accountant (payment).

The Payment Accountant is responsible for the end-to-end execution of payment cycles for multiple business units or regions. This role ensures all vendor payments, employee reimbursements, and intercompany settlements are processed accurately, securely, and within agreed-upon timelines while maintaining strict compliance with internal controls and local tax regulations.

Finding the right Payment Accountant for a Shared Service Center (SSC) requires a balance of technical precision and the ability to operate within a high-volume, standardized environment.

In a shared service model, this role is often part of the Procure-to-Pay (P2P) stream, focusing not just on "paying bills" but on cash flow optimization and strict SLA (Service Level Agreement) management.

Here is a comprehensive Job Description (JD) template you can adapt for your client.

Job Purpose

The Payment Accountant is responsible for the end-to-end execution of payment cycles for multiple business units or regions. This role ensures all vendor payments, employee reimbursements, and intercompany settlements are processed accurately, securely, and within agreed-upon timelines while maintaining strict compliance with internal controls and local tax regulations.

Key Responsibilities

• Payment Execution: Manage the daily/weekly payment runs (ACH, Wire, EFT, and Checks) across various currencies and banking platforms.

• Cash Flow Management: Monitor bank balances to ensure sufficient funding for payment runs and coordinate with the Treasury department for liquidity needs.

• Discrepancy Resolution: Partner with the Accounts Payable (AP) and Procurement teams to resolve payment failures, rejected bank entries, or vendor banking detail discrepancies.

• SLA & KPI Adherence: Ensure all payments are processed within the Shared Service Center’s Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and meet Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for accuracy and speed.

• Reconciliation: Perform monthly bank-to-ledger reconciliations and clear "stale" payments or outstanding items in the transit accounts.

• Compliance & Audit: Ensure all payments follow the "Delegation of Authority" (DoA). Support internal and external audits by providing payment audit trails and documentation.

• Process Improvement: Identify opportunities to automate manual payment steps or migrate vendors to more cost-effective electronic payment methods.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a professional qualification (e.g., ACCA, CPA, CIMA).

• Experience: 2–4 years of experience in Accounts Payable or Payment functions, ideally within a Shared Service or MNC environment.

• Technical Skills: * Proficiency in Tier-1 ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft Dynamics 365).

  • Familiarity with global banking portals.

  • Strong Excel skills (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs).