Senior Specialist, Accounts Payable/ Travel & Expense

The Role

The Senior Specialist, Accounts Payable and Travel & Expense leverages their significant functional/technical expertise and experience to take a lead role in coordinating and executing logistics and projects. They conduct thorough analyses of complex transactions and processes to ensure accuracy and compliance. The Senior Specialist provides insights and guidance to colleagues and stakeholders, drawing from their comprehensive understanding of policies and practices. They proactively identify challenges, conflicts, and roadblocks, using their problem-solving skills to develop innovative solutions. Moreover, the Senior Specialist analyses and evaluates existing processes to drive continuous improvement initiatives and shares best practices across the organization.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

Accounts Payable

• Lead the processing and analysis of invoices, applying extensive knowledge of Accounts Payable best practices and policies.
• Serve as a subject matter expert, advising and guiding stakeholders on complex Accounts Payable matters and policy interpretation.
• Continuously review and improve Accounts Payable processes to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and compliance
• Analyse financial data and reconcile vendor accounts, taking proactive measures to address outstanding credits and resolve issues.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive process improvements and support the organization's financial goals.
• Manage payment rejections and place corrective action.
• Review AP open items and place timely solutions.
• Review of India tax compliance accuracy.
• Resolve general accounting complication related to AP/T&E and streams such as CAPEX, Fixed assets, Bank Reconciliation etc
• Manage escalations.
• Manage and coordinate in regular internal/external audits.
• Manage internal stakeholders, understand expectation, and manage operations.
• Support on related projects to Manager
• Assist and provide ad hoc reporting as and when required.

Travel & Expense

• Audit employee expense submissions weekly for policy compliance, and supervise a team of T&E  
• Administrators in preparing payments.
• Ensure expenses are scanned, entered, and audited in the system timely, adhering to Bain policies and procedures.
• Follow up weekly on duplicate expense reimbursements and airfare refunds.
• Supervise Time and Expense Administrators, managing hiring, training, work allocation, and professional development.
• Provide problem resolution, recommend process improvements, identify expense trends, and communicate updates to internal and external customers, and perform other duties as needed.
• Manage escalations.
• Manage and coordinate in regular internal/external audits.
• Manage internal stakeholders, understand expectation, and manage operations.
• Support on related projects to Manager
• Assist and provide ad hoc reporting as and when required.

Career Growth:

Bain & Company has a well-laid career framework for this position. At Bain & Company, no two-career paths are the same. We provide the structure to ensure success and the flexibility to accommodate your needs. We offer formal training to support you and informal challenges to stretch you. No matter what path you choose to follow, Bain & Company will offer you unrivalled career-development opportunities.

Personal Specification:

• Significant experience in senior-level Accounts Payable roles, showcasing advanced expertise and leadership capabilities.
• Track record of leading and executing complex projects and initiatives within the Accounts Payable function
• Proficiency in analysing financial data, reconciling accounts, and making informed decisions.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills to engage with stakeholders at all levels.
• Proactive mindset and continuous improvement orientation to drive enhancements and efficiencies.
• Experience with SAP
• Experience with invoice coding
• Experience as a team lead. Managing a team for operational deliveries does not necessarily means people management.
• Should have sound knowledge of India Tax and regulatory compliances.
• Fair understanding of general accounting and streams such as CAPEX, Fixed assets, Bank Reconciliation etc

Qualifications and Experience:

 Essential

• CA Inter or MBA (Finance) or M.COM
• Proficiency in English, both written and verbal
• Proficiency in excel/MS office.
• At least 7-9 years previous Accounts Payable experience/T&E

Desired but not essential

• Experience with SAP
• Process transition experience
• Experience in a Consulting firm or a Captive unit