Accounts Payable Manager (1885)

Word & Brown Companies•Orange, CA

About The Position

The Accounts Payable Manager provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for both trust accounts payable (insurance premium–related fiduciary funds) and trade accounts payable (operational/vendor expenses). This role ensures the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of all payable transactions—including disbursements from trust accounts to carriers, brokers, and general agencies, as well as payments to corporate vendors. The Manager drives process optimization, automation, financial integrity, and regulatory compliance across both AP functions. This position leads and develops the AP team, partnering cross-functionally with Purchasing, Accounting, Operations, Finance Systems, and Customer Services. The ideal candidate combines strong leadership skills with in-depth knowledge of AP operations, trust accounting, and insurance premium processing.

Requirements

Minimum 7+ years of progressive accounts payable experience, including 3+ years in a managerial or senior supervisory role.
Proven experience leading high-volume AP operations in a computerized and deadline-driven environment.
Experience with trust or fiduciary accounting, particularly in insurance, TPA, MGA, or financial services environments.
Demonstrated success guiding, mentoring, and developing teams, including supervisors and specialists.
Hands-on experience with end-to-end AP processes, internal controls, and financial reporting requirements.
In-depth understanding of trust & trade accounts payable operations, purchasing practices, and general accounting principles.
Strong working knowledge of ERP systems — Microsoft Dynamics GP and Concur experience preferred.
Demonstrated ability to lead and scale AP automation initiatives, including invoice processing, workflow routing, and electronic payments.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel (vlookups, pivot tables), Word, and Outlook.
Familiarity with document retention practices, audit support, and compliance standards.
Proven leadership and team-building skills with the ability to coach, inspire, and hold teams accountable.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and conflict resolution skills; able to collaborate across all levels of the organization.
Strong customer service orientation when working with vendors and internal departments.
Ability to multitask, prioritize, and adapt in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
High attention to detail with a continuous improvement mindset.
Understanding of basic HR/employment practices relevant to staff supervision and performance management.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading AP transformation or automation projects.
Experience with trust accounting software or insurance premium remittance systems.
Background in insurance carrier remittance, commission structures, or benefits administration.
Familiarity with robotic process automation (RPA) or AI-enabled invoice processing platforms.
Six Sigma, Lean, or process improvement certification is a plus.

Responsibilities

Provide daily leadership, guidance, and oversight to the AP team across both trust and trade functions.
Set clear performance expectations and support ongoing professional development for AP staff.
Foster a high-performance, collaborative culture centered on accuracy, timeliness, service, and continuous improvement.
Oversee staffing activities, including recruiting, onboarding, coaching, performance management, and corrective actions when necessary.
Balance team workload and resource allocation to ensure deadlines and service standards are met.
Manage trust disbursements to insurance carriers, brokers, general agencies, and other stakeholders.
Ensure all trust payments adhere to fiduciary regulations, carrier contracts, and internal trust policies.
Oversee daily, weekly, and monthly trust payable account reconciliations, ensuring accuracy and proper documentation.
Research and resolve trust-related discrepancies and exceptions.
Maintain audit-ready trust records and support internal, external, and regulatory audits.
Oversee the full trade AP cycle, including invoice receipt, matching, approvals, payment processing, and reconciliation.
Ensure compliance with corporate policies, internal controls, audit requirements, and relevant regulations.
Collaborate with Accounting to ensure accurate GL coding, timely posting, and proper financial reporting
Lead month-end and year-end AP close activities, including accruals, reconciliations, and reporting.
Monitor KPIs such as invoice cycle time, aging, and exception rates.
Resolve escalated vendor issues, disputes, and payment exceptions.
Oversee the end-to-end employee expense management process, including T&E, mileage, corporate card transactions, and other reimbursable expenses.
Manage and optimize the company’s expense reporting system, ensuring proper configuration, workflow efficiency, and alignment with corporate policies.
Monitor employee expense submissions in accordance with company policies, IRS requirements, and internal controls.
Provide training and guidance to employees and managers on expense policies, documentation requirements, system usage, and compliance expectations.
Analyze employee expense trends to identify cost-saving opportunities, spending patterns, and policy improvement needs.
Ensure employee expense processes, controls, and documentation remain audit-ready, compliant, and consistently applied across the organization.
Champion automation and digital transformation across trust and trade AP workflows.
Lead implementation and optimization of AP technologies such as invoice OCR, automated workflows, electronic payment platforms, and trust accounting systems.
Partner with Finance Systems and IT teams to support integrations, upgrades, and issue resolution.
Streamline manual or legacy processes to enhance scalability, accuracy, transparency, and efficiency.
Maintain comprehensive SOPs, process documentation, and training materials.
Track and analyze automation-related KPIs to identify improvement opportunities.
Work closely with Purchasing to align invoice approvals, vendor terms, and procurement-to-pay workflows.
Team up with the Trust Accounting to ensure trust payments are timely, accurate, fully reconciled, and compliant with fiduciary standards.
Collaborate with Finance, Operations, Customer Services, Legal, and Sales to ensure accurate fund flows and timely payments.
Serve as a strategic advisor to leadership on AP risks, opportunities, and system/process enhancements.
Prepare reporting on trust disbursements, AP aging, cash requirements, automation performance, and efficiency metrics.
Provide insights that support budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and vendor negotiations.
Ensure all AP records—both manual and automated—are accurate, organized, and audit-ready.
Maintain expert-level understanding of all AP processes across trust and trade workflows.
Delegate tasks effectively and ensure balanced distribution of workload within the team.
Proactively identify and implement opportunities to improve efficiency, accuracy, and internal controls.
Support a transparent, inclusive, and positive work environment where ideas and concerns can be openly shared.
Perform additional duties or special projects as assigned.
Address performance issues, including time and attendance, with employees. Follow progressive discipline process where needed, including the writing of Warnings.
Make decisions on hiring and firing.
Manage the staffing processes, including overseeing the entering of requisitions, interviewing candidates, promotions, demotions, etc.
Manage department budget for all controllable expenses.
On-site or remote regular attendance and punctuality are essential functions of the job.
Perform other business tasks or functions as assigned.