Accounts Payable Specialist

Position Summary

The Accounts Payable Specialist is responsible for the accurate, timely, and controlled execution of the full accounts payable cycle for a high-volume manufacturing and distribution environment. This role manages invoice processing, purchase-order matching, vendor maintenance, payment preparation, account reconciliation, month-end close support, and vendor issue resolution. The Accounts Payable Specialist also serves as a knowledgeable resource to the AP team, supports process documentation and cross-training, and helps strengthen payment controls, fraud prevention, and continuous improvement across the procure-to-pay process.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Invoice Processing and Account Management

• Process high-volume purchase-order and non-purchase-order invoices accurately and within established deadlines.
• Perform two-way and three-way matching of invoices, purchase orders, and receiving documentation; research and resolve quantity, pricing, freight, tax, and receipt discrepancies.
• Code invoices to the appropriate general ledger accounts, departments, locations, projects, and accounting periods in accordance with company policy.
• Review invoice approvals and supporting documentation before posting; identify duplicate, altered, incomplete, or potentially fraudulent invoices.
• Monitor the AP aging and unresolved invoice queues, follow up with purchasing, receiving, operations, and vendors, and prevent avoidable late fees or service interruptions.
• Reconcile vendor statements and resolve credits, short payments, duplicate payments, unapplied items, and aged balances.

Payment Processing and Internal Controls

• Prepare and coordinate scheduled payment runs by check, ACH, wire transfer, virtual card, or other approved method, including payment registers and supporting documentation for authorized approval.
• Confirm payment timing, cash requirements, discounts, and priority items with Accounting leadership while maintaining established approval limits and segregation of duties.
• Support positive pay, ACH validation, bank-file review, rejected-payment resolution, stop payments, voids, and payment reissuances.
• Maintain strict controls over vendor banking changes by following independent verification and callback procedures; promptly escalate suspected fraud or control exceptions.
• Maintain complete, organized, and audit-ready records for invoices, approvals, payment confirmations, and vendor correspondence.

Vendor Master Data and Compliance

• Establish and maintain vendor records, including legal name, remit-to address, payment terms, tax classification, W-9 documentation, insurance or compliance documents where applicable, and approved banking information.
• Review vendor requests for completeness, duplication, conflicts, and appropriate authorization before setup or modification.
• Support annual Form 1099 preparation, vendor tax-ID validation, backup withholding requirements, and related year-end reporting.
• Assist with unclaimed property/escheatment reviews and other AP-related regulatory or company compliance requirements.

Month-End Close, Reconciliations, and Reporting

• Reconcile the accounts payable subledger to the general ledger and investigate differences.
• Prepare or support monthly AP accruals, goods-received-not-invoiced or unmatched-receipt analysis, prepaid and recurring expense entries, and other close schedules.
• Reconcile assigned balance-sheet accounts and provide clear supporting schedules and explanations for reconciling items.
• Prepare AP aging, payment, cash-requirement, vendor, discount, exception, and key-performance reports for management.
• Support external audits, bank examinations, tax requests, and internal reviews by providing timely and accurate documentation.
• Team Support and Process Improvement
• Serve as a senior resource and backup across critical AP processes; assist with training, cross-training, workload coordination, and review of complex transactions.
• Develop, update, and follow AP standard operating procedures, desk manuals, checklists, and internal-control documentation.
• Identify opportunities to improve invoice workflow, electronic payments, vendor communication, reporting, automation, and error prevention.
• Partner professionally with Purchasing, Receiving, Operations, Inventory, Treasury, IT, and other departments to resolve issues and improve the procure-to-pay process.
• Perform other accounting duties, special projects, and ad hoc reporting as assigned.

Education and Experience

• Five or more years of progressive, full-cycle accounts payable experience; senior-level experience in a high-volume environment strongly preferred.
• Associate degree in accounting, finance, or business preferred; a bachelors degree is a plus. Equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Experience in manufacturing, food production, distribution, inventory-based, or multi-location operations strongly preferred.
• Hands-on experience with ERP/accounting systems, purchase orders, electronic invoice workflow, ACH and check payments, vendor master data, and month-end close.
• Experience with Form 1099 reporting, audit support, account reconciliations, and internal controls preferred.

Skills and Competencies

• Advanced attention to detail and a strong commitment to accuracy, confidentiality, and ethical conduct.
• Strong understanding of accounts payable accounting, general-ledger coding, accruals, reconciliations, and payment controls.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including lookups, pivot tables, filters, sorting, and reconciliation of large data sets.
• Ability to manage a high transaction volume, organize competing priorities, and meet daily, weekly, month-end, and year-end deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to research discrepancies through resolution.
• Professional written and verbal communication skills and the ability to maintain productive vendor and internal relationships.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment within established policies, and escalate unusual or high-risk matters promptly.
• Ability to train and support other employees while promoting teamwork, accountability, and consistent procedures.

Performance Expectations

• Invoices and payments are processed accurately, timely, and in accordance with authorization and documentation requirements.
• AP aging, vendor statements, and assigned reconciliations remain current, supported, and free of unexplained aged items.
• Vendor records and banking changes are complete, validated, and protected by appropriate fraud-prevention controls.
• Close schedules, audit requests, and management reports are delivered by established deadlines.
• Procedures are documented, cross-training is maintained, and recurring issues are identified and reduced.