Accounts Payable & Payroll Specialist
This role manages the full accounts payable and payroll lifecycle for fast-growing AI companies, processing vendor invoices, employee expense reports, and payroll transactions with precision and speed. It sits at the intersection of finance operations and cross-functional collaboration, working closely with procurement, HR, and accounting teams to maintain accurate records, ensure regulatory compliance, and support month-end and year-end closes. What distinguishes this role from general accounting work is its focus on process automation and scalability—specialists in this function identify manual bottlenecks and implement systems-driven solutions to handle high transaction volumes as companies scale. Typically embedded within lean Finance teams at early-to-growth stage AI companies, these roles often expand in scope as organizations expand globally, requiring expertise in multi-entity accounting, international payments, and audit-ready controls.
Skills
What companies are looking for in this role.
Ensuring payroll accuracy, compliance, and timely delivery to employees
Processing and executing full-cycle payroll across multiple countries and jurisdictions
Managing multi-state and multi-country tax compliance and regulatory requirements
Managing end-to-end accounts payable operations including payment execution
Performing reconciliations and validations of financial records and account balances
Processing and verifying supplier invoices with accurate coding and approvals
Coordinating with external payroll providers and third-party vendors
Supporting month-end and year-end close activities and financial reporting
Managing vendor relationships including onboarding, maintenance, and dispute resolution
Designing, documenting, and implementing scalable accounting and payroll processes
Supporting external audits and maintaining audit-ready documentation
Maintaining and improving payroll processes and system configurations
Managing international payments across multiple currencies and entities
Identifying and resolving complex invoice discrepancies and pricing issues
Handling complex equity compensation including RSUs, ISOs, NSOs, and stock-based compensation
Performing three-way matching of invoices, purchase orders, and receipts
Processing travel and expense reimbursements with policy compliance
Identifying and implementing process automation and workflow improvements
Establishing and maintaining internal controls and SOX compliance
Managing corporate credit card programs and expense policy governance
Leveraging AI tools for reconciliation accuracy and error detection
Designing and executing RFP processes for vendor selection and negotiation
Implementing OCR and AI-driven invoice coding solutions
Architecting strategic category management for procurement and travel programs
Collaborating cross-functionally with HR, Finance, Procurement, and Operations teams
Demonstrating detail orientation and analytical problem-solving skills
Serving as primary point of contact for payroll and accounts payable inquiries
Communicating complex payroll and accounting matters clearly to stakeholders
Prioritizing tasks and managing multiple urgent priorities in dynamic environments
Working effectively in fast-paced, ambiguous, high-growth startup environments
Building ownership and accountability for process improvements and operational excellence
Supervising and mentoring accounting and payroll team members
Technology
The tools and technologies that define this role.
Open Jobs
24 open Accounts Payable & Payroll Specialist jobs across 15 companies.
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