Specialist, Accounts Payable

Specialist, Accounts Payable

The Specialist, Accounts Payable in FINRA's Finance department is responsible for the accurate and timely processing, tracking, and management of supplier invoices, expense items and payment activities for FINRA. This position works closely and interacts frequently with internal stakeholders and external parties, taking primary responsibility for assigned invoice processing workflows, supplier relationships, and process improvement initiatives.

Invoice Processing & Reconciliation

• Complete end-to-end invoice processing through automated systems and ERP platforms (Workday), ensuring accurate GL coding, streamlined approval routing, and timely payment.
• Manage workflow queues and prioritize high-volume transactions based on payment terms, cash flow considerations, and early payment discount opportunities while ensuring compliance with organizational policies, internal controls, and regulatory requirements.
• Serves as a point of contact for accounts payable inquiries from internal and external stakeholders, delivering timely and professional responses.
• Proactively identify, recommend, and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency, reduce cycle times, strengthen controls, and improve vendor satisfaction through continuous improvement initiatives, system upgrades, and automation projects.
• Perform invoice reconciliation activities, including three-way matching of purchase orders, receipts, and invoices.
• Identify and resolve discrepancies, payment blocks, and system exceptions by partnering with procurement, finance, and other stakeholders to prevent payment delays and ensure SLAs are consistently met or exceeded.

Vendor & Expense Management

• Contribute to vendor master data management, including vendor setup, maintenance, updates, and tax compliance validation (W-9/W-8).
• Audit and approve employee expense reports through designated expense management systems, ensuring policy compliance, appropriate documentation, and accuracy while providing guidance on policy interpretation and best practices.

Compliance, Audit Support & Financial Reporting

• Maintain comprehensive audit trails and documentation for all accounts payable transactions, ensuring compliance with internal controls and retention policies.
• Contribute to month-end and year-end close processes, including accrual preparation, account reconciliations, aging analysis, and variance reporting, supporting accurate financial statement reporting and audit requests.

Additional Responsibilities

• Demonstration of FINRA's values.
• Collaboration, both in-person and virtually, in furtherance of FINRA's mission of investor protection and market integrity.

Education/Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business, or Finance, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Minimum of four (4) years of accounts payable experience in an automated environment with exposure to various ERP financial systems.
• Experience with purchase order processing.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook).
• Experience with business process-driven ERP systems (Workday experience preferred).
• Familiarity with automation technologies, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), or similar automated AP systems is highly desirable.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills with ability to respond professionally to inquiries.
• Ability to multitask effectively and shift priorities based on business urgency.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and take ownership of assigned responsibilities.

Work Conditions:

• Hybrid work environment, with defined in-person presence requirements.
• Fast-paced environment with high volume of invoice processing and supplier interactions.

Salary Ranges:

• For work that is performed in CO, FL, TX, IL, PA, MA, MD, VA, Washington, DC, NY and NJ, please refer to the chart below for the salary range for the corresponding location. FINRA complies with all state and local pay transparency laws and regulations requiring the disclosure of salary ranges for the position. In addition to location, actual compensation is based on various factors, including but not limited to, the candidate's skill set, level of experience, education, and market considerations.
• CO/FL/TX: Minimum Hourly Rate $30.22, Maximum Hourly Rate $53.57
• IL/PA: Minimum Hourly Rate $33.42, Maximum Hourly Rate $58.90
• MA/MD/VA/Washington, DC: Minimum Hourly Rate $34.75, Maximum Hourly Rate $61.50
• NY/NJ: Minimum Hourly Rate $34.75, Maximum Hourly Rate $64.27