Financial Analyst--Accounts Payable

W2 job to a staffing company 

Key Requirements: 

1. Accounts Payable experience
2. SAP/ERP Experience 
3. Employee/Vendor expense management 

Location: One Pennsylvania Plaza, 26th Floor, New York, NY, USA

Key Responsibilities
1. Review & Approval (Vendor / Employee Expenses)
▪ Review and approve vendor invoices, purchase orders, and non-PO payments in accordance with company policy, delegation of authority, approval limits, and three-way match requirements
▪ Review and approve employee expense reports (T&E, corporate card, reimbursements, business expenses) for policy compliance; validate supporting documentation, business purpose, expense eligibility, accounting codes, cost centers, and required business approvals
▪ Identify and resolve duplicate submissions, invoice discrepancies, unsupported charges, and policy exceptions before approval or payment; document decisions and required corrective actions; escalate exceptions, policy violations, and items requiring higher-level approval
▪ Review and approve payment proposals/runs, reimbursement runs, and manual or urgent payments, confirming authorized amounts, due dates, payment terms, and verified banking details; coordinate payment execution with Treasury and relevant stakeholders
▪ Monitor approval workflows, aging, and exceptions (duplicate invoices, split transactions, out-of-policy spend) and take corrective action
2. Vendor Bank Registration, Verification & Change Control (VERS)
▪ Perform and approve bank account registration and verification for new vendors as an integral part of the VERS (Vendor Evaluation & Registration System) onboarding process, prior to vendor master activation; review required banking documents and confirm vendor identity and account ownership
▪ Independently verify new banking details through approved methods, including direct confirmation with an authorized vendor representative using contact information obtained from a trusted source independent of the registration request
▪ Verify all vendor bank change requests through independent, documented call-back or other approved validation methods; confirm requestor authority, authenticity of supporting documents (e.g., bank letters, voided checks), and revised account details before approval and implementation
▪ Retain verification evidence, approvals, and change history in VERS and applicable vendor records; coordinate with Procurement, vendor management, and master data teams to resolve incomplete or inconsistent information before activation or payment
▪ Maintain segregation of duties among bank data entry, verification, approval, and payment release; obtain independent review for transactions personally prepared or entered; hold and escalate suspicious or unverified registration, change, or payment requests
▪ Ensure secure handling, storage, and access control of sensitive banking data in line with information security and privacy requirements
▪ Conduct periodic vendor bank information audits and reviews of access permissions to detect and prevent fraud, unauthorized changes, and data discrepancies; investigate and resolve anomalies
▪ Maintain and continuously improve the VERS bank verification procedures, checklists, and control documentation in collaboration with Procurement and Treasury
3. Payment Operations & Month-End Close
▪ Manage the vendor invoice lifecycle and employee reimbursement process, balancing workload and service deadlines to deliver accurate, timely payments aligned with cash management guidelines
▪ Oversee timely and accurate vendor payment processing and resolve payment issues, returns, and rejected payments
▪ Oversee AP reconciliations, aging reviews, accruals, and month-end and year-end close activities; resolve outstanding balances and collaborate with accounting, other SEA departments, and subsidiaries on reporting and close requirements
▪ Ensure accurate recording of AP transactions and compliance with accounting standards and internal policies
4. Risk Management, Controls & Audit
▪ Own AP internal controls and ensure compliance with SOX and company policies; monitor fraud risks, duplicate payments, unauthorized bank changes, and vendor master data discrepancies; identify control gaps and implement remediation
▪ Lead reporting and analysis for vendor risk management items (fraud prevention, control gaps, duplicate payment prevention, and various audits)
▪ Serve as primary AP contact for internal and external auditors; provide complete records and control evidence, investigate findings, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions with accountable owners and deadlines
▪ Protect sensitive vendor banking and employee expense information through controlled access, secure handling, and records retention in accordance with company requirements
5. Team Leadership & Stakeholder Management
▪ Manage, coach, and develop AP staff; assign responsibilities, review work quality, set performance expectations, and maintain coverage for critical approval and verification activities
▪ Serve as the escalation point for complex expense, invoice, payment, and vendor disputes; communicate with business units and vendors to resolve issues and provide guidance on invoice submission and expense policy requirements
▪ Maintain AP procedures and train employees and stakeholders on expense policies, approval workflows, VERS banking requirements, and bank change verification procedures
▪ Drive process improvement, standardization, and automation initiatives, using data analysis, ERP capabilities, and approved AI tools to improve efficiency and control effectiveness
▪ Manage projects to meet time-sensitive deadlines and coordinate with other corporate departments
▪ Develop and track AP KPIs (e.g., on-time payment, processing turnaround, payment accuracy, aging, verification completion, exception rates) and report to management
Background/Experience
▪ Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field required
▪ Minimum 8–10 years of experience in Accounts Payable, vendor management, or similar related field,
▪ Experience reviewing and approving both employee expenses and vendor invoices, managing payment processes, and supporting reconciliations and month-end close
▪ Hands-on experience with vendor onboarding, bank registration and bank change verification, vendor master data controls, fraud prevention, and audit support
▪ Experience with SAP or similar ERP system preferred; familiarity with expense management tools and vendor registration workflows such as VERS preferred
▪ Knowledge of internal control frameworks (SOX) preferred
Necessary Attributes & Skills
▪ Strong leadership, people management, and coaching skills
▪ Sound judgment and integrity in approval decisions; ability to uphold policy and challenge exceptions
▪ Solid analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to identify discrepancies, investigate root causes, and resolve them
▪ Strong attention to detail is of paramount importance in this role, particularly in bank data verification
▪ Diplomacy and ability to deal with difficult vendor and stakeholder situations and escalations
▪ Excellent oral and written communication skills
▪ Solid Microsoft Office skills (Word & Excel), including V-lookup and Pivot tables (Macros a+)
▪ AI tool implementation and usage skills in the job function preferred
▪ Sense of urgency and timeliness in completing tasks; ability to prioritize competing deadlines and multi-task in a fast-paced environment
▪ Strong relationship management skills with internal stakeholders and vendors