Role Purpose The Accounts Payable Specialist is a core transactional finance role within the Finance Shared Services Hub, responsible for the end-to-end purchase-to-pay cycle for their assigned jurisdiction. Based in Madrid, each Specialist manages vendor relationships, invoice processing, payment execution, and reconciliation for their entity, ensuring timely and accurate payment runs in compliance with local requirements and hub-wide SLAs.
Key Responsibilities 1. Purchase-to-Pay Cycle
Receive, validate, and process vendor invoices in accordance with purchase orders, delivery notes, and approval workflows
Ensure accurate coding of invoices to the correct cost center, GL account, and project code in SAP
Manage the invoice approval workflow and chase approvers proactively to avoid payment delays
Execute payment runs on schedule: weekly or bi-weekly depending on jurisdiction and vendor terms
Process urgent and exceptional payments outside the standard payment run when required and authorized
2. Vendor Management
Maintain accurate vendor master data in SAP: bank details, payment terms, contact information, and tax identifiers
Manage vendor queries: payment status, invoice discrepancies, statement reconciliations, and credit notes
Build and maintain professional working relationships with key vendors in the assigned jurisdiction
Escalate vendor disputes or unresolved discrepancies to management within agreed timeframes
3. Reconciliation & Controls
Reconcile vendor statements monthly and resolve open items before closing
Perform month-end A/P close activities: accruals for un-invoiced goods and services, GR/IR reconciliation, and balance sheet clearing
Ensure the A/P sub-ledger is fully reconciled to the general ledger at each period end
Support internal and external audit by providing documentation, transaction evidence, and reconciliations on request
4. Reporting & KPIs
Prepare weekly A/P aging reports and flag overdue items, disputed invoices, and payment blockers
Track and report DPO by vendor and by payment category
Contribute to the working capital dashboard by providing accurate A/P data to the Working Capital & Finance Analyst
Support the cash flow forecast by providing reliable short-term payment commitments for the assigned jurisdiction
5. Process & Compliance
Follow hub-wide A/P procedures and SLAs, and flag deviations or process gaps to the Head of Finance Operations
Ensure invoices are processed and paid in compliance with local tax and regulatory requirements for the assigned jurisdiction
Participate in process improvement initiatives within the hub - suggest and test improvements to reduce processing time and error rates
Maintain full documentation of processes for audit readiness and business continuity purposes
Requirements
2-4 years in accounts payable, purchase ledger, or procure-to-pay in a structured finance environment
Experience processing high-volume invoices with multi-level approval workflows
SAP FI (A/P module) experience preferred
Familiarity with US payment infrastructure: ACH (CCD/PPD), domestic wire transfer, and check processing - including bank file formats and cut-off times
Understanding of US vendor tax compliance: W-9 collection and validation for new vendors, 1099 reporting obligations at year-end (1099-MISC / 1099-NEC)
Awareness of US state sales tax on purchases where applicable, and vendor exemption certificate management
Experience managing USD payment runs from a non-US entity, including FX conversion processes and correspondent banking
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📌 Accounts Payable Specialist (US) (Madrid)
🏢 AUREN
📍 Madrid