Assistant Manager for Accounts Payable — Finance Sr Asst Manager/Analyst/S

MSU Internal Job Postings Details•East Lansing, MI

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join MSU’s Office of the Controller as the Assistant Manager responsible for Accounts Payable. This position provides managerial oversight for the staff responsible for purchase order invoice payments. Lead a high-performing team, oversee vendor payment operations, drive process improvements, and serve as a trusted resource for campus partners. Under the direction of the Chief Accountant, the Accounts Payable Assistant Manager will oversee the planning and coordination of the Accounts Payable departmental functions to maintain effective and efficient operations and ensure timely payment of vendor invoices. The position is responsible for the coordinated, end-to-end administration of university purchase order payment processing activities, including vendor payments, wires, check production and mailing, vendor e-payment maintenance, and related reconciliation and exception-resolution activities. This position provides managerial leadership to departmental staff enabling consistent operating practices across the team, and leads the implementation of workflow, policy, training, and system improvements. Responsibilities include supervising staff; assigning and prioritizing work; interviewing and recommending candidates for hire; training and evaluating employees; and supporting staff success through coaching and effective leadership.

Requirements

Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Business, Accounting, Finance or a related field with relevant course work in information technology; three to five years of progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in accounting, auditing, management; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing high-volume payment, accounts payable, transaction audit, or other shared-service financial operations in a large or complex organization.
Experience supervising, developing, and evaluating a team of clerical/technical employees and leading teams through organizational or process change.
Advanced knowledge of payment processes, internal controls, audit practices, supplier payments, electronic payments such as ACH and wires, and check production.
Experience with KFS (Kuali Financial System), enterprise accounts payable systems, banking/payment applications, workflow tools, and reporting or data-analysis tools.
Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures, laws, and regulations; resolve complex exceptions; and communicate decisions to individuals with varying levels of technical knowledge.
Experience using operational metrics and data analysis to redesign workflow, improve service levels, reduce risk, and support management decisions.
Experience developing procedures, job aids, and training and delivering information in both in-person and virtual settings.
Strong judgment, customer-service orientation, written and verbal communication skills, and ability to build collaborative relationships across organizational boundaries.

Responsibilities

Plan, direct, and coordinate the daily operations of the Accounts Payable clerical/technical teams responsible for purchase order invoice processing, vendor payments, wires, check production, mailing, and related payment support.
Maintain and enhance electronic payment options for vendors.
Design and monitor work assignments, staffing schedules, queue coverage, escalation paths, and backup arrangements to ensure timely, accurate, and continuous payment operations.
Oversee compliance with university policies and procedures and applicable federal, state, and local requirements; evaluate exceptions and authorize or recommend resolution of complex or unusual transactions.
Maintain effective internal controls and segregation of duties throughout the payment lifecycle.
Identify operational, financial, fraud, and service risks and implement corrective or preventive measures.
Coordinate operational response to high-volume periods, system interruptions, staffing changes, and urgent or sensitive payments; elevate significant risks and issues to management.
Provide direct supervision and leadership for clerical/technical employees assigned to Accounts Payable payment functions, including interviewing and recommending candidates, onboarding, training, assigning work, coaching, evaluating performance, recognizing achievement, and addressing performance concerns.
Build a unified team structure by aligning responsibilities, service expectations, procedures, and performance standards across the two functional areas.
Develop and maintain cross-training plans and documentation to strengthen operational resilience, improve workload balancing, and reduce single points of failure.
Promote an inclusive, accountable, customer-focused work environment and support employee development through regular feedback, goal setting, and opportunities to expand technical knowledge.
Analyze transaction volumes, aging, error trends, cycle times, workloads, service requests, and other operational metrics to assess performance, identify root causes, and recommend changes to management.
Lead or coordinate process improvement initiatives that streamline the end-to-end payment process, reduce duplicative review, improve accuracy and timeliness, strengthen controls, and enhance the customer and supplier experience.
Develop and recommend procedures, workflow designs, forms, reports, system enhancements, and performance measures; partner with Accounting, Procurement, Travel, Treasury, Information Technology, and other stakeholders to implement approved changes.
Participate in department and Office of the Controller initiatives and perform other duties as assigned.