Accounts Payable Specialist II

National Student Clearinghouse•Herndon, VA

6d•$57,000 - $67,000•Remote

About The Position

By joining the National Student Clearinghouse, you can be sure that the work you do now will help shape the future of education and the workforce in the U.S. As the trusted source for higher education data since 1993, the Clearinghouse is the leading provider of transcript and data exchange services, automated enrollment and degree verifications, learner insights and research, and compliance solutions for schools, businesses, and learners nationwide. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Clearinghouse works with nearly 3,600 postsecondary institutions to meet their compliance needs and with thousands of high schools and districts to provide continuing collegiate enrollment, progression, and completion statistics about their alumni. In addition, the Research Center publications inform policymakers and business leaders about student educational pathways. Using our unique combination of data, analytics, and software to drive our mission, security and privacy is paramount. Join us as we continue to invest in our talent and new advanced technologies to unlock the power of data on behalf of all learners. About the Role: The Specialist II, Accounts Payable thrives in a fast-paced environment and ensures accurate, timely processing of vendor invoices and payments while responding to internal and external inquiries with excellent customer service. This role supports month end close activities related to Accounts Payable function, maintains vendor records, manages the AP shared inbox, and partners with Procurement/Operations to resolve discrepancies and improve the procure to pay process. Additional duties include recording Accounts Payable (AP) invoice and travel expense reimbursements, processing weekly, monthly, and quarterly Degree Verification and Transcript order surcharge payments to institutions, maintaining and processing vendor surcharge revenue forms, and sales tax exemptions, maintaining accurate vendor records, preparing monthly journal entries for AP invoice and expense accruals, and ensuring all grant expenses are properly recorded and adequately documented. Assists the Controller, CFO, Finance Operations Manager, Accounting Manager, and FP&A team in reporting and analyzing financial and operating results. Currently, this is a remote-first position, and this position may be required to periodically work on-site at our office and the frequency would depend on the department/division's requirements. Therefore, candidates must either reside within a reasonable distance to commute to our office or be willing to travel to our office in Herndon, when required. How You Contribute: Demonstrate the Clearinghouse's core competencies: Customer Focus, Optimizes Work Processes, Collaborates, Communicates Effectively, and Be Open and Authentic.

Requirements

Bachelors degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field or equivalent direct and relevant work and/or military experience. A combination of education and experience including military service will also be considered.
3 years of direct and relevant accounts payable functions experience, with a strong focus on GAAP compliance.
Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM tool.
Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and standard Accounts Payable bookkeeping and reconciliations.
Demonstrated experience processing invoices, expense reports, and vendor payments accurately and on time preferably in a high- volume transaction company.
Familiarity with 1099 reporting and year end financial procedures.
Demonstrated proficiency in excel skills (e.g., VLOOKUP, pivot tables) and with Microsoft Office suite.
High level of accuracy in data entry and record-keeping; strong analytical and problem solving skills; excellent verbal and written communication.
Ability to provide outstanding customer support, facilitate problem solving, and balance multiple priorities in a deadline driven environment.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively; professional, positive, and personable demeanor.
Must live within a commutable distance to Herndon, VA or in one of the Clearinghouse's approved States for hiring purposes. Refer to our HR Policies Page, located on our Careers site at https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/careers/human-resource-policies/ , for more details.
Must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.
We do not intend to sponsor external applicants for work visas, and may consider sponsorship only if no qualified candidates can be found who are authorized to work without sponsorship.
Must be at least 18 years old.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Sage Intacct or similar accounting software; experience with AP automation platforms.
Previous experience working in a high-transaction volume company.
Experience with Avalara Sales Tax software.
Prior work in non-profit or multi entity environments.
Experience with Google sheets and Power BI is a plus.
Ability to manage high volume payables across multiple entities.

Responsibilities

Process high volumes of Vendor invoices (PO and non- PO), including review, coding, approval routing and posting ensuring timely and accurate payments in accordance with established terms and policy.
Prepare & process weekly, monthly, and quarterly vendor invoices and surcharge payments, monthly refunds, employee travel and expenses reimbursements and corporate card transactions.
Perform two-way/three-way match (PO, receipt,/invoice) and research, resolve and escalate discrepancies prior to payment.
Execute regular/weekly payment runs (checks, ACH, wires) according to payment terms.
Reconcile vendor statements, aged items and disputed invoices.
Respond to vendor and internal inquiries; monitor and manage AP shared inbox.
Process employee travel and expense reports and corporate card transactions in RAMP system.
Prepare AP accruals, prepaid expenses entries and supporting schedules; reconcile the AP trade account to the general ledger as part of month end close.
Maintain accurate vendor master data and verify W 9/tax documentation.
Support annual 1099 reporting and other required regulatory filings in compliance with IRS guidelines.
Partner with the Manager, Accounting Services Team leadership, Finance, Procurement and HR to resolve invoice, surcharge and expense exceptions and support reporting and analysis need.
Develop, document, and maintain AP processes, SOPs, job aids and assist with AP and expense system training for employees.
Identify and implement process improvements, automation opportunities, and efficiency enhancements in a fast paced, high- volume environment.
Other duties as assigned.
Position may be required to perform other duties as required.
These essential functions are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Benefits

The National Student Clearinghouse provides a robust benefit program designed to help meet the needs of each employee and their family, both now and in the future.
We offer comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as life and disability insurance benefits, for employees and their qualified dependents.
Health care, dependent care, and limited purpose flexible spending accounts, as well as a health savings account with annual employer contributions of $300 for employees and $600 for employees who are enrolled with their spouse and/or dependents, voluntary supplemental health plans for Accident and Hospital Indemnity coverage, and infertility coverage are options available for employees to set aside pre-taxed dollars for certain qualifying expenses.
We offer a very generous 401k matching contribution program with the opportunity to defer pre-tax and Roth contributions, as well as catch-up contributions for those who are eligible!
We are proud to offer a competitive paid leave program consisting of vacation, sick, and personal time, as well as paid holidays, up to 3 weeks of paid parental leave during a 12-month period , and up to 5 days of paid military leave per calendar year .
Vacation time will accrue based on length of service, and new full-time hires can accrue up to 13 days of vacation and up to 10 days of sick time per year.
On an annual basis, new employees may use up to 32 hours of accrued sick time as personal time.
Additionally, the Clearinghouse observes at least 15 paid holidays per year, including company year-end close between Christmas and New Years Holidays.
Another perk is that employees have the option to get reimbursed for basic wholesale company and roadside assistance memberships (e.g., Costco and AAA) and to request a buy back on portions of unused accrued vacation based on tenure and certain other qualifications.
Employees can further their education and professional development by using our Employee Education Assistance Program, which establishes reimbursement for qualified education expenses upon successful completion of the program, and leveraging the enterprise-wide LinkedIn Learning subscription.
There are additional employee benefits too, including but not limited to, mental health with up to eight free therapy sessions for employees and their family members and well-being reward benefits.
With the Clearinghouse being an eligible 501(3)(c) nonprofit organization, employees are eligible for service credit towards the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF).