Accounts Payable and Travel Specialist (Intermediate OR Senior)

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WHO WE ARE: Service, Respect, and Connection are core to the individual and collective TRS experience. We know that great service rests on a foundation of relationships that connect us all to an empowering and rewarding career. At TRS, we're inspired by our diverse community who bring authenticity and commitment to our mission to improve the retirement security of public education employees and retirees throughout Texas. As a group of achievers, we tap collaboration and innovation to raise the bar in performance, administering and counseling pensions and healthcare benefits to ensure certainty for the future of our members. We invite you to join us, where both personal and career growth are respected and where you can make a difference in our members' lives every day.

The Accounts Payable and Travel Specialist is responsible for completing accounts payable and travel functions. The incumbent will process purchase vouchers for payment of goods and services, travel requests and claims for reimbursement, reconcile and post payments to the agency financial systems, and provide assistance on accounts payable and travel procedures. This position will proactively work with the Accounts Payable and Travel team, Finance staff, and agency employees.

The Senior Accounts Payable and Travel Specialist is responsible for completing complex accounts payable and travel functions. The incumbent will process purchase vouchers for payment of goods and services, travel requests and claims for reimbursement, reconcile and post payments to the agency financial systems, provide guidance to team members, and provide assistance on accounts payable and travel procedures. This position will proactively work with the Accounts Payable and Travel team, Finance staff, and agency employees.

This vacancy will be filled at one of two levels - Accounts Payable & Travel Specialist OR Senior Accounts Payable & Travel Specialist. Selected applicant will be offered the position that most closely matches their education and experience.

Salary Range Accounts Payable & Travel Specialist: $57,169 - $68,466 Senior Accounts Payable & Travel Specialist: $63,887 - $79,859

WHAT YOU WILL DO: Accounts Payable & Travel Specialist Departmental Support

• Provides back-up support to the AP & Travel Specialist Sr. as assigned and assists with ensuring that all operations are covered, and productivity, customer service, and quality goals are met.
• Provides assistance regarding accounts payable and travel processes, and assists with system testing, analysis, and process improvement.
• Assists with reviewing recommended changes to accounts payable and travel policies, procedures, forms, and processes.
• Participates on finance related committees and special projects as assigned, including assisting with new system implementations and initiatives.
• Assists in information gathering for custom dashboard creations using Microsoft Power BI.
• Assist in processing all agency and/or employee registrations, subscriptions, memberships, and notary actions.

Accounts Payable & Travel

• Reviews invoices submitted via the Procurement and Vendor E-System (PAVES) vendor portal for accuracy.
• Handles invoice exceptions and route for resolution within the K2 Enterprise Payable Management System (EPM).
• Prepares and processes purchase vouchers for payment of goods and services in the Centralized Accounting and Payroll/Personnel System (CAPPS).
• Establishes, maintains, and verifies vendor records in automated accounting systems (CAPPS), (PAVES), and the Comptroller of Public Accounts Taxpayer Identification Number System (TINS).
• Enters manual purchase vouchers into Uniform Statewide Accounting System (USAS).
• Processes payments involving special accounts such as soft dollar, postage, disability retirement medical review, TRS-Care, and TRS- ActiveCare, and procurement/travel company credit card programs.
• May assist with open records requests and post payment audits.
• Reviews and processes travel requests, expense reports and voucher information for travel related reimbursements.
• Issues cash advances to travelers as needed and record entries into QuickBooks.
• Assists in Concur new hire profile setups, updating employee permissions and other system administration duties.
• Runs Concur business intelligence reports for the audit and reporting of employee travel reimbursements.
• May make suggestions or recommendations for accounting/travel software and/or process enhancements.
• Reconciles invoice and payments in CAPPS to the USAS HX recycle browser and the general ledger IN Browser.
• Reconciles QuickBooks travel advances and ensures that all outstanding expenses are repaid to the agency in accordance with the IRS accountable plan.
• Researches and analyzes payment discrepancies, and makes correction through expenditure transfers, reversals, cancellations, and adjustment vouchers are required.
• Determines appropriate amount of payment to post for each fiscal year for payments that cross fiscal years.
• Assists with compiling data for and preparing the annual binding encumbrance report and entering data into USAS on a quarterly basis.
• Assists in the compilation of data for annual reporting requirements to the LBB for SB255.
• Assists in the preparation of 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC and 1099-INT forms for the agency.

Procedures

• Communicates with agency staff, the Comptroller's office, and vendors verbally and/or in writing to request or provide information and resolve problems regarding payment status, procedures, and other accounts payable related issues.
• Provides training and technical assistance to team members and agency staff on Accounts/Travel Payable policy, procedures, and related issues.
• Assists in documenting new or revised accounts payable and travel policies and procedures and maintains updated travel information for agency use on the agency Intranet.
• Performs related work as assigned.

Senior Accounts Payable & Travel Specialist Accounts Payable & Travel

• Prepares and processes purchase vouchers for payment of goods and services.
• Reviews and approves Comptroller Object Codes entered on purchase requisition entries for accuracy.
• Establishes, maintains, and verifies vendor records on agency automated accounting systems and the Comptroller of Public Accounts Taxpayer Identification Number System (TINS).
• Enters information into agency automated accounting systems or prepares manual purchase vouchers.
• Enters required information into Uniform Statewide Accounting System (USAS).
• Ensures funds are available and properly encumbered in keeping with agency procedures.
• Verifies payment amounts in order to authorize release of payment to vendors.
• Processes payments involving special accounts such as soft dollar, postage, disability retirement medical review, TRS-Care, and TRS-ActiveCare.
• Develops and runs custom queries in Centralized Accounting and Payroll/Personnel System (CAPPS) and business objects.
• Reviews and processes travel requests, expense reports and voucher information for travel related reimbursements.
• Researches requests for refund of hotel tax and processing payment as appropriate.
• Assists legal for payment open records requests, retrieving expense data from the Centralized Accounting and Payroll/Personnel System (CAPPS) queries, analyzing reports to ensure accuracy of information, and providing time and cost calculations.
• Determines appropriate amount of payment to post for each fiscal year for payments that cross fiscal years.
• Assists with compiling data for and preparing the annual binding encumbrance report and entering into USAS on a quarterly basis.
• Develops and runs custom queries in Concur query studio.
• Creates and edits Concur user profiles, expense delegate preferences and user permissions.
• Reconciles payments on the Centralized Accounting and Payroll/Personnel System (CAPPS) to the Uniform Statewide Accounting System (USAS).
• Reconciles the central billed accounts, and voucher exception report including researching and resolving discrepancies.
• Researches and analyzes payment discrepancies and makes correction entries by means of expenditure transfers, reversals, cancellations, and adjustment vouchers as necessary.
• Compiles data for annual reporting requirements to the LBB for SB255.
• Prepares the 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC and 1099-INT forms for the agency.

Departmental Support

• Provides back-up support to the Director, AP & Travel as assigned and assists with ensuring that all operations are covered, and productivity, customer service, and quality goals are met.
• Serves as a subject matter expert on various aspects of the accounts payable and travel processes, and assists with system testing, analysis, and process improvement.
• Reviews and recommends changes to accounts payable and travel policies, procedures, forms, and processes.
• Participates on finance related committees and special projects as assigned, including assisting with new system implementations and initiatives.
• Participates in information gathering for custom dashboard creations using Microsoft Power BI.
• Processes all agency and/or employee registrations, subscriptions, memberships, and notary actions.

Procedures

• Communicates with agency staff, the Comptroller's office, and vendors verbally and/or in writing to request or provide information and resolve problems regarding payment status, procedures, and other accounts payable related issues.
• Provides training and technical assistance to team members and agency staff on Accounts/Travel Payable policy, procedures, and related issues.
• Assists in documenting new or revised accounts payable and travel policies and procedures and maintains updated travel information for agency use on the agency Intranet.
• Suggests and implements recommendations for improvement concerning accounting/travel software and or processes.
• Performs related work as assigned.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING:

Required Education

• High School Diploma or GED

Required Experience

• Three (3) years of full-time directly related, progressively responsible experience in accounts payable, travel, accounting, or finance requiring detailed analysis of financial information or similarly related experience.
• Five (5) years of full-time directly related, progressively responsible experience in accounts payable, travel, accounting, or finance requiring detailed analysis of financial information or similarly related experience. (Senior)
• A bachelor's degree in a directly related field may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

Required Registration, Certification, Licensure

• None.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in accounting, finance or a closely related field.
• Four (4) years of full-time directly related, progressively responsible experience in accounts payable, travel, accounting, or finance requiring detailed analysis of financial information or similarly related experience.
• Six (6) years of full-time directly related, progressively responsible experience in accounting, finance, or closely related experience requiring compilation, reconciliation, and/or analysis of detailed financial information. (Senior)
• Compilation, reconciliation, and/or analysis of detailed financial information.
• Experience auditing and processing State of Texas payment vouchers.
• Experience with Procure to Pay (P2P) software.
• Experience arranging travel in a Texas state agency.
• Experience with travel & expense software.
• Experience using CPA's Uniform Statewide Accounting System (USAS).
• Experience using CPA's Centralized Accounting and Payroll/Personnel System (CAPPS).
• Experience as a Citibank program administrator for a State of Texas agency.
• Experience as a CAPPS Level 1 support contact for a State of Texas agency.
• One (1) year of experience as a financial systems configuration administrator.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Governmental accounting, budget control methods, policies, and procedures and of laws and regulations pertaining to financial operations.
• Texas state agency operations, policies, and procedures preferred.
• Automated financial systems.
• Accounting and business concepts and terminology. (Senior)
• State laws, rules and procedures relating to processing payments to vendors for goods and services and travel reimbursements; and of Comptroller of Public Accounts USAS and TINS systems. (Senior)

Skills in:

• Analyzing detailed accounting records, troubleshooting associated problems, and interpreting and applying applicable laws, policies, and procedures.
• Planning, organizing, and prioritizing work assignments to manage a high-volume workload in a fast-paced and changing environment, and in completing detailed work with a high degree of accuracy.
• Using a computer in a Windows environment with Microsoft Office word processing, spreadsheet, and other business software.
• Effective written and verbal communications.
• Providing quality customer service.

Ability to:

• Work accurately and effectively with a strong attention to detail.
• Evaluate, interpret, develop, and prepare pertinent accounts payable data and reports.
• Establish and maintain effective and cordial working relationships at all organizational levels including agency management, co-workers, internal and external customers.
• Work independently and as part of a team, and to support and contribute to a cohesive team environment.
• Comply with all safety rules, regulations, and standards.
• Comply with all agency policies and applicable laws.
• Establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with co-workers, agency staff, and external contacts.
• Work effectively in a professional team environment.

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