Manager: Accounts Payable

Mayer Brown is an international law firm positioned to represent the world's major corporations, funds, and financial institutions in their most important and complex transactions and disputes. We are recognized by our clients as strategic partners with deep commercial instincts and a commitment to creatively anticipating their needs and delivering excellence in everything we do.We are a collegial, collaborative firm where highly motivated individuals with an unwavering commitment to excellence receive the opportunity, support, and development they need to grow, thrive, and realize their greatest potential all while supporting the Firm's client service principles of excellence, strategic partnership, commercial instinct, integrated strengths, innovation, and collaboration across our international firm.If you enjoy working with team members whose defining characteristics are exceptional client service, initiative, professionalism, responsiveness, and adaptability, you may be the person we are seeking to join our Accounting and Analysis department in our Chicago office, as a Manager: Accounts Payable.

The Accounts Payable Manager, in collaboration with and support of the Assistant Director of Accounts Payable, leads the daily operations of the Firm's U.S. cash disbursements function. Key responsibilities include ensuring smooth and effective execution of the disbursements cycle, supporting departmental strategies, ensuring exemplary customer service, managing team personnel, supporting departmental systems and consistently enhancing service, processes, controls and procedures.

This crucial and visible role serves as the primary operational leader in ensuring the function achieves the department's sustained service and operational excellence aspiration.

Essential Functions: 

General

• Leads full cycle execution of the cash disbursements function
• Manages, develops and mentors departmental staff
• Ensures a robust, effective control system
• Helps foster a collaborative, innovative and empowering culture
• Ensures timely, accurate processing and payment of vendor invoices and expense reimbursements
• Ensures timely support of and responsiveness to customer base
• Evolves operations through innovation, technology and ongoing assessments of practices
• Serves as primary contact with third party service center in their support of clerical tasks
• Leads processes surrounding multiple payment methods
• Ensures pristine and accurate recordkeeping and processing
• Supports the department's financial and expense workflow systems
• Supports measurement of departmental performance through data, metrics and KPI's
• Supports departmental strategies
• Solves problems quickly and adeptly
• Conducts staff training; develops sophisticated process documentation and informative content
• Leads departmental projects and other tasks as assigned

Tactical

• Develops comprehensive expertise on the Firm's financial systems, disbursements workflow platform and policies and procedures
• Is on cutting edge of industry technologies and innovations

Education/Training/Certifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field strongly preferred, an equivalent combination of education and/or experience may be considered in lieu of the degree when experience is directly related to the needs and expectations of the role

Professional Experience: 

• Five years+ in accounts payable, required
• Prior leadership experience, strongly preferred
• Experience in legal or other professional services environment, preferred
• Accounting experience, preferred

Technical Skills:

• Expert knowledge of financial and accounts payable operations and systems, required
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office products, including Excel, required
• Sophisticated technological acumen, required
• Advanced knowledge of automated disbursements workflow systems (e.g. Chrome River, Concur, Coupa), strongly preferred

Performance Traits:

• Strong, credible leadership presence
• Exceptional ability to manage a diverse group
• Innate customer service orientation and commitment to excellence
• Natural ability to inspire others and drive positive change
• Meticulous attention to detail, quality work, meeting deadlines
• Sharp critical thinking and analytical skills
• Ability to tenaciously solve problems and creatively conceive solutions
• Proactive, innovative orientation
• Engaging and unifying interpersonal and communication skills
• Inherently self-reflective, collaborative, growth oriented
• Trustworthy, honest, reliable

Management Accountabilities:

• Manages processes for direct reports in regards to performance appraisals, annual compensation, goal setting and performance counselling
• Achievement of assigned goals
• Professional development (training/mentoring)
• Timely addressing of performance issues
• Participating in recruiting, interviewing and transition of assigned staff
• Managing assigned staff's PTO
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience
• Operational budget analysis and recommendations
• Conducts analysis of staffing levels and participation in the recruitment process
• Able to determine and implement change processes to improve workflow efficiencies
• Process- and service-oriented with strong leadership and project management skills
• Able to set priorities and delegate in an efficient manner

The typical pay scale for this position is between $113,000 and $149,000, although the actual wage or salary could be lower or higher if the candidate's education, experience, skills and internal pay alignment are different from those specified. 

The above is a general description of the essential duties associated with this position and does not represent an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all duties.

The Firm may modify and amend this job description at any time at its sole discretion. Nothing herein creates a contract of employment or otherwise modifies the at-will nature of employment.

We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits, including medical/dental/vision/life/and AD&D insurance, 401(k) savings plan, back-up childcare and eldercare, generous paid time off (PTO), as well as opportunities for professional development and growth.

Thank you for your interest in Mayer Brown. We are committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities and disabled veterans. To request a reasonable accommodation related to the application process and/or job interview, please email  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

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