Accounting Manager, Payment Operations

Key Responsibilities:

• Accounting Ownership of Payment Operations:
• Own the accounting integrity of payment settlement activities across ACH, card, wire, and alternative payment methods.
• Ensure payment activity is accurately recorded, classified, and supported in accordance with accounting policies and internal control standards.
• Serve as the primary accounting partner to Payment Operations, providing guidance on treatment of exceptions, returns, chargebacks, timing differences, and complex settlement scenarios.
• Apply accounting judgment to resolve ambiguous or non‑standard settlement and cash‑flow issues.
• Close, Reconciliation & Financial Integrity:
• Lead daily and monthly reconciliations between payment platforms, ERP systems, bank accounts, and trust accounts.
• Ensure all payment‑related balances are fully supported, reconciled, and prepared for month‑end close.
• Oversee preparation and review of settlement‑related journal entries, reconciliations, and supporting analyses.
• Investigate variances and discrepancies, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Maintain clear, audit‑ready documentation supporting balances, reconciliations, and accounting conclusions.
• Controls, SOX & Audit Support:
• Ensure payment‑related accounting processes operate within a strong internal control framework, including SOX‑relevant controls.
• Review and approve control evidence, reconciliations, and close documentation prepared by the team.
• Partner closely with Controllership, Internal Audit, and external auditors to support audits, walkthroughs, and testing.
• Identify control gaps or accounting risks within payment processes and lead remediation efforts.
• Analytical Problem Solving & Process Transformation:
• Analyze end‑to‑end payment and settlement workflows from an accounting perspective to identify inefficiencies, risks, and control weaknesses.
• Lead initiatives to simplify and standardize accounting treatment, reduce manual adjustments, and improve reconciliation quality.
• Drive automation and system improvements that strengthen accounting accuracy, transparency, and scalability.
• Partner with Product and Engineering teams to ensure system design supports proper accounting outcomes and control requirements.
• Establish and maintain clear, accounting‑aligned SOPs for payment and settlement processes.
• Leadership & Cross‑Functional Partnership:
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of accounting and settlement professionals, emphasizing analytical thinking, accountability, and control awareness.
• Serve as the escalation point for complex accounting issues related to payments and cash.
• Communicate accounting implications and conclusions clearly to Finance, Payment Operations, and senior leadership.
• Balance operational efficiency with accounting rigor and audit defensibility.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance required.
• CPA or equivalent professional certification strongly preferred.
• Experience & Profile
• 7+ years of progressive experience in accounting, accounting operations, or financial services.
• Big 4 public accounting firm experience preferred, particularly audit or advisory work involving cash, revenue, or operational accounting.
• Experience supporting month‑end close, reconciliations, and audit processes in controlled environments.
• Demonstrated ability to apply accounting judgment to complex, high‑volume transaction flows.
• Experience partnering with operational teams while maintaining accounting independence and rigor.

Core Capabilities:

• Strong technical accounting foundation with excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to investigate complex data flows, identify root causes, and develop sound accounting conclusions.
• Comfort operating in ambiguous environments where accounting guidance must be applied thoughtfully.
• Proven ability to improve accounting processes through simplification, standardization, and automation.
• Clear, confident communicator capable of explaining accounting outcomes to non‑accounting stakeholders.
• High attention to detail paired with a process‑improvement mindset.

Value & Leadership Expectations:

• Model company values by acting with integrity, fostering inclusion, and delivering superior performance through disciplined accounting practices, strong controls, and continuous improvement.