Accounts Payable Lead

JOB DESCRIPTION

Title: Accounts Payable Lead

Department: Finance and Accounting

Location: 8470 Keele St, Concord ON

Reports to: A/R & A/P Manager

Expected Salary: $70k - $80k

The salary range shown above reflects the expected compensation for this position. The final salary offered will be determined based on a holistic assessment of the candidate's experience, education, training, and alignment with the role's requirements.

This job posting is an existing vacancy within the organization. The position is active and intended to be filled as part of our current staffing needs.

Role Summary

We are looking for a driven and committed candidate who is enthusiastic about finance and accounting and can elevate the Accounts Payable function through analytical thinking, continuous improvement and collaboration.

The Accounts Payable Lead is responsible for leading the day-to-day AP function and ensuring the accurate, timely and controlled processing of vendor invoices and payments. The role provides hands-on leadership to the AP team, oversees vendor management and payment processing, maintains strong internal controls, and supports month-end and year-end financial processes.

The AP Lead serves as a key escalation point for vendors and internal stakeholders and works closely with Accounting, Operations, Purchasing and other departments to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the procure-to-pay process. The role also identifies opportunities to improve processes, strengthen controls and leverage ERP functionality and automation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day activities of the Accounts Payable team, including assigning work, managing workloads and ensuring deadlines are met.
• Coach and mentor AP staff and provide ongoing guidance, feedback and development.
• Oversee the full AP cycle, including invoice receipt, coding, matching, approvals, posting and payment.
• Ensure invoices are processed accurately and in accordance with company policies, approval authorities, payment terms and internal controls.
• Oversee vendor payment runs, including EFTs, wires, cheques and other payment methods, ensuring payments are accurate, authorized and released on time.
• Review and resolve invoice discrepancies, duplicate invoices, pricing or quantity differences and payment exceptions.
• Oversee vendor setup and maintenance, including validating vendor information and banking changes and mitigating payment fraud risk.
• Monitor AP activity and aging, investigate unusual or overdue items and resolve issues as required.
• Support month-end and year-end close activities, including AP reconciliations, accruals and outstanding liability schedules.
• Lead HST/GST validation and support appropriate tax treatment and documentation.
• Support internal and external audits by providing documentation, reconciliations and explanations as required.
• Maintain and continuously improve AP policies, procedures, operating standards and internal controls.
• Develop and monitor AP metrics and KPIs, including invoice processing volumes, payment timeliness, aging and exception rates.
• Identify and implement process improvements through ERP functionality, workflow automation and other technologies.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary education in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or a related discipline; equivalent education and relevant experience will be considered.
• 3-5 years of progressive Accounts Payable experience, preferably within a high-volume environment.
• Previous team lead or supervisory experience with demonstrated ability to coach and develop others.
• Strong understanding of the complete procure-to-pay/AP cycle, including invoice processing, purchase orders, payments, vendor management, reconciliations and month-end activities.
• Good understanding of accounting principles, general ledger concepts, accruals and internal controls.
• Working knowledge of Canadian sales taxes, including HST/GST.
• Experience with ERP/accounting systems; experience with AP workflow or automation solutions is an asset.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including the ability to analyze and reconcile large amounts of financial data.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and investigative skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with vendors, employees and management.
• High degree of integrity and discretion when handling confidential financial and banking information.
• Self-motivated and capable of working independently while contributing effectively within a team environment.

Working Conditions while performing the job:

• The position is performed in an office environment.

Compliance & Transparency

In accordance with Ontario's pay transparency requirements, interviewed candidates will be informed when they are no longer under consideration for this position. Communication regarding application status may be provided through email or through your online applicant profile (if applicable).

Use of Artificial Intelligence

We may use artificial intelligence tools to assist in screening and assessing applications for this role. All hiring decisions are made by our Talent Acquisition team. At CMI we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace, free of bias and discrimination, where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported. We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where feasible. We thank all applicants for their interest; only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

CMI is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities. If you require accommodation, we will work with you to meet your needs in all stages of the hiring process.