Accounts Payable Manager

DescriptionAbout Salem Academy and College

Salem Academy and College is the oldest continuously operating educational institution for girls and women in the country. Since 1772, the institution has engaged in transformational change to innovate women's education. Founded with the mission of making education accessible to all, Salem has a rich 254-year-old history and a long-standing track record of educating students who are prepared to make a bold impact locally, nationally and globally through liberal arts education. Our graduates are committed to making the world a better, healthier and more equitable place. Salem College is the nation's only liberal arts college exclusively dedicated to developing the next generation of health leaders.

Position Summary

The Accounts Payable Manager is responsible for the accounts payable and disbursement functions of Salem Academy and Salem College, including invoice processing, vendor management, employee reimbursements, purchasing card administration, payment processing, and related tax reporting. Reporting to the Controller, this position supervises the Accounts Payable Coordinator and is accountable for the accuracy, timeliness, and integrity of all institutional disbursements.

The Accounts Payable Manager designs and maintains the controls that safeguard institutional funds against payment error and fraud, ensures that expenditures are properly authorized, coded, and supported, and that restricted, grant, and capital project spending complies with applicable funding requirements. The position partners with budget managers and departmental leaders across the institution, serves as the primary contact for vendor relationships and payment inquiries, and supports month-end close, the annual audit, and continuous improvement of purchase-to-pay processes.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The Accounts Payable Manager will:

Manage the full accounts payable and disbursement cycle for the Academy and the College, including:

Invoice receipt, review, coding, and approval routing
Purchase order and receiving document matching
Employee expense reimbursements and travel advances
Purchasing card administration and reconciliation
Check, ACH, wire, and electronic payment runs
Vendor setup, maintenance, and file integrity
Month-end and year-end accounts payable close

Supervise, coach, and develop the Accounts Payable Coordinator, including work assignment, performance management, cross-training, and professional development.
Ensure that all disbursements are properly authorized, adequately supported, accurately coded to the correct fund, department, and account, and made in accordance with institutional purchasing and expenditure policies.
Maintain and strengthen internal controls over the disbursement process, with particular attention to:

Segregation of duties between vendor setup, approval, and payment
Independent verification of vendor banking changes and payment instructions
Prevention and detection of business email compromise and payment fraud
Check stock security, signature controls, and positive pay
Review of duplicate payments and unusual disbursement activity

Serve as the primary institutional contact for vendors regarding invoice status, payment terms, and payment inquiries, and resolve vendor disputes and statement discrepancies on a timely basis.
Manage the vendor master file, including collection and validation of Forms W-9 and W-8, verification of taxpayer identification numbers, independent contractor classification review, and periodic review for inactive and duplicate records.
Prepare and file annual Forms 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, and related information returns, and support Form 1042-S reporting for payments to foreign vendors and individuals.
Administer the institutional purchasing card program, including cardholder setup, limit management, transaction review, documentation compliance, and monthly reconciliation to the general ledger.
Administer the employee expense reimbursement process and enforce compliance with institutional travel, entertainment, and business expense policies, including accountable plan requirements.
Ensure that expenditures charged to grants, restricted funds, endowment-supported activity, and capital projects comply with donor restrictions, grant terms, and applicable federal cost principles.
Prepare and analyze:

Accounts payable aging and open invoice reports
Cash disbursement forecasts and payment run summaries
Accrual and unrecorded liability analyses at month-end and year-end
Purchasing card and expense reimbursement activity reporting
Vendor spend analysis to support purchasing decisions

Reconcile the accounts payable subsidiary ledger to the general ledger monthly and research and resolve reconciling items on a timely basis.
Monitor outstanding and stale-dated checks and administer the escheatment of unclaimed property in accordance with state requirements.
Support sales and use tax compliance, monitor the institution's tax-exempt status documentation, and identify transactions with potential unrelated business income or withholding implications for review by the Controller.
Support the annual external financial audit and Single Audit by preparing accounts payable schedules, disbursement testing support, search for unrecorded liabilities documentation, and responses to auditor requests.
Maintain and optimize the accounts payable, purchasing, and expense modules of the institution's enterprise resource planning system, including workflow configuration, approval hierarchies, and testing of system updates.
Develop, document, and maintain accounts payable policies, procedures, desk procedures, and internal controls, and communicate requirements and training to budget managers and departmental staff across the institution.
Recommend and implement process improvements that increase automation, shorten invoice cycle time, capture available early payment discounts, reduce paper handling, and improve service to departments and vendors.
Collaborate with Human Resources and Payroll regarding independent contractor determinations, taxable fringe benefits, and other matters that cross the payroll and accounts payable boundary.
Serve on institutional committees and represent the Finance Office on cross-functional initiatives as assigned.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Controller.

QualificationsRequired Qualifications

Minimum of five years of progressively responsible accounts payable, disbursement, or general accounting experience.