PURCHASING AND ACCOUNTS PAYABLE ADMINISTRATOR

The Lycée Français of Chicago is seeking a highly organized and experienced Purchasing and Accounts Payable Administrator to manage all aspects of accounts payable and procurement. This role reports directly to the CFO and requires a detail-oriented individual with strong accounting software proficiency and excellent communication skills.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business administration, or finance
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in accounting, with experience in a similar role
• Proficiency with the Microsoft operating system, Google Drive, Word, and Excel.
• Required knowledge of accounts payable software; strong preference for experience with Blackbaud’s Financial Edge accounting software and its Accounts Payable module.
• Fluency in both English and French is strongly preferred
• Experience in independent school and non-profit accounting is a plus.
• Excellent client service skills and adherence to ethical and confidentiality guidelines
• Ability to learn and teach established processes, recommend best practices, and streamline workflows.
• Strong time management and organizational skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, especially for complex financial issues.
• Problem-solving skills with the ability to grasp complexities and perceive relationships among issues.

Accounts Payable

• Manage weekly accounts payable payment cycles for vendors, employees, student parents, and students, assuring timely issuance of check payments to avoid late fees. They provide the open AP pool summary report and coordinate the required cash flow needs for various payable batches.
• Research and resolve outstanding payable issues with vendors, employees, and students.
• Oversee and conducts the entire Lycée’s cost coding process according to the charter of accounts and cost allocation policies.
• Maintain proper accounts payable setup for all vendor accounts and conduct an annual cleanup of vendor, staff, and student accounts.
• Monitor and maintain the school’s subcontractor files and their monthly utilization.
• Ensure all invoices to be processed have an appropriate and approved purchase order and respective supplemental documents (e.g., bill of lading, shipping slips), including proper cost codes and approval signatures from Administrators or Executive Management.
• Conduct the weekly check run every Thursday, with check distribution on Friday, ensuring all checks reflect the full address.
• Submit positive AP batch files and process international payments through the bank FX system regularly.
• Prepare and reconcile accounts payable records monthly (sub-module AP) with the general ledger, providing reconciliation documents to the CFO.
• Investigate uncashed checks, find payees, and reissues or voids checks as appropriate.
• Maintain IRS W9 forms for all vendors annually, assuring no invoices are processed without a copy in the electronic file.
• Prepare and file government vendor reports, such as year-end 1099s, by the governmental deadline.
• Determine work procedures, prepare work schedules, and expedite workflow, including suggestions for Lycée’s internal forms. They conduct regular revision and potential consolidation of forms in both English and French.
• Participate in the monthly account close and ensure all invoices and credit card charges have been entered for the respective accounts and appropriate time periods.
• Prepare and update the weekly cashflow forecast used by the CFO to forecast cash needs and helps ensure liquidity is maintained while maximizing return on investments.
• Search and prepare competitive analyses of technology products to improve efficiencies in the AP, invoice and credit card processing areas including the use of AI tools..

Procurement

• Obtain quotes, negotiate with vendors, and promptly execute purchases
• Assist with transportation and accommodation financial transactions for field trips and special events, issuing invoices to participants as needed
• Track deliveries, resolve backorders, shortages, or defects with vendors, and coordinate summer orders

Other

• Apply allocation and record employer contributions to Employee benefits for each payroll
• Distribute to cardholders, account for, and reconcile monthly payments made by credit card
• Add fixed assets on a monthly basis in the fixed assets module of Blackbaud
• Record checks issued out of the Athletic Wintrust checking account, record French bank loans and monthly transactions, and perform monthly Banque Transatlantique reconciliations
• Review monthly field trips and prepaid/expense transactions with the Senior Accountant.
• Prepare support for prepaid expenses.
• Meet all set deadlines relating to providing PBC schedules and support for the annual audits.
• Attend finance meetings with the CFO and be prepared to provide agenda points of critical issues with respective solutions.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.