JOB DESCRIPTION
SUMMARY Accounts Payable Specialist is responsible for processing high-volume vendor invoices, executing 3-way matching (purchase orders, receiving documents, and invoices), reconciling supplier statements, and maintaining strict compliance with internal controls in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.
Responsibilities and Duties
- Invoice Processing & Matching - Process high-volume PO and non-PO invoices across all spend categories and code them to the correct GL accounts and cost centers. Perform 3-way matching against purchase orders and receiving documents (GRNs, scale tickets), and screen for duplicates before entry and payment.
- Discrepancy Resolution - Resolve price, quantity, and quality discrepancies with purchasing, receiving, warehouse, the on-site Texas and Florida teams, and vendors. Handle vendor inquiries, disputed charges, freight claims, and debit memos.
- Disbursements & Payment Runs - Run ACH, wire, and check payments based on vendor terms, cash-flow targets, and a weekly AP aging forecast. Capture early-pay discounts and flag overdue or critical-path ingredient supplier accounts. Process contractor expense reports and reconcile corporate card statements.
- Reconciliation & Month-End Close - Reconcile vendor statements and the AP sub-ledger to the GL monthly, and prepare month-end AP accruals. Prepare and file 1099s and support year-end close and audits.
- Vendor & Compliance Management - Maintain the vendor master (W-9s, banking, insurance) and verify banking changes by independent call-back. Follow approval matrices, internal controls, and regulatory requirements, including sales and use tax.
- Process Improvement & Systems - Automate manual AP processes (invoice capture, GL coding, statement reconciliation) using the ERP and AI tools.
Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Education: Associate's or Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration preferred.
- Experience: 2 to 4 years of accounts payable or general accounting experience. Prior experience in a food manufacturing or supply chain environment with high-volume 3-way matching is strongly preferred.
- Technical Skills: Proficiency in accounting systems. Preference given to QuickBooks Desktop Experience. Fishbowl experience a plus. Strong Excel skills (vlookups, pivot tables, building aging, accrual, and cash-requirements reports). Experience using AI tools (e.g., Claude).
Must-Haves for Success in the Role
- Hands-on AP experience - runs invoicing, matching, and payments independently as the primary AP owner; a “doer” role with no direct reports. Able to investigate system and process issues and drive resolution quickly.
- 3-way matching expertise - resolves price, quantity, and quality variances before payment; accurate matching and coding is the highest-value part of this job.
- Controls-minded and accurate - follows approval process and internal controls without exception to protect against payment fraud.
- Tech-forward and automation-minded - embraces AI (e.g., Claude) and automation to remove manual work from AP and reporting.
- Self-starter and owner - given an objective, comes back with options and results; thrives in a changing, still-manual environment and helps build it.
- Strong communicator - works across purchasing, receiving, the TX/FL teams, and vendors to get discrepancies resolved.
- Growth mindset and staying power - wants to master the role and grow with the company, not treat it as a brief stepping stone.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demand and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an contractor encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the contractor is regularly required to sit, talk, and hear, and occasionally to walk. The contractor frequently uses hands and fingers to operate a computer and handle paper documents, and reaches with hands and arms. The job requires close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.