Accounts Payable Specialist

About the Opportunity:
The Accounts Payable Specialist reports to the Senior Accountant and supports the Accounts Payable and Procure to Pay processes, the corporate credit card program, and cash handling in addition to performing other duties as assigned by the Senior Accountant. The Accounts Payable Specialist will receive training to become a backup for Accounts Receivable and Payroll processing.

Organizational Culture:
Join a team dedicated to the Academy’s mission, vision and values! Currently, the Academy’s strategic plan includes three initiatives – Hope for Reefs, Thriving California, and Islands 2030 – that leverage biodiversity science, environmental learning, and collaborative engagement to regenerate fragile ecosystems around the world. Learn more at https://www.calacademy.org/about-us/major-initiatives.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are intrinsic to Academy culture and operations, from recruitment and retention to science and advocacy. 

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are excited to contribute to our mission. The mission of the California Academy of Sciences is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every one of the qualifications for the position.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. Staff are currently expected to work from the Academy offices at least 2-3 times per week, which may fluctuate based on business needs. Please do not apply if you are not able to work onsite. This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by Cal Academy Workers United. Once the Academy has a Collective Bargaining Agreement with Cal Academy Workers United this position will be subject to the terms and conditions of that contract. Candidates are required to have up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, absent qualifying exemptions in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals receiving a conditional offer of employment from the California Academy of Sciences will be provided the full text of the vaccination policy.

About the (Business Finance/Accounting) Team:
This position will be part of the Accounting department under the Business & Finance division. This position will work towards ensuring all payables pertaining to the Academy are processed and paid in an accurate and timely manner which will allow internal business partners to keep track of the their expenses and budgets.

Key Responsibilities:

Accounts Payable

• Review invoices to ensure that submissions are in line with the Academy’s policies to reference Purchase Orders when applicable and contain approval and supporting documentation prior to entry in Oracle Fusion, the accounting system.
• Respond verbally or in writing to internal business partner and external vendor inquiries regarding various Procurement and Accounts Payable related matters in a timely manner.
• Review approved purchase requisitions and create corresponding purchase orders in Oracle Fusion.
• Maintain vendor relationships and records.
• Identify, investigate, and follow up on 2-way and 3-way match system payment holds.
• Identify and submit new supplier and supplier update requests.
• Prepare check, ACH, and wire payment batches on scheduled AP pay runs.
• Review daily disbursement account bank activity and investigate and resolve returned payments.
• Close Payables module at the end of each month and prepare accounts payable GL account reconciliation to subledger with invoice aging schedule.
• Monitor Accounts Payable aging schedule to ensure timely payment and follow up on long-outstanding invoices.
• Prepare journal entries with proper documentation of various GL accounts as due.
• Prepare annual Form 1099 reporting.

Corporate Credit Card Administration

• Administer corporate credit cards.
• Respond to credit card-related inquiries from employees and resolve concerns and issues in a timely manner.
• Liaise with JPMorgan Chase Bank as needed for matters relating to the overall credit card program or activity on individual cards.
• Prepare monthly accounting journal entries for all employee corporate credit card activity.
• Monitor employee compliance with credit card policies and cardholder/transaction approver responsibilities in the corporate credit card portal.

Cash Handling

• Manage Accounting department on-hand cash including amounts to be deposited and maintenance of a balanced petty cash box and Accounting safe.
• Coordinate and execute cash pick-up and change orders with the Guest Experience department.
• Coordinate and execute cash pick-up/delivery with armored truck service providers.
• Prepare deposit slip information and document GL account information and business explanation of all deposits.
• Organize and maintain all on-hand cash and deposit information and coordinate with Accounts Receivable as needed.

Other Duties

• With applicable training serve as a backup for Accounts Receivable and Payroll.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications: A successful candidate will have the following:
3+ years of Accounts Payable operations experience required

• Associates degree in accounting or business related field preferred
• In-depth Accounts Payable knowledge in order to work independently
• Basic understanding of GL accounts and Debits/Credits
• Intermediate Excel skills preferred
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills
• Proven initiative for working independently
• Ability to work as part of a team or collaborate well with team members and external collaborators to accomplish mutual goals
• Ability to work efficiently and communicate with staff, cross-functional teams, and external customers from different identities and experiences
• Ability to bring new ideas, create inventive solutions, and find efficiencies to transform manual or detailed processes
• Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion

Physical Environment:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Compensation and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $75,000-$90,000. Actual compensation will be commensurate with experience, skills/knowledge set, and internal equity. We believe in fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to providing competitive salaries within the industry and market standards. The Academy offers a total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits based on the hours per week worked. Further details regarding compensation and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

Schedule: Full time position with 40.0 hours per week

APPLICATION PROCESS:
Please upload your resume, cover letter, and complete the brief online application

APPLICATION DEADLINE:
Review of applications will begin on April 21, 2025 and will continue until the position is filled. 

The California Academy of Sciences will give full consideration for employment to all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance(SF Police Code, Article 49). 

We are committed to ensuring that all employees and applicants shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, placements, transfers, promotions, compensation, benefits, terminations, training, and social and recreational programs, will be on the basis of qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled. The Academy does not discriminate against qualified applicants or employees with respect to any terms or conditions of employment on account of any characteristic protected by state or federal law or local ordinance. Read our full Equal Opportunity Statement here.