Accounts Payable Operations Analyst

Metropolitan Community College (Kansas City)•Omaha, NE

About The Position

The Analyst provides oversight and guidance while exercising sound judgment within established procedures, by executing and continuously improving the accounts’ payable function. This position owns invoice validation, exception resolution, vendor servicing, disbursements, and close-related deliverables while maintaining strong controls and compliance. The Analyst applies professional judgment to interpret policy, triage non-standard transactions, and identify fraud or control risks. This position partners with Procurement, Financial Accounting Services, and campus stakeholders to ensure timely, accurate financial data and a consistent vendor experience. The Analyst contributes to process improvement, audit readiness, data-driven insights, and contributes to a consistent and positive vendor and stakeholder experience across the P2P cycle.

Requirements

Working knowledge of accounts payable, purchasing workflows, and general accounting principles.
Proficient computer skills with the ability to learn new software.
Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and other college supported systems.
Excellent communication skills including active listening.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Ability to work well with minimal supervision in a team-orientated environment.
Ability to identify issues, recognize unusual activity, and escalate effectively with supporting information.
Ability to identify root causes of transactional issues and recommend improvements to enhance accuracy, timeliness or internal controls.
Ability to understand internal controls and the importance of safeguarding institutional resources.
Ability to demonstrate cooperation and professionalism in stressful situations.
Ability to effectively work and interact with various cultures and ethnicities.
Associate in Accounting, Finance, Business or related Field; Bachelors preferred.
Three (3) or more years of accounts payable or financial operations experience; Workday preferred.
Experience using an ERP system (Workday, Oracle, SAP, NetSuite, or similar).
Equivalent combination of education and/or work experience considered.
Ability to travel between campuses for meetings or position responsibilities.
Must pass a background check.

Responsibilities

Audits, verifies, and processes vendor invoices, employee reimbursements, purchase-card transactions, and non-employee payments in accordance with college policies, internal controls, and applicable regulations.
Performs three-way matching (purchase order, receipt, invoice) and ensures required documentation, approvals, and compliance requirements are met.
Ensures accurate account coding, tax treatment, and data entry within the College’s ERP system (Workday).
Processes payments accurately and timely in accordance with vendor terms and established payment schedules.
Researches and resolves routine invoice discrepancies, pricing variances, missing documentation, and vendor statement differences.
Identifies non-routine issues, recurring errors, unusual transactions, or potential fraud indicators and escalate concerns promptly with appropriate context and documentation.
Maintains strong awareness of fraud risks, bad-actor schemes, and controls expectations within the accounts payable and P2P processes.
Adheres strictly to internal controls and contribute to protecting the College from fraudulent or unauthorized transactions.
Supports Financial Accounting Services during month-end and year-end close by assisting with data cleanup, transaction review, reconciliations, and follow-up on outstanding items.
Prepares supporting schedules or reports related to accounts payable activity, as assigned.
Assists with preparation of accounts payable-related information for Board or management reporting, with review performed by others.
Delivers accurate and timely AP outputs that support close, audit, and management reporting.
Provides documentation and support for internal and external audit requests related to accounts payable and P2P activities.
Owns vendor inquiry resolution with professionalism and timely follow-through, serving as a first point of contact for AP-related questions.
Serves as a primary point of contact for vendor and internal department inquiries related to invoice status, payments, and AP procedures.
Communicates with campus stakeholders, vendors, and external partners to gather information and resolve issues.
Partners with Procurement, Central Stores, and other administrative teams to address purchasing, receiving, returns, and credit issues.
Provides clear explanations of accounts payable requirements and policies in a customer-focused manner.
Utilizes Workday Finance to maintain accurate records and support efficient workflows across the P2P cycle.
Reconciles procurement card activity, follow up on discrepancies, and coordinate with cardholders as needed.
Maintains awareness of system interfaces and downstream impacts (including coordination with Student Financial Services for student-related transactions processed in Colleague).
Identifies potential control gaps, process inefficiencies, or system issues and escalates observations to the Procure-to-Pay Manager.
Participates in process improvement initiatives and control-strengthening efforts as assigned.
Attends work activities or programs as scheduled or assigned.