Accounts Payable Associate, Finance, Finance & Facilities Management 12 - Month Contract (Hybrid, Toronto)

Job Purpose

The Accounts Payable Associate provides accounts payable support to the Finance & Facilities Management division. This includes processing and validation of all accounts payable transactions (invoices, expense reports reimbursements, remittances, corporate credit card payments), manual data input and automated invoice upload, review, validation and issuance of cheque, drafts and electronic funds transfer payments, and maintenance of related files and databases. The Accounts Payable Associate monitors transactions for compliance with financial policies as they apply to the Accounts Payable function, validating signing authorities, maintaining accounts payable process documentation, updating vendor master files, and the closing of the accounts payable sub-ledger to the General Ledger etc. The Accounts Payable Associate prepares, reconciles and issues vendor related T4As and T4A-NR as well as employee T2200 for remote employees, in compliance with Canada Revenue Agency requirements.

Qualifications Required

• A college diploma in business, accounting and related computer courses, or equivalent.
• 1 to 3 years progressive experience in accounts payable roles, in a computerized accounting environment.
• Solid understanding of accounts payable, general accounting, and internal controls.
• Good understanding of purchasing function, legislation as it pertains to applicable HST and generally accepted accounting principles.
• Sound knowledge of personal computers and software applications related to a computerized accounting environment, particularly the use of spreadsheet analysis in support of the finance function.
• Familiarity with report writing tools for the production of standard and ad hoc reports.
• High standard of commitment, ethics, respect, care in service delivery to clients (internal and/or external).
• Effective verbal and written communication with clients, staff, licensees, the public, and others.

Client / Customer Service Delivery

• Contributes to the development and implementation of integrated accounts payable processes in support of client departments and divisions, lawyers and paralegals, vendors and service providers.
• Works closely with client departments and others to communicate appropriate accounts payable processes and internal controls, analyze and validate a full range of invoices, expenses reports and claims, using GAAP and pre-set policy, and facilitates the exchange of information in support of the central accounts payable function.
• Responds to queries from external and internal clients/customers with respect to billings and invoices and provides accurate and timely information.
• As part of the payment issuance process, responds to questions and requests for additional information from CFO or Director, Finance with respect to nature/reason for payment, relevance of supporting documentation, etc.

Financial Responsibility

• Processes all transactions with respect to the full accounts payable cycle, in accordance with internal controls and Law Society policies and procedures for Law Society operations, as well as for the Compensation Fund, Unclaimed Trust Fund, Osgoode Society, Law Society Foundation and LiRN Inc., the latter two being separate entities.
• Prepares invoices, expense claims, etc., for processing, ensuring that terms, authorization and documentation are complete.
• Reviews claims, amounts and related documents for reasonableness and consistency, investigates and resolves problems in conjunction with Manager, Finance, Procurement, client departments, vendors and claimants, obtaining necessary signing authority.
• Reviews accounts payable transactions, such as invoices, to ensure that HST charges have been appropriately applied to goods and services purchased by the Law Society, and that charges incurred are appropriately calculated and allocated both within the general ledger and project accounting, where applicable.
• Follows up with vendors to correct inappropriate charges and calculations.
• Completes invoice processing in the accounts payable sub-ledger through manual entry or using upload functionality.
• Prepares and processes cheque and EFT payment runs twice weekly, validating accuracy of cheque or EFT payments to source documents.
• Maintains and administers the central petty cash fund of $2,500 for the Law Society Foundation, used to reimburse volunteers for nominal travel expenses, and replenishes float.
• Analyzes balance sheet accounts and prepares month-end balance sheet account reconciliations for accounts such as Prepaid Expenses, Accounts Payable Holdbacks, Refunds Payable and Suspense accounts.
• Analyzes the accounts to ensure accounting policies are being followed and reflect accurate reporting.
• Investigates discrepancies in these accounts and prepares monthly journal entries for them.
• Researches and analyzes methods to improve the efficiency of these processes.
• Reconciles monthly telephone bill for all employees with a corporate cell phone.
• Prepares journal entries to allocate these amounts organization wide.
• Maintains and updates accounts payable and vendor database information, and maintains all accounts payable, back-up and audit trail files, and assists external auditors with inquiries as required.
• Prepares and reconciles T4As and T4A-NRs to be issued to vendors to accounts payable records as well as prepares and reconciles T2200s for issuance to Law Society employees classified as remote.
• Reconciles Accounts Payable financial records on a monthly basis, in support of the T4A and T2200 year-end processes, addressing discrepancies on a timely basis.

Team Membership

• Actively participates with other members of the finance division, contributing to department-wide projects.
• Works cooperatively with Manager, General Accounting & Accounts Payable, Procurement, Finance department managers and employees, and client department staff to investigate and provide guidance regarding appropriate accounts payable processes and internal controls, providing accurate and timely service to clients and customers.

The Law Society has introduced a Distributed Workforce Model to leverage flexibility and agility, and to maximize employee productivity and engagement. Work arrangements will be determined by role and departmental requirements. The working arrangement for this position has been classified as hybrid, where the employee will regularly flex their work location between home and office. The specific application of this will be communicated to applicants contacted during the recruitment process.