Senior AP Operations Lead

Milbank LLP•New York City, NY

About The Position

Milbank LLP is seeking a Senior AP Operations Lead to serve as the functional lead for AP review, payments, controls, and exception resolution. This hands-on role combines senior review authority with daily AP execution — including personally processing payments and entering wires as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor of Accounting preferred
5+ years of AP experience in professional services, legal, or financial services, with 3–5 years in a senior or lead capacity
Proficiency with ERP/accounting systems (voucher entry, vendor management, payment processing); Emburse and 3E knowledge a plus
Proficiency with banking platforms for wire/ACH initiation, approval, and returned payment investigation
Strong invoice review, exception handling, and AP controls experience — beyond data entry
Critical thinking and independent decision-making skills
Experience with international wire transfers, SWIFT messaging, and correspondent banking
Understanding of segregation of duties and internal controls in payment environments
Ability to design review frameworks and standardized workflows
Strong communication skills — vendor relations, internal escalation, and cross-functional coordination
Ability to lead operationally without formal direct-report authority
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel

Nice To Haves

Law firm or professional services environment with matter-based accounting (preferred)
Credit card reconciliation or monthly close-cycle experience (preferred)
Vendor master data management and banking instruction validation (preferred)
1099 reporting experience (preferred)

Responsibilities

Acting team lead during the AP Manager’s absence — managing workflow prioritization, escalations, and operational continuity
Final review and approval of complex invoices in Emburse, including exception handling and coding validation
Review and approve wire and ACH payments including interoffice funding and vendor payments
Hands-on payment entry as a third trained operator for daily wires/ACH, partner distributions, and international transfers
Primary owner for returned wire/ACH research — root cause identification, vendor master corrections, and payment re-initiation
Monthly credit card reconciliation on the AP side in coordination with the GL team
Direct processing support for payment runs, Emburse Expense approvals, and invoice loads
Assist in designing standardized invoice workflows and maintaining controls over automated invoice submissions
Ad-hoc GL reclassifications and 1099 process support during peak season
Build operational resilience through cross-training and process standardization