Accounts Payable Payment Specialist (HYBRID)

at  Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

Accounts Payable Payment Specialist works closely with Accounts Payable Processor, WSIB staff and external vendors to ensure accuracy of all vendor information, payment requests, invoices processed, payment processing and accounts payable data provided for audit or internal control purposes. Perform quality control to verify and approve Accounts payable (AP) vendor maintenance and voucher transactions, investigate anomalies, follow-up and resolve vendor account issues. Execute pay cycles for various payment methods including electronic funds transfer (EFT), cheques and wires for vendors and employee expenses. Prepare foreign currency and other required non-routine payment transactions for processing.
Provide verbal or written explanations to inquiries and requests from vendors, WSIB staff, internal and external auditors.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education

• University completion at the undergraduate level.

Experience

• Total of three years experience. Two years prior experience in accounts payable processing. One year experience on the job to reach full working level.

1. Ensure accuracy and completeness of vendor master data (setup, changes and deactivation) by:

• Accessing and reviewing all vendor data inputted on-line, checking for accuracy and completeness against supporting documentation, addressing anomalies or returning to A/P Payment Processor for correction;
• Rendering validated vendor master records as active in the system;
• Supporting the A/P Payment Processor in obtaining additional support/clarification from vendor and / or business contacts where required, for new/existing vendors;
• Review vendor master data to identify and inactivate duplicate or dormant vendors; and
• Maintaining vendor tracking and reporting as required by A/P Management.

1. Ensure accuracy and completeness of invoice processing and other payment requests (including credit note and debit memo) by:

• Conducting a quality control review of data entry including:
• reviewing all vouchers in detail,
• checking to ensure accuracy and completeness for invoice inputs provided against invoices and supporting documentation,
• addressing anomalies or returning to A/P Payment Processor for correction;
• performing validations, checks and controls as required within the process and any applicable policies;
• Monitoring A/P Payment Processor work for quality, productivity accuracy and resolution of errors for feedback to the A/P Management.
• Supporting the A/P Payment Processor on invoice processing questions and issues, and determining timely involvement of the A/P Management for complex matters or escalated issues; and
• Determining allocation or assignment of voucher/payment processing, enquiries and vendor master requests to A/P Payment Processors when required.

1. Prepare (or review) foreign currency invoices for processing by:

• Performing manual verifications and checks of all information required to process the invoice;
• Listing on an Excel spreadsheet invoices requiring foreign currency draft or wire transfer for Treasury;
• Coordinating with internal teams as required to enable wire transfer and foreign currency exchange rate updates;
• Coordinating processing a test payment to ensure accuracy of banking info received from vendor, as and when required;
• Maintaining foreign currency tracking (invoices/vendors) as required; and
• Addressing inquiries on foreign currency invoices and payments.

1. Monitor, investigate and action vendor credit balances holds and statements by:

• Accessing A/P system to review vendor list of credit balances;
• Reviewing background of credit balances and contacting vendor/WSIB staff to determine if further invoices will be received or if a refund is necessary from the vendor; and
• Supporting the A/P Payment Processor on vendor statement questions and issues, and determine timely involvement of the A/P Management for complex matters or escalated issues (including demand, termination or collection notices).

1. Ensure all processed transactions are valid and recorded completely in the appropriate systems by:

• Preparing period end reconciliations for the relevant General Ledger account codes that Accounts Payable is responsible for monitoring.
• Investigating, coordinating support and where applicable performing timely corrective actions to resolve any discrepancies or anomalies noted in the General Ledger account codes.
• Prepare journal entries to record, correct or transfer Accounts Payable related transactions where required.

1. Prepare and process timely inputs for payments to Corporate Credit Card (CCC) Provider, by:

• Performing transaction and billing statement download, upload and interface steps within the process including verifications, checks and controls required;
• Resolving any issues or discrepancies that occur in the process by coordinating with internal teams to investigate and implement corrections or changes as required, and providing representation from A/P for meetings with the CCC Provider for subject matter expertise;
• Supporting any pertinent Information Technology testing and troubleshooting as and when required;
• Maintaining reports and statements for A/P records and distributing files as required to internal stakeholders;
• Preparing period-end accruals for CCC transactions; and
• Responding to internal questions and inquiries relating to the CCC transactions.

1. Perform pay cycles for third parties and employee expenses, for the payment methods utilized within A/P, by:

• Executing pay cycles per the applicable payment schedule and working alongside internal teams and external providers to complete the processes. (Includes ‘test’ payments where required.);
• Executing pay cycles on an off schedule basis per business needs;
• Coordinating with internal teams and external providers to investigate and resolve any pay cycle issues that occur;
• Distributing pay cycle reports and notifications to stakeholders identified in the pay cycle processes;
• Maintaining tracking of pay cycle data and pay cycle reports as required; and
• Performing maintenance activities for generated payments including cancellations, stale dated payments, stops, voids and re-issue.

1. Administrative and technical responsibilities:

• Maintaining digital and off-site storage of Accounts Payable documents and retrieval when necessary, in accordance with applicable Records Management policies;
• Monitoring processes within Accounts Payable to identify corporate and operational risks and areas of service level improvement, and referring to the A/P Management assisting in developing and implementing plans to minimize possible risks or enhance processes;
• Participating in committees or project teams;
• Supporting any pertinent Information Technology testing and troubleshooting relating to A/P processes as and when required;
• Assisting in preparation or revision of user guides, reference / training material, trackers, checklists, A/P forms or other process-related documents;
• Identifying and supporting coordination of changes or additions to information, forms/template and guidelines in self-service sites/portals for A/P and employee expense information;
• Acting as a subject matter expert on initiatives, projects and stretch assignments for activities and processes that are within the role of the A/P Payment Specialist;
• Providing ideas and supporting implementation of communications, training and information sharing with internal stakeholders for A/P related matters; and
• Perform other duties as assigned or required.

1. Respond to inquiries and requests from vendors, WSIB staff and internal and external auditors by:

• Tracing data on invoices, employee expenses and payments as required to respond to inquiries;
• Explaining entries and/or transaction details on monthly A/P expenditures for WSIB staff and auditors;
• Understanding the ask, obtaining information from the applicable system(s)/records as requested and preparing or explaining the information in line with any specific format/process requested;
• Providing back-up or running queries for transactions to WSIB staff when required; and
• Supporting the A/P Payment Processor on vendor or employee expense queries where required, and determine timely involvement of A/P Management for complex matters or escalated issues.