Accounting Shared Service Manager

Overview

This role leads and manages accounting operations for Accounts Payable (AP) and Accounts Receivable (AR), with responsibility for team performance, operational controls, payment execution, compliance, and process improvement. The position also includes food safety responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, coach, and manage Accounting Specialists supporting AP and AR.
• Build a high-performing AP/AR team by setting clear goals and expectations, providing regular coaching and feedback, conducting annual performance reviews, supporting career growth, and fostering a culture of ownership, accountability, and cross-training.
• Assign and prioritize daily AP and AR work by balancing transaction volume, aging items, payment deadlines, deduction activity, and cash application; monitor workload distribution, staffing capacity, and cross-training needs to maintain business continuity and service-level performance.
• Oversee payment runs (ACH, check, and wire), ensuring approvals and payment timing align with vendor terms, cash availability, and working capital goals.
• Monitor individual and team performance against operational KPIs; prepare and communicate AP/AR KPI reporting, operational dashboards, and aging summaries to management.
• Set expectations for documentation quality, issue ownership, escalation timing, and stakeholder communication across AP and AR.
• Partner with Purchasing, Receiving, and budget owners to reduce invoice exceptions, improve purchase order compliance, and shorten the time from receipt to payment.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for significant vendor, customer, deduction, payment, credit, and invoice-related issues requiring management intervention.
• Oversee employee expense processing activities, including policy exception routing, documentation requirements, reimbursement timing, and accounting classification.
• Own operational execution of AP and AR controls, including approval verification, segregation-of-duties expectations, three-way match validation, and documentation retention; monitor control performance and partner with Accounting and Finance leadership to correct deficiencies.
• Design, document, and enforce segregation of duties across AP and AR (e.g., separating vendor and customer master data maintenance, invoice entry, approval, payment release, cash application, and bank reconciliation); periodically review ERP user roles and access for conflicts and remediate in partnership with IT and Accounting leadership.
• Oversee AP and AR compliance activities, including sales and use tax treatment on invoices and unclaimed property support, in partnership with Tax and Accounting leadership.
• Lead AP and AR month-end close activities, including review of subledger activity, open-item status, accrual support, and reconciliations.
• Coordinate support for annual financial statement audits and compliance reviews, ensuring documentation and transaction support are complete, accurate, and timely.
• Escalate control concerns, policy exceptions, recurring process breakdowns, and high-dollar exposures that could impact financial accuracy, cash flow, or vendor and customer relationships.
• Develop and maintain AP and AR policies, procedures, standard operating procedures, and training materials.
• Identify recurring root causes and lead process improvements to reduce manual effort, rework, and cycle time across AP and AR. Use advanced Excel analysis to quantify opportunities and measure results.
• Support automation, ERP enhancements, and systems initiatives affecting AP and AR shared services, including Sage X3 workflow, approval routing, and user security role configuration and testing.
• Uphold and lead participation in Corporate Responsibility initiatives, including Zero Waste and sustainability, social advocacy, and volunteering opportunities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 5 or more years of experience in accounting operations, accounts payable, accounts receivable, or shared services, including 3 or more years in a relevant functional area; or 3 or more years of experience with an advanced degree.
• Demonstrated experience managing direct reports required.
• Self-starter who takes ownership, spots problems early, and drives solutions to completion with minimal direction.
• Strong leadership skills, including coaching, developing, and holding a team accountable to quality and service standards.
• Proven experience managing high-volume AP and AR processes, including shared inboxes, workflow queues, aging reports, reconciliations, and operational KPI reporting.
• Hands-on experience designing, documenting, and monitoring internal controls, including segregation of duties, over AP and AR processes.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, lookup functions, and data analysis) for reconciliations, KPI reporting, and root cause analysis.
• Experience with Sage X3 is a plus; working knowledge of an ERP system is required.
• Experience leading process improvement, automation, or ERP/workflow implementation initiatives preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for working with vendors, customers, auditors, and cross-functional partners.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Sage X3
• Experience leading process improvement, automation, or ERP/workflow implementation initiatives

Supervisory Responsibilities

This job includes supervisory responsibilities.

Compensation & Benefits

Benefits include:

• Competitive salary
• 100% employer-paid medical premiums for associates and families
• Free Mental Health, Financial Wellness, and Legal Counseling benefits
• 401K with company match
• Company-paid Life Insurance
• Tuition reimbursement assistance
• Continuous learning opportunities
• Robust parental leave program
• Care Relief Fund to help associates in need
• Associate Assistance Program
• Paid volunteer time

Location

Not specified.

Work Status

• FLSA Status: Exempt

Physical Demands

This job is sedentary. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with different abilities.