Financial Analyst

Title: Financial Analyst 3

Location: New York, NY

Duration: 6 months

Description:

Key Responsibilities

1. Review & Approval (Vendor / Employee Expenses)

Review and approve vendor invoices, purchase orders, and non-PO payments in accordance with company policy, delegation of authority, approval limits, and three-way match requirements

Review and approve employee expense reports (T&E, corporate card, reimbursements, business expenses) for policy compliance; validate supporting documentation, business purpose, expense eligibility, accounting codes, cost centers, and required business approvals

Identify and resolve duplicate submissions, invoice discrepancies, unsupported charges, and policy exceptions before approval or payment; document decisions and required corrective actions; escalate exceptions, policy violations, and items requiring higher-level approval

Review and approve payment proposals/runs, reimbursement runs, and manual or urgent payments, confirming authorized amounts, due dates, payment terms, and verified banking details; coordinate payment execution with Treasury and relevant stakeholders

Monitor approval workflows, aging, and exceptions (duplicate invoices, split transactions, out-of-policy spend) and take corrective action

2. Vendor Bank Registration, Verification & Change Control (VERS)

Perform and approve bank account registration and verification for new vendors as an integral part of the VERS (Vendor Evaluation & Registration System) onboarding process, prior to vendor master activation; review required banking documents and confirm vendor identity and account ownership

Independently verify new banking details through approved methods, including direct confirmation with an authorized vendor representative using contact information obtained from a trusted source independent of the registration request

Verify all vendor bank change requests through independent, documented call-back or other approved validation methods; confirm requestor authority, authenticity of supporting documents (e.g., bank letters, voided checks), and revised account details before approval and implementation

Retain verification evidence, approvals, and change history in VERS and applicable vendor records; coordinate with Procurement, vendor management, and master data teams to resolve incomplete or inconsistent information before activation or payment

Maintain segregation of duties among bank data entry, verification, approval, and payment release; obtain independent review for transactions personally prepared or entered; hold and escalate suspicious or unverified registration, change, or payment requests

Ensure secure handling, storage, and access control of sensitive banking data in line with information security and privacy requirements

Conduct periodic vendor bank information audits and reviews of access permissions to detect and prevent fraud, unauthorized changes, and data discrepancies; investigate and resolve anomalies

Maintain and continuously improve the VERS bank verification procedures, checklists, and control documentation in collaboration with Procurement and Treasury

3. Payment Operations & Month-End Close

Manage the vendor invoice lifecycle and employee reimbursement process, balancing workload and service deadlines to deliver accurate, timely payments aligned with cash management guidelines

Oversee timely and accurate vendor payment processing and resolve payment issues, returns, and rejected payments

Oversee AP reconciliations, aging reviews, accruals, and month-end and year-end close activities; resolve outstanding balances and collaborate with accounting, other departments, and subsidiaries on reporting and close requirements

Ensure accurate recording of AP transactions and compliance with accounting standards and internal policies

4. Risk Management, Controls & Audit

Own AP internal controls and ensure compliance with SOX and company policies; monitor fraud risks, duplicate payments, unauthorized bank changes, and vendor master data discrepancies; identify control gaps and implement remediation

Lead reporting and analysis for vendor risk management items (fraud prevention, control gaps, duplicate payment prevention, and various audits)

Serve as primary AP contact for internal and external auditors; provide complete records and control evidence, investigate findings, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions with accountable owners and deadlines

Protect sensitive vendor banking and employee expense information through controlled access, secure handling, and records retention in accordance with company requirements

5. Team Leadership & Stakeholder Management

Manage, coach, and develop AP staff; assign responsibilities, review work quality, set performance expectations, and maintain coverage for critical approval and verification activities

Serve as the escalation point for complex expense, invoice, payment, and vendor disputes; communicate with business units and vendors to resolve issues and provide guidance on invoice submission and expense policy requirements

Maintain AP procedures and train employees and stakeholders on expense policies, approval workflows, VERS banking requirements, and bank change verification procedures

Drive process improvement, standardization, and automation initiatives, using data analysis, ERP capabilities, and approved AI tools to improve efficiency and control effectiveness

Manage projects to meet time-sensitive deadlines and coordinate with other corporate departments

Develop and track AP KPIs (e.g., on-time payment, processing turnaround, payment accuracy, aging, verification completion, exception rates) and report to management

Background/Experience

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field required

Minimum 8 10 years of experience in Accounts Payable, vendor management, or similar related field,

Experience reviewing and approving both employee expenses and vendor invoices, managing payment processes, and supporting reconciliations and month-end close

Hands-on experience with vendor onboarding, bank registration and bank change verification, vendor master data controls, fraud prevention, and audit support

Experience with SAP or similar ERP system preferred; familiarity with expense management tools and vendor registration workflows such as VERS preferred

Knowledge of internal control frameworks (SOX) preferred

Necessary Attributes & Skills

Strong leadership, people management, and coaching skills

Sound judgment and integrity in approval decisions; ability to uphold policy and challenge exceptions

Solid analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to identify discrepancies, investigate root causes, and resolve them

Strong attention to detail is of paramount importance in this role, particularly in bank data verification

Diplomacy and ability to deal with difficult vendor and stakeholder situations and escalations

Excellent oral and written communication skills

Solid Microsoft Office skills (Word & Excel), including V-lookup and Pivot tables (Macros a+)

AI tool implementation and usage skills in the job function preferred

Sense of urgency and timeliness in completing tasks; ability to prioritize competing deadlines and multi-task in a fast-paced environment

Strong relationship management skills with internal stakeholders and vendors