Brown University — Senior Accounts Payable Specialist
Filed in Administrative, Professional on March 2, 2023
Job Description:
This position is part of a team in Accounts Payable that provides payment services to the University. These services include payment cards, expense reimbursements, supplier invoices, wire payments and digital disbursements. This position is responsible for maintaining current knowledge of, interpreting and applying, applicable University policies and procedures as well as federal statutes related to taxable payments and independent contractor services. This position also assists with the implementation and testing of the University’s financial system, Workday, and other payment systems. This position interacts broadly with University departments, suppliers and with external payment support systems.
Major Responsibility: 60 %
Review and approve for payment financial transactions (invoices and reimbursements) in Workday. Research, analyze and resolve supplier payment problems and respond to supplier inquiries.
Supporting Actions:
- Analyze supplier invoice and expense transactions: ensure each transaction complies with university policies and federal statutes. Ensure appropriate spend categories are used to ensure financial reporting and FORM 1099 reporting is accurate.
- Initiate contact with financial coordinators and cost center managers when routine transactions are not compliant with policies and/or when incorrect spend categories/worktags are used.
- Initiate contact with the Purchasing Department, when necessary, to resolve payment issues related to purchase orders.
- Research and resolve payment questions from University Departments and external suppliers. When possible, use the opportunity to inform these contacts of best payment practices.
- Work with the bank to stop and reissue check payments, do ACH reversals, resolve wire transfer issues, and evaluate positive pay file exceptions.
- Manage travel advances: ensure timely settlement within IRS guidelines; reconcile with the ledger
- Initiate check, ACH, and wire payments. Confirm integrations with the bank.
- Assist with the escheat project. Review unreconciled payments, contact payee to confirm receipt of payment, and minimize the number of payments that must be escheated.
- Assist with the data review, research, and correction for FORM 1099.
Major Responsibility: 25%
Manage payments related to card services and travel paid directly by the University
Supporting Actions:
PCard
- Manage the PCard functionality with Workday and the Pcard system: create/eliminate reporting departments, users, and approvers. Monitor and update spending profiles. Initiate contact with the PCard provider when assistance is required.
- Audit PCard transactions. Review audit results with the audit team and work with the team to communicate with PCard holders who do not comply with university policies.
- Reconcile PCard transactions to the monthly statement prior to payment.
- Train new card users and approvers in regularly scheduled training sessions.
ClinCard
- Manage the ClinCard system: create/eliminate new studies and payment schedules. Initiate contact with the ClinCard provider when assistance is needed.
- Manage card inventory. Review funds balances, ensure sufficient funds on hand for payments.
- Reconcile monthly activity to ledgers. Initiate the journal entry to charge payments.
- Train new card users as needed.
Digital Disbursements –
- Manage the receipt and submission of the digital disbursements made via Zelle.
- Reconcile as needed.
Travel Direct Bill
- Review requests for travel direct bill. Send approved requests to the travel agency.
Major Responsibility: 10 %
Work collaboratively on Payment Services teams to ensure excellent customer service and back-up capability. Teams include: Processing, Settlement, Card Services, Accounting, System Testing, and Travel.
Supporting Actions:
- Meet with assigned team(s) weekly to review and reinforce system business processes, best practices, and to resolve issues.
- Develop, maintain, and update business process documents (internal policies and procedures) to ensure all department procedural manuals are up to date.
- Rotate tasks within teams to ensure all team members have sufficient training experience to back-up each other.
Major Responsibility: 5 %
Maintain skills: Workday business processes, University policies and procedures, and other business skills.
Supporting Actions:
- Keep up to date with new functionality and changes with Workday updates, attend Workday refreshers as appropriate. Participate in Workday testing during the twice-a-year updates.
- Regularly review University policies to ensure knowledge is up-to-date.
- In conjunction with your Manager, review business skills and determine opportunities for improvement through appropriate training sessions.
Job Qualifications
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in a business or finance field and 1-2 years of accounting and/or accounts payable experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Strong computer skills including: Microsoft Excel, and Google Docs. Ability to quickly learn new software systems.
- Strong math skills
- The ability to organize and handle a number of tasks simultaneously in an environment where regular interruptions are normal.
- The ability to work independently, prioritizing and organizing the workload to meet constant deadlines.
- Excellent customer relation and communication skills.
- Ability to work within a team structure and cross train within the Accounts Payable.
- Demonstrated ability to support a community of diverse perspectives and cultures in an inclusive environment.
Job Competencies
- Strong computer skills including: Microsoft Excel, and Google Docs. Ability to quickly learn new software systems.
- Strong math skills
- The ability to organize and handle a number of tasks simultaneously in an environment where regular interruptions are normal.
- The ability to work independently, prioritizing and organizing the workload to meet constant deadlines.
- Excellent customer relation and communication skills.
- Ability to work within a team structure and cross train within the Accounts Payable.
All offers of employment are contingent upon a criminal background check and education verification satisfactory to Brown University.
In order to maintain 90% or greater universal vaccination rates on campus, all newly hired employees at Brown University must receive the final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before they begin work unless they are approved for a medical or religious exemption. For more information, please visit the Healthy Brown site.
Recruiting Start Date:
2023-02-21-08:00
Job Posting Title:
Senior Accounts Payable Specialist
Department:
Office of the Controller
Grade:
Grade 8
Worker Type:
Employee
Worker Sub-Type:
Regular
Time Type:
Full time
Scheduled Weekly Hours:
37.5
Position Classification:
Hybrid Eligible
Submission Guidelines:
Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any staff position at Brown University you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.
Vaccination Requirements:
In order to maintain 90% or greater universal vaccination rates on campus, all newly hired employees at Brown University must receive the final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before they begin work, unless they are approved for a medical or religious exemption. All employees must also receive a COVID-19 booster within thirty (30) days of becoming eligible. For more information, please visit the Healthy Brown site.
Still Have Questions?
If you have any questions you may contact employment@brown.edu.
EEO Statement:
Brown University is an E-Verify Employer.
As an EEO/AA employer, Brown University provides equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination, harassment and retaliation based upon a person’s race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law, and caste, which is protected by our University policies.
