Manager Contract Accounts Payable Jobs in Ridgewood, NJ

POSITION SUMMARY

Children’s Rescue Fund (CRF), a not-for-profit organization providing critical services to New York City communities, is seeking an experienced Accounts Payable Manager to lead and strengthen the organization’s accounts payable function.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on accounting professional with strong accounts payable management experience, preferably within the not-for-profit, human services, shelter, or government-funded sector. Experience working with NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) funded programs or other New York City government contracts is highly preferred.

This position requires more than simply processing invoices. The AP Manager will be responsible for maintaining a disciplined, well-controlled accounts payable operation; supervising AP staff; ensuring expenses are properly supported and coded; managing vendor relationships; maintaining accurate records; and ensuring payments are processed in accordance with CRF policies, contractual requirements, funding restrictions, and established internal controls.

The successful candidate should be comfortable operating in a high-volume, multi-program environment and working closely with Finance, Budget & Contracts, Procurement, Program Operations, and senior management.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Accounts Payable Management

• Manage the day-to-day operations of the Accounts Payable department and supervise assigned AP staff.
• Oversee the complete accounts payable cycle, from receipt and review of invoices through approval, posting, payment, and reconciliation.
• Ensure invoices are properly supported, authorized, coded, allocated, and charged to the appropriate program, site, contract, fiscal year, and general ledger account.
• Maintain strong controls over ACH payments, checks, electronic payments, vendor changes, and other disbursements.
• Review payment batches and supporting documentation prior to final approval.
• Monitor outstanding invoices, aging, payment priorities, duplicate invoices, credits, disputed items, and other AP exceptions.
• Maintain organized and audit-ready accounts payable documentation.

Government & Not-for-Profit Accounting

• Work closely with the Budget & Contracts team to ensure expenses charged to government-funded programs are allowable, properly allocated, and appropriately documented.
• Understand the importance of contract budgets, funding restrictions, fiscal-year cutoffs, accruals, and program-specific expense allocations.
• Support DHS and other government-funded programs by maintaining documentation necessary for reimbursement, audit, and contract review.
• Experience with NYC DHS, DSS, PASSPort, or other New York City government-funded programs is strongly preferred.
• Help ensure prior-year and current-year expenses are properly identified and recorded.

Financial Controls & Month-End Close

• Reconcile AP subledger activity to the general ledger and investigate discrepancies.
• Ensure AP activity is accurately reflected during monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close.
• Prepare and review AP accruals, outstanding payment reports, vendor aging reports, and other management reports.
• Establish and maintain documented AP procedures, approval workflows, segregation of duties, and internal controls.
• Identify unusual transactions, duplicate payments, unsupported invoices, coding errors, or control exceptions and escalate them appropriately.
• Work closely with the Controller and Finance leadership to continuously improve AP processes and controls.

Vendor Management

• Serve as a primary Finance contact for vendors regarding invoices, payment status, account reconciliations, and payment discrepancies.
• Ensure new vendors and vendor banking changes are properly reviewed, documented, and approved before payment.
• Maintain accurate vendor records, including W-9s and other required documentation.
• Research and resolve vendor statement discrepancies and outstanding balances.

• Maintain professional vendor relationships while balancing payment obligations with organizational policies and funding requirements.

Audit & Compliance

• Prepare AP documentation and schedules for annual financial statement audits, government audits, funder reviews, and other compliance examinations.
• Respond timely to auditor requests and maintain supporting documentation in an organized and retrievable manner.
• Assist with 1099 preparation and year-end AP reporting.
• Ensure compliance with CRF policies, contractual requirements, generally accepted accounting principles, and applicable federal, state, and City requirements.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Strong experience with Blackbaud financial/accounting systems is highly preferred.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including reconciliations, pivot tables, lookups, data analysis, and large transaction files.
• Identify opportunities to streamline invoice processing, approvals, reconciliations, reporting, and document retention.
• Support increased automation and stronger electronic workflows while maintaining appropriate financial controls.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field required.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive accounts payable/accounting experience, including meaningful responsibility for a high-volume AP operation.
• Prior supervisory or management experience strongly preferred.
• Not-for-profit accounting experience strongly preferred.
• Experience within a human services organization, shelter provider, social services organization, or other government-funded environment is highly desirable.

• NYC DHS/DSS or similar government contracting experience preferred.
• Blackbaud experience strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of accounts payable, general ledger accounting, accruals, reconciliations, expense allocations, and internal controls.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing payment priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with vendors, program leadership, Finance staff, auditors, and senior management.
• High level of integrity, discretion, accountability, and attention to detail.

CPA or MBA is not required. CRF places significant value on practical accounting knowledge, relevant not-for-profit experience, strong management skills, and demonstrated ability to operate an effective account's payable function.