Manager, Accounts Payable & Process Excellence

Title: Manager, Accounts Payable & Process Excellence
Department: Control D410
Reports To: Vice President of Corporate Finance & Treasury
Location: Quincy, MA (Hybrid)
FLSA Status: Exempt
Pay Range: $90,000 - $130,000 per year, dependent on experience and qualifications

Who We Are

Bay State Milling Company is a family-owned business committed to supporting the growth of the next generation of grain-based foods through innovative, plant-based ingredients. With a proud legacy dating back to 1899, we continue to build on our reputation for quality, integrity, and creativity while modernizing our systems and processes to serve a dynamic market.

Position Summary

The Manager of Accounts Payable & Process Excellence oversees all aspects of the company’s vendor payment and disbursement processes across multiple North American entities. This individual will lead a small team responsible for accurate and timely processing of vendor invoices, expense reimbursements, and other payments, while maintaining a strong focus on internal controls, automation, and process improvement.

This position plays a key leadership role in the ongoing transformation of Bay State Milling’s back-office operations, including the implementation of Microsoft D365. The ideal candidate is both detail-oriented and strategic—able to drive change by simplifying workflows, optimizing system use, and ensuring compliance and consistency across locations.

Position Purpose

The Manager of AP & Process Excellence will serve as a change agent within Corporate Services, leading efforts to modernize the company’s payables processes through automation, AI-driven tools, and disciplined performance management. This role will champion vendor management best practices, enforce adherence to company policies, and train teams across the organization on proper procurement-to-pay procedures.

Success in this role will be defined by measurable improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and accountability—achieved through strong leadership, effective use of technology, and a continuous-improvement mindset. The manager will help position Accounts Payable as a strategic enabler of working-capital performance and an integrated component of the company’s digital finance transformation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Accounts Payable function across all company locations, ensuring timely and accurate processing of invoices, payments, and expense reports.
• Supervise and develop a high-performing AP team, fostering a culture of accountability, accuracy, and continuous improvement.
• Evaluate and redesign AP workflows to leverage automation, robotic process automation (RPA), and emerging AI tools to eliminate manual effort and increase accuracy.
• Define, track, and report key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure team productivity, accuracy, and process efficiency; implement corrective action and training as needed.
• Partner closely with Treasury, Accounting, Procurement, and IT to ensure data integrity between systems, proper accruals, and alignment with working-capital objectives.
• Champion vendor management best practices, including standardized onboarding, payment terms governance, and proactive communication with suppliers.
• Manage daily cash disbursement processes and coordinate funding approvals with Treasury to optimize cash flow and payment timing.
• Maintain oversight of AP aging and accrued purchase reports, ensuring timely resolution of outstanding items.
• Lead process documentation and training initiatives across the organization to promote understanding of end-to-end payables processes.
• Collaborate with the D365 implementation team to design and optimize the procure-to-pay functionality and ensure successful adoption post-go-live.
• Oversee annual 1099 reporting and compliance with federal and state regulations.
• Support internal and external audits through documentation, testing, and control validation.
• Identify and implement opportunities for digital transformation that improve accuracy, transparency, and scalability within AP.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or Business Administration required.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive AP experience, including at least 3 years in a management role.
• Proven experience managing AP in a multi-entity or multi-location environment.
• Demonstrated success leading automation or technology-enabled process improvement initiatives; experience with AI tools or RPA preferred.
• Strong understanding of accounting principles, internal controls, and month-end close processes.
• ERP experience required; Microsoft D365 or comparable system strongly preferred.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and change-management skills.
• Customer-oriented mindset with the ability to influence and train others across functions.

Competencies

• Strategic process thinker with strong analytical skills
• Continuous improvement and digital transformation mindset
• Leadership and coaching ability
• High accountability and results orientation
• Strong systems and data fluency

Work Environment

Based in Quincy, MA, with hybrid work flexibility. Occasional travel to company facilities may be required for training, system testing, or process alignment activities.