Manager of Accounts Payable

Position: Manager of Accounts Payable
Reports to: Assistant Controller
Status: Full-time, benefit-eligible, exempt position; non-housed.
Salary range: $75,000–$90,000.

About The Thacher School 

The Thacher School is one of the most selective and highly regarded boarding schools in the nation. Founded in 1889 by Sherman Day Thacher, the School serves academically talented students from over 20 states and close to 10 countries in a rigorous college preparatory experience. More than 54% of students identify as people of color. The faculty and students live and work closely together on a 427-acre campus nestled in the foothills of the Los Padres National Forest in Ojai, California (85-miles north of Los Angeles). Honor, fairness, kindness, and truth are the cornerstones of school life. Together, the school community commits to the belief that demands in the academic classroom, when combined with those of mountains and horses, of sports and the arts, produce independent minds, strong bodies, and powerful character. The School enrolls 260 students, has an operating budget of $30 million, and an endowment of $190 million. 

Position Overview:
The Business Office is committed to fulfilling The Thacher School’s mission by providing the highest quality fiscal services through excellence in customer service, integrity, accountability, and stewardship.

• Review, evaluate, and approve vendor invoices and non-invoice payments, reconciling vendor statements against the accounting information system to ensure timely payment.
• Partner with School departments and vendors to request missing invoices, investigate billing discrepancies, and resolve payment inquiries while maintaining positive professional relationships
• Ensure proper identification, coding, and withholding for payments subject to federal or state income taxes associated with invoices, direct pays and payment notifications.
• Manage the Ramp procurement card software by overseeing the review, approval, and reconciliation of travel expenses, reimbursements, and card transactions in line with established standards.
• Monitor documentation and exception reports to ensure compliance and address any discrepancies in transactions.
• Act as the primary contact for cardholders, proxies, and financial managers, offering guidance on expense eligibility, allocation deadlines, and statement reconciliation.
• Responsible for managing workflow permissions and approval hierarchies between Ramp and Blackbaud. 
• Identify vendors that can be paid by ACH and promote enrollment in procurement card program.
• Analyze payment documents including invoices, direct pays, and payment notifications to identify expenses which meet criteria for accrual or deferral across fiscal years.
• Ensure expenses are recorded in proper fiscal period. Prepare associated journal entries when necessary.
• Submit journal entries as needed to record or correct accounting distribution of previously approved invoices.
• Scan and/or import accounts payable documents and index in procurement card system. Ensure compliance with standards for document presentation and image quality.
• Oversee annual 1099 (MISC/NEC) tax reporting processes, including vendor information verification (W-9s), payment threshold analysis, and timely electronic filing with federal and state authorities. 
• Supports the Assistant Controller, Controller and DOF in financial planning, reporting, compliance and internal control management.
• Performs complex accounting and financial transactions across multiple funds which requires processing and analyzing transactions and resolving accounting discrepancies and irregularities to ensure the accuracy, timeliness, and integrity of accounting records.
• Compiles and analyzes financial data for ad hoc reporting and special projects, delivering insights and recommendations that support leadership decisions.
• Support the annual financial audit by preparing schedules, assembling documentation, and supporting testing related to accounts payable, expense management, and operating funds. 
• Evaluates and recommends improvements to accounting practices, internal controls, and procedures and assists with their implementation, supporting process improvements and efficiencies in Blackbaud, Ramp and other systems.
• Complies with all School rules, procedures, guidelines, and laws/regulations, including but not limited to those related to document retention and destruction, FERPA, and confidentiality.
• Strictly honors the privacy, security, and confidentiality of records and other sensitive information according to appropriate state, federal, and school regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Provides service excellence through courteous, informed, accessible, and professional engagement.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

• A bachelor's degree in business, accounting, finance, or a related field with a minimum of four (4) years of professional experience in accounting, finance, or related areas. A combination of related education and experience may be considered.
• Strong technical accounting skills. Proficiency in financial reporting and analysis, including an aptitude for accounting information systems.
• Strong oral and written communication skills with a demonstrated ability to effectively convey financial information to diverse audiences in various academic and administrative units.
• Effective problem solving and the presentation of a professional demeanor while meeting deadlines and achieving critical outcomes, even under demanding conditions such as multiple priorities and short-notice deadlines.
• Strong analytical, modeling and problem-solving skills.
• Intermediate Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Google Workspace Products (Docs, Sheets, Drive) to analyze financial data, streamline tracking, and facilitate collaborative reporting. 
• Ability to efficiently analyze and process transactions, apply and interpret policy and make independent judgments.
• Effective relationship skills for interacting and problem solving with a diverse group of School and external parties.
• Excellent organization skills in addition to the ability to coordinate multiple tasks, determine priorities, set deadlines, and complete projects.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while also functioning as a positive and collaborative team.
• Preferred: Prior experience in an independent school setting, as well as with Blackbaud Financial Edge and Ramp systems.

• Remaining in a stationary position at a desk or workstation for extended periods of time for the majority of assigned duties.

• A criminal background check must be successfully completed before employment can begin.

Salary and Benefits

Salary Range is $75,000-$90,000. Final salary is based on experience relevant to the role and internal equity. Thacher offers a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 403(b) match, healthcare coverage, and a broad range of other benefits including full tuition remission for eligible dependents, use of campus facilities and generous professional development support. Housing is not included in this role. 

The physical requirements described above are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. As prescribed by law, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The Thacher School is dedicated to providing equal opportunities to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran’s status, or any other factor that is a prohibited consideration under applicable law.