Accounts Payable Manager (North America)

About the job

The Accounts Payable Manager (North America) is responsible for leading the end‑to‑end Accounts Payable process, ensuring strong internal controls, audit readiness, and scalable processes to support business growth.

Reporting to the Head of Financial Planning and Operations (North America), this role serves as a critical link between transactional accounting, financial planning, and operational execution. The Accounts Payable Manager owns day‑to‑day operational excellence, audit support, and cross‑functional collaboration, while developing high‑performing teams and continuously improving and standardizing processes.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor and develop high performing teams through leadership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Set clear goals, with measurable performance expectations for the AP team; conduct regular performance reviews and talent development planning.
• Ensure appropriate staffing, training, and planning to support scalable projected growth.
• Act as a key business partner to other leaders in Finance (including working capital, tax, and controller), HR, Workplace Services, Business Development, and other stakeholders as needed.

Accounts Payable

• Oversee daily management of accounts payable and delegating tasks to the team, as needed
• Work with the team to respond to complex, judgmental or non-routine customer and vendor inquiries
• Ensure accurate and timely processing of vendor invoices in accordance with established policies and guidelines to ensure prompt payments
• Manage and approve AP payments, ensuring timely and accurate processing of vendor payments.
• Manage the firm’s check writing application and plan to reduce or eliminate use of physical checks
• Own the Firm’s corporate credit card program administration, and compliance
• Oversee travel and entertainment expenses, managed through Emburse embracing technology improvements
• Oversee vendor onboarding, including due diligence, tax documentation (W‑9/W‑8), and banking validation
• Maintain vendor master data integrity with strong controls and periodic reviews
• Establish vendor communication standards and escalation protocols
• undefined
• undefined
• Optimize cash outflows through payment timing, terms management, and discount capture
• Partner with Accounting to support cash forecasting and liquidity planning
• undefined

Qualifications

The ideal candidate needs to be passionate about process improvement, particularly A/P with the ability to step back not focus on the detail but drive improvements. Ability to establish a strong rapport with the team and other staff to sort through information and determine best courses of action. Other requirements include:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance; relevant experience in lieu of a college degree may be considered
• Prior law firm experience in an accounting/finance role highly desirable; experience in other professional accounting roles is required
• Strong technical knowledge of accounts payable and accounts receivable processes
• Experience leading and driving a team, with proven leadership abilities in motivation, coaching and training staff highly is highly desirable
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with extreme comfort in interacting with internal and external stakeholders; ability to work at all levels within the organization with confidence and establish credibility
• Excellent listening skills
• Willingness to take initiative to problem solve and critical thinking skills (think outside the box)
• Exceptional organizational and attention to detail skills
• Ability to manage and prioritize tasks, with excellent time management skills to complete projects in a timely fashion
• Self-motivated and able to work independently with little or no supervision
• Occasional travel to other offices may be necessary (anticipated to be two to three times a year)

Why Join Us?

At Clyde & Co, we believe in supporting your professional growth while ensuring you have the flexibility and benefits you need to thrive. Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Hybrid Work Flexibility – Enjoy a perfect balance between remote and in-office work.
• Generous Paid Time Off – Generous paid time off, holidays, plus an annual “wellbeing” day.
• Comprehensive Health Benefits – Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family.
• Robust Disability Coverage – Comprehensive short-term and enhanced long-term disability plans.
• Referral Rewards – Earn generous bonuses for introducing talented colleagues to our team.
• Mentorship & Career Growth – Access strong mentorship, global training programs, and career development support.
• Engaging Culture – Participate in exciting social events, volunteer and community service initiatives, and professional development opportunities.
• Inclusive Parental Leave – Six months fully paid, for all parents regardless of gender or path to parenthood.

The Firm

When you work at Clyde & Co, you join a team of 500 partners, 2,400 lawyers, 3,200 legal professionals and 5,500 people in nearly 70 offices and associated offices worldwide. Our values are the principles that guide the decisions we make, unite us in our endeavours and strengthen our delivery, for both our clients and our firm. We work as one, excel with clients, celebrate difference and act boldly. We are committed to operating in a responsible way by progressing towards a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities and clients it serves. We are devoted to providing an environment in which everyone can realise their potential, using its legal and professional skills to support its communities. We do this through pro bono work, volunteering and charitable partnerships, and minimising the impact it has on the environment, including through our commitment to the SBTi Net-Zero standard and the setting of ambitious emissions reduction targets.

Our Commitment

Clyde & Co is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. Our values encourage us to support fairness, celebrate diversity and prohibit all forms of discrimination in the workplace to allow everyone to excel at work. Therefore, we welcome and encourage all applications from suitably qualified individuals, regardless of background or identity. Learn more about our interview process.

A Note on Privacy

Please take a moment to read our privacy notice . This describes what personal information Clyde & Co (we) may hold about you, what it’s used for, how it’s obtained, your rights and how to contact us as a data subject.
If you are submitting a candidate as a Recruitment Agency Partner, it is an essential requirement and your responsibility to ensure that candidates applying to Clyde & Co are aware of this privacy notice.
This is the job description as constituted at present; however, Clyde & Co reserves the right to reasonably amend it in accordance with the changing needs of the business.