Accounts Payable Manager

The Accounts Payable (AP) Manager will oversee and manage the accounts payable team, ensuring timely and accurate processing of invoices, vendor payments, and employee expenses. The AP Manager will maintain internal controls and assist with certain general ledger tasks and projects. This role requires strong leadership skills, attention to detail, and the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Strada Education Network is a national nonprofit social impact organization that supports programs, policies, and organizations that strengthen connections between education and employment in the U.S., with a special focus on helping those who have faced the greatest challenges securing economic opportunity through postsecondary education or training (PSET). Our new strategic plan focuses on five strategic pillars: clear outcomes, quality coaching, affordable PSET, work-based learning, and employer alignment. We work with partners in education and training, nonprofit organizations, industry, startups, and public policy. We leverage strategic philanthropy, investments, research, communications, advocacy, and collaborating organizations as tools to help advance equitable pathways to opportunity. Strada aspires to be a nonprofit partner of choice working with education and training providers and leaders, policymakers, and peer organizations. Strada offers a dynamic, collaborative, and inspiring professional environment that provides learning and professional development opportunities, both within the organization and with external partners.

Key Responsibilities

Three core responsibility areas, listed below with the approximate percentage of time required for execution. 

Team Manager (Lead) (45%)

• Active leader of the Accounts Payable team for Strada Education Foundation and its nonprofit affiliates.
• Provides supervision and mentoring for two staff, guiding procedures, training, and best practices.
• Conducts and communicates performance reviews and sets professional development plans for staff.
• Directly manages day to day operations of the AP team, including invoice processing, vendor payments, and employee expenses. 
• Collaborates with internal departments, finance leaders, and communicates with employees at all levels of the organization.

AP Processing & Improvement (45%)

• Ensures invoices are paid timely and accurately.
• Develops and implements AP policies and procedures to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness and ensures internal control compliance.
• Ensures compliance with company policies, IRS rules, and accounting standards.
• Works directly with vendors to resolve discrepancies on invoices, maintain current payment profiles, and maintain vendor relationships.
• Works closely with Legal to access vendor contracts and resolves questions related to the vendor arrangement.
• Assists with selection, testing and implementation of improved employee expense software and corporate card program.
• Drafts and distributes professional communications with internal and external parties to ensure complete.
• Manage the preparation, processing and filing of 1099 forms.

General Ledger & Month End (10%)

• Ensure timely AP close.
• Reduce accounting close time through process improvement.
• Serves as back-up administrator for our Accounts Payable and Employee Expense processing software products.
• Reconciles certain general ledger accounts related to vendor and employee payments.
• Meet periodically with FPA leads across the organization to resolve coding discrepancies and consider improvements.
• Understanding use of cash and communicating projected payment activity with Treasury.
• Support the annual external audit.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or related field required.

Experience Required

• 4+ years of relevant accounting experience, preferably in accounts payable roles.
• 1+ years of managing or leading a team.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
• Expertise with Excel and Google Sheets.
• Proficiency with NetSuite and/or Tipalti preferred.
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret general and financial documents, manuals, journals, and reports.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively cross-functionally.
• Ability to remain abreast of changes in regulations and practices in financial and industry areas.
• Ability to deal with several abstract and concrete variables and to pay careful attention to detail.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to effectively present information to management, customers, and peers.
• Ability to write general business correspondence and reports.
• Ability to organize, work on multiple tasks, set goals, prioritize, and meet deadlines.
• Overall understanding and knowledge of change management principles and execution along with experience positively influencing change.

Typical Physical & Mental Demands

Requires prolonged sitting with some bending, stooping and stretching; eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity sufficient to operate a keyboard, telephone, and other office equipment. Requires normal range of hearing and eyesight to record, prepare and communicate appropriate reports. Also requires moderate to intense concentration due to complexity and/or need to meet deadlines, and flexibility to readily adapt to a changing environment.

Committed to providing equitable pathways to opportunity through PSET, particularly for individuals who have faced significant barriers. Demonstrated alignment with Strada's guiding values, commitment to building a strong and healthy workplace culture, and working in a collaborative environment.

Adept at operationalizing strategy and effectively communicating strategic endeavors within the organization and in external contexts, both verbally and in writing. Particular skill in designing annual plans, monitoring progress, and refining plans as needed. Adaptable with tolerance for ambiguity. Able to problem-solve and navigate varied viewpoints. Capacity to refine efforts based on evidence that change is needed. Ability to lead efforts to visualize and monitor change. Capability to see and support innovative ideas and opportunities across the organization, and to embed innovation within operational plans. Capabilities in taking the perspective of others and adapting an agenda and approach – toward a shared aim - accordingly.

Ability to effectively utilize a hypothesis-driven approach to problem solving, with effective quantitative and communication skills. Ability to take on broad-reaching and sometimes ambiguous questions while working collaboratively and cross-functionally with Strada team members across the organization.

Ability to translate innovative, strategic ideas into tangible, actionable steps, as well as to effectively monitor progress and partner with others on identifying improvements during implementation to increase the likelihood of successful execution.

Commitment and professional experience advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within and organization, including incorporating stakeholder perspectives in the design, implementation, and evaluation of strategic efforts.

Demonstrated ability to cultivate, grow, and manage positive, mutually beneficial relationships at all levels of an organization and with partners outside the organization. Strong communication, interpersonal and relationship management skills—including identifying and working through challenges—underscored by strong judgment and emotional intelligence. Proven collaborator, able to work with colleagues at all levels in the organization.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to Strada’s organizational vibrancy, employee experience, and mission. Strada is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workplace-certified by Diversity for Social Impact, a strategic professional and organization development company dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion to drive social impact worldwide. We strongly encourage applicants from people of color/the global majority, immigrant, bilingual, and bicultural individuals; people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ and gender nonconforming communities; and people with other diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. We believe every member on the team enriches our workplace by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and discover, design, and deliver critical insights and solutions.