Senior AP Accountant

The Accounts Payable (AP) team is part of the Accounting & Finance function and plays a critical role in maintaining compliance and operational excellence for H2O America. This team is responsible for ensuring vendors, suppliers, and service providers are paid accurately and on time. They serve as a business partner to the organization to support and train on the self-service features such as the AP invoice payment software and company credit card program. This team regularly troubleshoots issues and works with various stakeholders, including Accounting leadership and ITS, to improve the AP function.

Position Overview:

This role is responsible for leading advanced accounts payable operations for H2O America to ensure financial integrity and regulatory compliance. This role oversees the accounts payable (AP) lifecycle, including invoice processing, payment disbursements, analysis, vendor management, and analysis/compliance, while developing complex journal entries and reconciliations. They lead month-end/year-end close activities, prepare robust financial reporting, and coordinate audits to strengthen controls and reduce risk. This role serves as a technical expert on AP software and mentors junior staff while building relationships with internal and external stakeholders to carry out coordinated fiscal operations. Success in this role requires technical expertise, strong leadership skills, and analytical skills to deliver compliance and operational excellence.

Occasional domestic travel may be required for this role.

Accounts Payable Responsibilities:

• Leads the accounts payable process (incl. invoice processing, payment disbursement, vendor communications).
• Leads the reconciliation of vendor statements and resolves complex discrepancies.
• Oversees maintenance of vendor files (incl. vendor statements, aging reports).
• Prepares and executes payment runs (incl. check, ACH, P-Card disbursements) while ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Oversees and validates P-Card expense reconciliations.
• Ensures timely reporting and resolves complex discrepancies.
• Oversees personnel onboarding financial workflows by ensuring timely and accurate P-Card issuance and account setup for new hires.
• Manages the filing of 1099 tax forms and ensures that required tax documentation is collected and submitted in regulatory compliance.
• Builds and maintains relationships with vendors, internal teams, and external stakeholders.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Leads complex reconciliations on AP ledger to the general ledger; acts as an escalation point, researches, and resolves high-level discrepancies.
• Ensures accurate financial records by posting complex journal entries, including AP accruals and adjustments.
• Executes AP month-end/year-end closes including trial balances, adjusting entries, and basic schedules.
• Leads month-end/year-end closes including overseeing trial balances, adjusting entries, and preparing schedules.
• Prepares and analyzes complex financial reports, statements, and summaries to support strategic decisions and submission to regulatory bodies (e.g., cash flow, aging reports, payment forecasts).
• Educates stakeholders on findings as needed.
• Leads and performs complex audit and SOX procedures (e.g., developing audit plans, coordinating auditor activities, preparing and delivering responses to complex inquiries).
• Ensures compliance with relevant policies, procedures, and regulatory standards.
• Provides guidance and recommends improvements to strengthen controls.
• Serves as a technical lead and mentor for junior staff.
• Required to complete occasional evening and weekend work to meet deadlines or address emergencies as needed.
• Performs other duties or special projects as required or assigned.