AP Payment and Controls Lead

AP Payment and Controls Lead

Job Description

Department: Corporate Accounting

Job Status: Full Time

FLSA Status: Salary Non Exempt

Reports To: AP Supervisor

Location: The Woodlands, TX

Amount of Travel Required: 0%

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Positions Supervised: None

AIP: Level 6

POSITION SUMMARY:

The AP Payment & Controls Lead is responsible for executing all AP payment activities and the controls that ensure payments are accurate, timely, compliant, and issued through approved methods. This role owns the payment run process end to end (readiness validation, batch review, ACH/check/wire execution, remittances, exception resolution, and payment related reconciliations) and enforces segregation of duties and authorization requirements in support of internal control compliance. A primary focus is vendor statement reconciliation and proactive management of invoice aging and the “ready to pay” pipeline to remove blockers, reduce aged balances, and improve on time payment performance. The role maintains key payment and aging metrics and provides actionable reporting to support best in class performance and continuous improvement.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: (The following duties and responsibilities are all essential job functions, as defined by the ADA, except for those that begin with the word “May”)

Payment Execution & Controls

• Own and execute scheduled AP payment runs, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timeliness in accordance with company policies, internal controls, and approval requirements.
• Prepare payment batches and validate payment readiness (e.g., invoice approvals complete, holds cleared, correct entity, correct payee/vendor, correct payment method, correct terms/due date, complete supporting documentation).
• Execute payments via checks, ACH, and wire transfers following established cutoffs and procedures; coordinate with Treasury/Cash Management as needed for funding and bank transmission.
• Maintain strict adherence to segregation of duties requirements and payment authorization protocols; ensure appropriate approvals are obtained and retained for audit purposes.
• Perform documented pre payment controls to reduce payment leakage and risk (e.g., duplicate review, exception review, verification of approvals for non standard payment methods and urgent/manual payments).
• Own duplicate payment prevention controls, including systematic review of invoice number, vendor, amount, and payment history; investigate and resolve potential duplicates prior to release of funds.
• Maintain complete, audit ready documentation for payment activity, approvals, and evidence of controls performed; support SOX/internal control testing and audit requests related to AP payments.

Vendor Statement Reconciliation

• Perform vendor statement reconciliations for assigned suppliers on a defined cadence (and more frequently for high volume/critical vendors or vendors at risk of hold).
• Identify, research, and resolve variances such as missing invoices, unapplied credits, duplicate billings, pricing discrepancies, and payment application issues.
• Drive resolution through coordination with vendors and internal teams (AP processing, Procurement, Receiving/Operations, Accounting, Treasury) and document outcomes and next steps.
• Maintain a reconciliation tracker/log (status, owner, next actions, due dates) and escalate stalled items to prevent supplier holds and payment delays.

Aging & Ready to Pay Pipeline Management

• Proactively manage invoice aging and the “ready to pay” pipeline to ensure invoices progress to payment and do not remain stalled without documented action.
• Identify and clear payment blockers (pending approvals, receipt/3 way match issues, PO discrepancies, coding/documentation gaps) by coordinating with internal stakeholders and suppliers.
• Reinforce payment readiness standards and cutoffs to reduce last minute urgent payments and improve on time payment performance.
• Provide visibility to upcoming payment needs and constraints (e.g., invoices due, high risk suppliers, critical milestones) to support predictable payment execution.

Prepayments & Milestone Payment Oversight

• Manage and monitor vendor prepayments, down payments, and milestone based payments in accordance with contract terms, approval requirements, and internal controls.
• Validate supporting documentation prior to release of prepayments, including contract terms, milestone confirmation, required approvals, and proper system coding.
• Maintain a centralized tracker of all active prepayments and milestone payment schedules, including payment amounts, remaining balances, expected delivery/milestone dates, and clearing status.
• Coordinate with Procurement, Operations, Engineering, and Accounting to confirm milestone completion and appropriate recognition or application of prepayments.
• Ensure prepayments are properly recorded, applied, and cleared against subsequent invoices in a timely manner to prevent overpayment or duplicate payment risk.
• Monitor open prepayment balances and aging; escalate discrepancies or stalled projects to appropriate stakeholders.
• Support accurate financial reporting by ensuring prepayment balances are reviewed and reconciled periodically and properly reflected in the general ledger.

Metrics, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain, analyze, and report key payment performance metrics and trends, including (as applicable):
• On time payment performance
• Payment method mix (ACH vs check vs wire) and compliance with payment method standards
• Duplicate payments prevented / exception trends
• Invoice aging indicators and ready to pay pipeline health
• Payment exception rates (returns/rejects/voids/reissues) and time to resolution
• Vendor reconciliation completion rate and open discrepancy aging
• Credits identified/captured and unapplied credit resolution
• Manage payment related vendor inquiries with professional, timely communication and follow through; provide accurate payment status and remittance support.
• Research and resolve payment exceptions including returned/rejected payments, voids/reissues, stop payments, remittance discrepancies, and bank related issues; ensure outcomes are documented and controls followed.

Vendor Support & Payment Issue Resolution

• Identify recurring issues and root causes; recommend improvements to strengthen controls, reduce exceptions, increase predictability, and enhance vendor experience.
• Train and reinforce payment readiness standards for AP staff (readiness criteria, documentation requirements, cutoff discipline, and escalation paths) to improve flow and reduce last minute urgent payment activity.
• May support system stabilization and process documentation related to payment and reconciliation workflows.
• Performs other related duties as assigned to assist with successful operations and business continuity.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field preferred but not required.
• 7+ years of progressive AP experience, including direct involvement in payment execution and reconciliations.
• Oracle Fusion experience strongly preferred.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, COMPETENCIES, AND ABILITIES:

• Strong analytical and investigative skills with attention to detail and follow through.
• Strong knowledge of Accounts Payable payment processes and internal controls, including segregation of duties.
• Proficiency in Excel. Ability to work with data extracts and reconciliation reports.
• Demonstrated experience researching and resolving discrepancies related to vendor statement reconciliations.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with professional vendor management capability.
• Ownership mindset and execution discipline.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of financial and banking information.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Employee works indoors in an office setting, primarily sitting for extended periods at a desk station. The role requires keyboarding and repetitive motions with wrists, hands, and fingers. Vision abilities required include close vision and the ability to adjust focus while reading and staring at a computer monitor. The Employee must speak clearly and audibly, and have the ability to hear, understand, and distinguish speech and other sounds (e.g., building alarms) from in person speech, telephone, or remote communication. While in the office, the Employee may be called upon to stand, kneel, push, pull, reach overhead, stoop, crouch, climb, and lift; therefore, the Employee should be able to independently lift 25 lbs. No adverse environmental conditions are expected.

Work hours may include early morning, late evenings, and weekends, depending on business necessity.

AAP/EEO STATEMENT

The Company is committed to the cause of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants, thus abiding by all applicable state and federal laws. Our practices regarding employment, job promotion, compensation, training, and termination do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, sex, national origin, veteran's status, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other legally protected status. It is expected that all employees, both management and staff, will fully support these nondiscriminatory policies.

The company has reviewed this job description to ensure essential functions and duties have been included. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills, and abilities.

Last Revised 05/2026