Specialist, Vendor Risk & Compliance

Essex Property Trust•Los Angeles, CA

1d•$67,000 - $80,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vendor Risk & Compliance Specialist is responsible for conducting due diligence for all new and existing vendors and will be the primary decision maker for vendor activation readiness. This role will report to the Senior Manager of Accounts Payable and will work closely with Essex’s Accounts Payable, Procurement, Property Management, Legal, and IT teams.

Requirements

2+ years of accounts payable or administrative support experience.
Familiarity with ERP, procurement, or vendor management systems.
Familiarity with SOX compliance/internal controls.
Working knowledge of vendor onboarding and compliance processes.
Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.
Problem-solving mindset with the ability to work cross-functionally.

Nice To Haves

Vendor management or procurement operations experience is a plus.
Experience supporting audits or financial reviews preferred.
Intermediate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel or similar data tools (vlookups, pivot tables) preferred.

Responsibilities

Own vendor compliance and risk assessment processes across Yardi PayScan, Vendor Shield, and VendorCafe.
Perform enhanced due diligence on new and existing vendors, including fraud risk analysis and legitimacy verification.
Review and validate W-9s, tax classifications, banking documentation, insurance certificates, licenses, and regulatory requirements.
Identify and escalate high-risk vendors, suspicious activity, or control gaps to leadership.
Review and approve new vendor setups and changes in accordance with internal controls.
Serve as the primary decision-maker for vendor activation readiness based on compliance and risk criteria.
Maintain ongoing monitoring of vendors for changes in ownership, banking, tax status, or compliance standing.
Maintain and audit vendor master data to ensure accuracy and compliance with internal controls.
Enforce segregation of duties and change-management controls for vendor updates.
Support SOX, internal, and external audits related to vendor governance.
Design and enhance vendor onboarding, vetting, and compliance workflows.
Develop documentation, policies, and standard operating procedures.
Analyze trends in vendor risk, duplicates, and fraud attempts; recommend mitigation strategies.
Serve as the primary liaison between Accounts Payable, Procurement, Property Management, Legal, and IT for vendor-related matters.
Train AP staff and business users on vendor compliance standards and system workflows.
Respond to vendor inquiries related to account status, documentation, and system access.
Identify process improvements to enhance vendor data quality and operational efficiency.