax Reporting

• Own the annual 1099 reporting cycle, including vendor classification validation, TIN matching, threshold monitoring, and timely filing with the IRS;
• Coordinate year-end vendor data cleanup to ensure accurate 1099 reporting, including resolution of missing or mismatched TINs and W-9 re-solicitation;
• Generate year-end reports for tax and audit preparation, including vendor spend summaries, payment type breakdowns, and compliance status reports; and
• Partner with the Procurement, Finance, Tax team and Controller's Office to ensure alignment of reporting requirements, deadlines, and regulatory changes.

Ad Hoc Reporting & Vendor Analytics

• Develop and deliver ad hoc reports and analytics on vendor onboarding volume, cycle time, compliance rates, and master data quality metrics;
• Partner with Procurement to deliver vendor concentration analysis, payment term optimization insights, and early payment discount capture opportunities tied to onboarding and vendor master data;
• Analyze vendor payment terms and discount structures during onboarding to identify working capital improvement opportunities and flag non-standard terms for review; and
• Support the Global AP Analyst with data extracts, vendor master reporting, and analytics inputs as needed for leadership reporting packages.

Shared Mailbox & Workflow Triage

• Monitor the centralized AP mailbox for vendor onboarding requests, new vendor inquiries, and master data change requests, triaging per defined SLAs; and
• Categorize and route vendor-related items to the appropriate workflow, escalating exceptions or compliance concerns as needed.

Cross-Training & Backup Coverage

• Serve as backup coverage for peer Coordinators and Specialists during planned absences or peak periods;
• Maintain cross-training documentation for vendor onboarding and master data workflows to ensure operational continuity; and
• Provide guidance to Processors on vendor-related inquiries, including payment term questions, vendor status lookups, and documentation requirements.

P2P Implementation & Systems Support

• Play a foundational role in the P2P implementation, owning vendor master data migration, validation, and enrichment workstreams;
• Support system testing, configuration validation, and user acceptance activities related to vendor onboarding and master data modules;
• Partner with IT, Procurement, and the Zycus implementation team to ensure vendor data structures meet operational and reporting requirements; and
• Contribute to the design of vendor onboarding workflows, approval routing, and compliance checkpoints within the new P2P platform.

Performance & Accountability

• Meet or exceed defined targets for onboarding cycle time, master data accuracy, compliance screening completion, and 1099 filing timeliness as measured by team KPIs;
• Proactively communicate status on assigned work, flag risks or delays, and close the loop on open items; and
• Model a standard of data stewardship, compliance rigor, and operational discipline that supports the integrity of the entire AP function.

Proficiencies:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop vendor-facing documentation and internal SOPs;
• Demonstrated expertise in vendor compliance verification, including W-9/W-8 validation, banking verification, and 1099 reporting;
• Strong working knowledge of GAAP, SOX compliance requirements, and segregation of duties as they relate to vendor setup and the AP function;
• Exposure to data visualization or reporting tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or Cognos; and
• Familiarity with IRS 1099 regulatory requirements and electronic filing processes.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field;
• Minimum 4 years of experience in accounts payable, vendor management, or a related finance operations function, with direct experience in vendor onboarding and master data management;
• Experience with OFAC/sanctions screening and debarment verification processes
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, conditional formatting, data analysis at volume);
• Experience operating in a high-volume, fast-paced, paperless environment with strict accuracy and compliance standards;
• Direct experience with Elite 3E or comparable legal industry ERP/financial management systems;
• Familiarity with Emburse (Chrome River) for expense reporting and invoice management;
• Experience with procure-to-pay (P2P) platforms such as Zycus, Coupa, or equivalent, including vendor master data migration or implementation support;
• Experience administering a vendor self-service portal or supplier management platform;
• Prior experience in a law firm or professional services environment; and
• Experience with vendor performance management or scorecard frameworks.

The salary wage range for Washington, DC that we expect to pay for this position is a minimum of $59,900 and a maximum of $74,600 annually. The actual pay wage may vary based on experience or other relevant factors.

The salary wage range for Los Angeles that we expect to pay for this position is a minimum of $59,900 and a maximum of $74,600 annually. The actual pay wage may vary based on experience or other relevant factors.

Employees will be provided with an excellent career opportunity in a collaborative environment, in addition to a generous total compensation package with the opportunity to earn bonuses based on individual contribution and firm profitability.

The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job. This role is exempt meaning it is not overtime pay eligible.

Eligible employees can participate in the Firm's comprehensive benefits program, which include the following:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life/AD&D, Long Term Care, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
  
• Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Account
  
• Healthcare Concierge and Advocacy
  
• Lifestyle Spending Account
  
• Voluntary 401(k) Plan and Profit Sharing
  
• 10 Paid Holidays per year and a generous PTO Program
  
• Family Support including Paid Parental Leave, Fertility Benefits, Breast Milk Shipping, Back-up Child Care, Elder Care, and Tutoring
  
• Wellbeing programs (Employee Assistance Program, Relationship Support, Mental Health, Menopause and Midlife Health and Well-Being Events)
  
• Retirement Plan Consulting
  
• Anniversary Bonus Program
  
• Professional Development Programs
  
• Transportation and Commuter Benefits
  
• International Travel Insurance
  
• Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Accident Insurance
  
• Auto/Home/Pet Insurance
  
• Prepaid Legal Insurance
  
• Employee Discounts
  
• And More!
  

The Firm fosters an open and inclusive work environment that enables us to provide clients with the innovative thinking of teams rich in talent, experience and creativity. We regularly host programs intended to increase cultural competencies and address key topics related to community, opportunity and inclusion. Learn more about our Global Inclusion initiatives here: Global Inclusion

Paul Hastings is an equal opportunity employer. Pursuant to applicable local law, we will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the relevant fair chance ordinance. With respect to candidates for employment in Massachusetts, it is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. Although Paul Hastings does not use a lie detector test in its typical application process, an employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.