Accounts Payable Associate

Company Introduction

WorldStrides is the global leader in educational travel and experiential learning. The company was founded in 1967 to provide middle school travel programs to Washington, D.C. and has grown to provide a wide range of programs for more than half a million students annually to over 100 countries around the world. WorldStrides offers experiential learning programs in educational travel, performing arts, language immersion, career exploration, service-learning, study abroad, and sports. Each of these experiences helps students to see beyond the classroom and to see the world – and themselves – in new ways.

Job description:

The position will report to the Accounts Payable Manager and may be responsible for vendor maintenance, generating payments or processing invoices received from multiple locations and vendors on a daily basis, reconciling vendor statements, responding to internal and external customer inquiries, resolving issues and working within a fast paced, deadline-oriented environment. 

Provides financial, administrative and clerical support by ensuring payments are completed and expenses are controlled by receiving payments, processing, verifying and reconciling invoices according to established policies and procedures in an efficient, timely and accurate manner.

Responsibilities:   

Daily Tasks

• Review and compile payment requests received via Higher Ed/invoices:
• Ensure each request includes the corresponding invoice.
• Verify that invoice amounts match the Payment Request Template.
• Confirm correct expense category assignment.
• Check that each request includes the appropriate Trip ID.
• Process manual bank payments (typically on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; 2–3 times per week as needed).
• Send payment confirmation emails on payment days.
• Provide remittance details when requested.
• Send ISA priorities approval emails:
• Friday for Monday processing
• Tuesday for Wednesday processing
• Wednesday for Thursday processing

Weekly Tasks

• Process SG&A & COS check requests submitted via Higher Ed/invoices, including category assignment and submission via NetSuite.
• Send COS Totals reports from CP when requested.
• Create new vendor requests whenever a new vendor is needed, to ensure invoices can be uploaded to NetSuite by month-end.

 Monthly Tasks

• Monitor and control payments to ISA subsidiaries, ensuring invoices are not duplicated and match the intercompany balance
• Upload invoice payments made during the month (twice a month).
• Upload JE for ISA intercompany transfers.

Other tasks:

• Accurately reviews, processesand keys (or uploads) a large volume of invoices for multiple locations, to ensure timely and accurate This includes but is not limited to performing two-way match to purchase orders, processing non-po invoices and ensuring proper business unit and GL account coding, and/or appropriate approval has been obtained. 
• Process multi-currency Accounts Payable transactions for the Company’s International entities
• Process employee T&E reimbursement requests
• Complies withaccounting and department policies, adapting to changes directed by AP Management, including system, policy and procedures. 
• Fields incoming questions and issues, andensures timely response and resolution. 
• Team player, work in a team environment helping as a backup to the other AP Associates when assistanceis needed in the day to day department functions 
• Develops and maintainsrelations with internal and external parties by providing excellent customer service. 
• Performs vendor statement reconciliations.
• Supports month end processes.
• Create and maintainvendor profiles and may be involved in annual 1099/1042 process 
• Special projects and other duties may be assigned
• Reconcile processed work by verifying entries and comparing system reports to balances
• Charge expenses to accounts and cost centers by analyzing invoice/expense reports and recording entries
• Pay vendors by monitoring discount opportunities, verifying federal id numbers, schedulingand preparing checks, resolving purchase order, contract, invoice, or payment discrepancies and documentation; insuring credit is received for outstanding memos, issuing stop-payments or purchase order amendments 
• Pay employees by receiving and verifying expense reports for advances; preparing checks
• Verify credit card charges/ accounts by reconciling monthly statements. 
• Provide accurateand effective document preparation and records management relative to the AP function in accordance with records retention policies and procedures 
• Protect organization’s value by keeping information confidential
• Update job knowledge by participatingin educational opportunities 

 Qualifications:  

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Three to five years of progressive A/P experience in an automated environment is preferred.
• Relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is also acceptable. 
• Proficiencywith MS Office Suite required (Excel and Word), Epicor or NetSuite AP system experience is a plus.
• Knowledge and understanding of finance, accountingand financial controls required. 

 Work Perks: 

• Fun & driven environment.
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage, life, accidental death and dismemberment, accident, critical illness, and disability insurance. 
• +10% of gross salary as food stamps. 
• 1 paid volunteer day & 25 PTO* days to start – accrue up to 28 over 3 years, 4 mental health days, and 5 bereavement days.
• Statutory Holidays by Mexican Federal Labor Law.
• Tuition reimbursement up to five thousand, two hundred fifty dollars annually or one thousand dollars towards professional certification annually.
• Flexible work schedule providing on-site and hybrid opportunities.
• Encouraged participation in our Employee Resource Groups and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion council.
• Fitness opportunities.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Paid statutory parental leave.