Manager, Accounts Payable & Process Excellence

Manager, Accounts Payable & Process Excellence

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.

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 strategicable to drive change by simplifying workflows, optimizing system use, and ensuring compliance and consistency across locations.

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 accountabilityachieved 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 include:

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

Qualifications include:

• 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 include:

• 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

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

Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.