Accounting Manager - Accounts Payable & Billing Operations

State of Massachusetts - Boston, MA

Full-time - Mid Level

Boston, MA

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support

About the position

The Accounting Manager - Accounts Payable & Billing Operations is a full-time role within the Finance Department of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS). This position is responsible for overseeing the agency's accounts payable process, ensuring compliance with relevant guidelines, and managing the billing operations for agency services, legal services, and court-related services. The role involves leadership in modernizing billing systems and requires collaboration with various stakeholders to ensure efficient financial operations.

Responsibilities

• Managing the agency's accounts payable process for all bills including agency services, private legal services, and court-related services for over 3,000 attorneys and over 2,000 expert vendors.
• Managing the timely operational payments for goods and services.
• Providing regular supervision of Accounts Payable Supervisor and Accounts Payable staff including ensuring that annual performance evaluations are completed in a timely and comprehensive manner.
• Managing the development and implementation of agency accounts payable policies and procedures and billing regulations including the CPCS Internal Control Policy.
• Working directly with the Accounting Unit to ensure that funds for attorney and vendor payments are properly committed/encumbered by fiscal year and that funds are re-allocated/obligated as needed.
• Overseeing the documentation of existing processes and determining specifications and requirements for future financial and/or billing systems, including procuring and implementing new systems.
• Developing standard and custom queries/reports for billing systems and creating routine analysis and reporting responsibilities.
• Communicating with vendors on billing issues as well as providing technical assistance to vendors and CPCS employees to ensure superior customer service and compliance with agency rules and regulations.
• Supporting ongoing department initiatives which include moving to paperless, cross training, standardized/routine reporting and performance management.
• Resolving all issues that concern the unit during the fiscal year, including the opening and closing of the state accounting system, MMARS and other agency internal billing systems.
• Preparing and disseminating information internally regarding payment statuses and processes; maintaining related electronic and hard copy files.
• Partnering with leaders throughout the agency including the head of the Private Counsel Division, the General Counsel and head of Audit and Oversight.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance or similar field or an equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and experience.
• Five years of experience in accounting and/or accounts payable experience and three years' experience managing/supervising.
• Access to a personal computer with home internet access sufficient to work remotely.
• Proficiency with the state accounting system (MMARS), including reconciling accounts and managing accounts payable or similar accounting systems.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office 2010 with a strong emphasis on Excel, Access, and Outlook.
• Three to five years of supervising, mentoring, or training experience.
• Ability to create, analyze, and interpret financial information and scenarios.
• Knowledge and understanding of state finance law as well as payment and procurement regulations.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with custom/organization-built billing/platform systems.
• Experience with legal billing systems preferred.
• Experience with implementation of new billing/platform systems.
• Good communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a group.