Manager, Accounting Services

at Serco in Topeka, Kansas, United States

Job Description

Position Description & Qualifications

Serco Inc. seeking a dynamic and highly skilled individual to fill the newly created role of Manager, Accounting Services , reporting directly to the Director of Accounting. You will be responsible for overseeing the end-to-end accounts payable process, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance. You will lead the accounts payable team for North America and collaborate with other internal teams as you implement best practices and leverage technology to scale our AP operations. This role is perfect for a detail-oriented leader passionate about operational excellence and continuous improvement.

This role calls for a well-rounded performer who thrives in a fast-paced, demanding environment. Key attributes we are seeking for this role include both the willingness to dig deeply into details, as well as the ability to assess the big picture and impacts to up/downstream activities. The selected individual will consistently demonstrate high levels of technical and professional knowledge and quickly assimilate new knowledge.

The person in this role must have the ability to manage tight deadlines and have strong technical, leadership, communication, and customer service skills. The position will interface regularly with stakeholders across locations in the US and Canada in Finance, Procurement, Business Operations, and accounting application support. The successful candidate will also have a strong understanding of best practices and key controls over procure-to-pay processes, with significant experience in government contracting and Deltek Costpoint.

In this role, you will:

Accounts Payable Operations

+ Lead and manage the Accounts Payable team, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement while overseeing day-to-day operations to ensure efficient workflows, accuracy and timeliness in invoice posting and payment processing, correct reporting, and compliant data management.

+ Manage accounts payable processing for all US and Canadian entities, including travel and expense reimbursement policies and practices, workflows, and processing benchmarks.

+ Ensure timely and accurate month-end close activities related to A/P.

+ Analyze and maintain company Travel and Purchasing Card Program including banking applications, policies, and processes.

+ Ensure the programs are effectively managed and optimized to meet the company’s needs in conjunction with Procurement and Treasury teams as required.

+ Partner with key corporate stakeholders (e.g., Procurement, Vendor Management, Accounting, FP&A, Treasury, IT) and operations leadership to ensure alignment of financial processes to corporate objectives.

+ Perform general accounting duties, including preparing and reviewing journal entries, subsidiary to general ledger reconciliations, and intercompany account reconciliations.

+ Prepare and file annual IRS Forms 1099 and 1096.

+ Monitor payment schedules to ensure adherence to payment terms and cash flow optimization.

+ Perform additional duties and special projects as needed or assigned.

+ Master the AP workflow software to become the departmental subject matter expert to support functional users and the administrator.

Team Leadership and Development

+ Supervise, mentor, and develop staff and provide AP training for new employees.Provide training and guidance on AP processes, systems, and compliance standards. Supervise, mentor, and set performance goals for AP staff, including mid-year and annual reviews.

Vendor Management

+ In collaboration with Procurement, own vendor master records management, setup, review, and solutioning to ensure compliance with company policies and statutory regulations. Will supervise all changes as well as be able to perform vendor record modifications as needed.

+ Recommend vendor fraud mitigation practices and train relevant stakeholders.

Reporting and Analysis

+ Prepare and analyze AP-related reports, including aging reports and accruals, for management. Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive performance improvements and ensure high-quality output.

Compliance and Internal Controls

+ Ensure compliance with all relevant accounting standards, regulations, and internal policies, mitigating risks and safeguarding the company’s financial integrity.

+ Develop and maintain company accounts payable and accounting policies and procedures.

+ Provide documentation and support for internal and external audits.

Process Improvement and Technology Utilization

+ Identify and implement process improvements to streamline payables workflows, enhance automation for efficiency and scalability, and reduce operational costs.

+ Respond to internal business user requests for assistance with issues related to AP-related system application functions.

+ Troubleshoot and resolve issues in a timely manner with oversight and coordination with business stakeholders. Work with technical teams for configuration of applications and issue resolution as needed.

+ Lead or support system enhancement projects and as the AP subject matter expert for system update and enhancement projects.

+ Test changes to business applications and ensure performance is as designed; work with team members to resolve any issues.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

+ U.S Citizenship required

+ Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field

+ Minimum 6 years of experience in Accounts Payable accounting with a strong understanding of AP processes, fundamentals of procurement and purchase order invoice processing, internal controls, and accounting principles, including in-depth knowledge of accruals and prepaid processes

+ Minimum 4 years of experience in a leadership role managing finance operations teams, including accounts payable

+ Proven ability to lead and motivate a team

+ Excellent people management skills, with a focus on coaching, development, and fostering a cohesive team culture

+ Hands-on experience with OCR and Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) technologies in an AP environment, including invoice data extraction, validation, automation, implementation, or optimization of these solutions

+ Advanced knowledge of general and corporate business practices, general ledger accounting, with a fundamental understanding of treasury practices and US government contracting regulations (FAR, JTR) including DCAA compliance

+ Familiarity with international payments, multi-currency transactions, and tax compliance requirements

+ Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across departments and at all levels of the organization

+ Strong critical thinking and analytical skills, with a proactive approach to problem-solving

+ Proven track record of managing and optimizing processes

+ Strong Microsoft Office skills including advanced Excel skills with data analysis capabilities

+ Ability to travel up to 10% to local office on an as needed basis

Additional desired skills and experience:

+ Strong working knowledge of Deltek Costpoint v.8.1 or higher

+ Working experience with Hyland OnBase IAConnect, SAP Concur, MS Power BI preferred

Company Overview

Serco Inc. (Serco) is the Americas division of Serco Group, plc. In North America, Serco’s 9,000+ employees strive to make an impact every day across 100+ sites in the areas of Defense, Citizen Services, and Transportation. We help our clients deliver vital services more efficiently while increasing the satisfaction of their end customers. Serco serves every branch of the U.S. military, numerous U.S. Federal civilian agencies, the Intelligence Community, the Canadian government, state, provincial and local governments, and commercial clients. While your place