Accounts Payable Lead

About the job

Westminster University

Accounts Payable Lead

About Westminster University

Westminster University is a private, independent, and comprehensive university in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more than 150 years, Westminster has combined academic excellence with a strong sense of community and purpose. Located at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, the university offers the energy of a growing metropolitan area alongside world-class outdoor recreation just minutes from campus.

Our campus is collaborative, student-centered, and grounded in academic integrity. Faculty and staff work closely with students to foster critical thinking, career readiness, and meaningful engagement beyond the classroom. Employees are supported in their professional growth and encouraged to bring forward ideas that strengthen the university.

Position Summary

The Accounts Payable Lead is responsible for leading the daily accounts payable operations for Westminster University of Utah. This position oversees invoice processing, payment disbursements, vendor maintenance, employee reimbursements, purchase-order matching, accruals, reconciliations, and related accounting activities. The role supports accurate financial reporting, strong internal controls, timely payments, and responsive service to campus departments and external vendors.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead daily accounts payable operations, including invoice review, payment processing, employee reimbursements, vendor maintenance, and AP processing queues.
• Review transactions for accuracy, completeness, documentation, approval, and proper fund, department, account, and general ledger coding.
• Support and guide accounts payable staff, including assigning work, reviewing output, answering questions, and helping resolve processing issues.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for vendor inquiries, payment status questions, campus department support, and invoice or purchasing issues.
• Partner with Procurement, Finance colleagues, and campus departments to resolve purchase-order matching exceptions and ensure compliance with University payment processes.
• Prepare AP-related journal entries, accruals, prepaid expense schedules, account reconciliations, and supporting documentation for month-end and year-end close.
• Reconcile the accounts payable subledger to the general ledger and research or resolve outstanding balances, aging items, and discrepancies.
• Lead weekly check, ACH, and wire payment runs in accordance with University policies, cash management needs, and vendor payment terms.
• Maintain vendor records and support compliance with W-9, 1099, tax reporting, and internal documentation requirements.
• Support audit preparation by maintaining complete records, responding to audit requests, and ensuring transactions are properly supported.
• Help strengthen internal controls to prevent duplicate payments, unauthorized disbursements, fraud risk, and processing errors.
• Assist campus departments with expense questions, budget-to-actual review, fund restrictions, and appropriate use of University resources.
• Identify opportunities to streamline AP workflows, improve electronic invoice intake, strengthen reimbursement and corporate card processes, and reduce manual work.
• Prepare reports, schedules, and analyses related to payable activity, vendor payments, accruals, and University expense activity.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field required.
• Minimum of four years of full-cycle accounts payable, accounting operations, or related finance experience required.
• At least one to two years of experience in a senior, lead, or supervisory role preferred.
• Strong understanding of accounts payable processes, accruals, account reconciliations, internal controls, and general ledger coding.
• Knowledge of W-9, 1099, vendor maintenance, payment processing, and supporting documentation requirements.
• Strong customer-service orientation and ability to communicate clearly and professionally with campus departments, vendors, and Finance colleagues.
• Excellent attention to detail, organizational skills, and ability to manage multiple deadlines in a high-volume environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and financial systems required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education, nonprofit, or fund-accounting environments.
• Experience with Ellucian Colleague or similar ERP systems.
• Experience supporting fiscal year-end close, audit preparation, prepaid expenses, accruals, and financial reporting schedules.
• Familiarity with purchase-order workflows, procurement processes, corporate card administration, and employee reimbursement programs.
• Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, XLOOKUP, account reconciliations, and financial analysis.

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Westminster University’s commitment to diversity and global learning is revealed in its core values, mission and vision statements, and learning goals. We seek colleagues who will support the learning of all students, including those from groups historically underrepresented in higher education, such as students of color, LGBTQ+ students, students with disabilities, and first-generation college students. We invite candidates whose interests and skills contribute to these efforts.

Reports To: Assistant Controller

Department: Finance & Accounting