Position Summary
Reporting to the Executive Director of Accounts Payable, the Associate Director has responsibility for the Payables operation, compliance management, and customer service support for the University, consisting of approximately 500,000 annual payments generated by several thousand direct customers associated with 20 schools and hundreds of departments.
The Associate Director of Accounts Payable is directly responsible for core operations including Payment Operations, Audit and Review, Tax preparation and filing, and has direct line responsibility for three staff and a broader team of ten.
The incumbent is expected to have a Process Improvement mindset with the ability to evaluate current processes, prioritize, and implement opportunities for continuous progress that will increase productivity, and streamline workflows to align with changing University needs.
Responsibilities
Primary tasks and oversight include but are not limited to:
- Foreign and domestic wire transfer tasks;
- Check/wire ACH voids/stop payments, and payment re-issues;
- General ledger account reconciliations and period-end closings;
- Reviewing Accounts Payable aging reports;
- Imputed income and monitoring of open travel advances and associated reconciliation activities;
- Voucher review, timely, compliant, and efficient transaction processing;
- Completion of the daily pay cycle to release ACH and Check payments to the bank for payment plus the posting of ACH, Check, and Wire payments to the PeopleSoft ledger;
- Mismatching process, (review of vouchers for 1099/1042 reporting to ensure the vendor and voucher reflect the same tax withholding;
- Exception and duplicate report review to ensure there are no duplicate payments;
- Ensuring that all agreed-upon service levels are met;
- Reconciliation for all Accounts Payable related general ledger accounts;
- Accounts Payable Operational SME lead for the Jaggaer P2P implementation project currently in progress;
- Oversee and work closely with IT support to ensure all year-end tasks are performed timely and satisfactorily to meet Columbia's fiscal year-end, June 30th;
- Manage policy adjudication on issues escalated by the team leaders;
- Support the University's tax compliance as it relates to the creation of the 1099 and 1042s and the filing with the Internal Revenue Service;
- Work closely with other functional areas and external vendors to ensure that transactions and procedures are compliant with university policies, (includes interaction with internal and external auditors);
- Ensure and withhold the segregation of duties within reporting;
- Assist the Executive Director of Accounts Payable in the implementation of operational and customer service initiatives; design and document internal control procedures surrounding all operations under the Associate Director's control;
- Lead or participate in special projects affecting Accounts Payable policies or processes;
- Respond to customer inquiries and requests;
- Manage the maintenance of the bank accounts payable inventory;
- Performs other related duties and special projects, as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree and 5-7 years of related progressive experience including significant experience in a high-volume Accounts Payable department with responsibility for tax compliance and reporting, and the supervision of staff.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with PeopleSoft & Jaggaer; Concur and Service Now are highly desirable;
- Prior experience managing in a collective bargaining environment;
- Advanced degree desirable.
Other Requirements
- The incumbent will demonstrate sound judgment, and an open and collaborative style of leadership that encourages teamwork and cooperation and be a robust role model, manager, and coach;
- Additionally, the Associate Director must evidence a passion for excellent customer service and a commitment to exceptional quality, be dependable, customer-focused, results-oriented, and willing to work as a leader and member of a team;
- Excellent detail orientation with strong problem-solving, management, and financial skills, and ready to deal with a diverse customer base, with the ability to make decisions and effectively resolve conflicts;
- Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills;
- Must have strong organizational skills, and be able to handle multiple projects and changing priorities and
- High proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook);
- Ability to adapt within a fast-paced environment with an onus on future-state platforms.
- Must have a passion for excellent customer service and commitment to exceptional quality.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $90,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- On-site gym
- Opportunities for advancement
- Paid sick time
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Retirement plan
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Experience level:
Schedule:
Experience:
- AP high volume expertise: 5 years (Preferred)
- leadership/supervisory: 5 years (Preferred)
Ability to Commute:
- New York, NY 10027 (Preferred)
Ability to Relocate:
- New York, NY 10027: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in New York, NY 10027