Finance Payments Specialist (Assistant Director of Accounts Payable)- Office of Finance and Business Operations

Finance Payments Specialist (Assistant Director of Accounts Payable)- Office of Finance and Business Operations

POSITION DETAILS

The Office of Finance and Business Operations at Hunter College is seeking a qualified candidate for the position of Assistant Director of Accounts Payable. Reporting to the Director of Accounts Payable, the Assistant Director will play a critical role in managing and overseeing the College’s day-to-day disbursement functions to ensure timely, accurate, and compliant payment processing—primarily from tax-levy funding sources.

The incumbent will supervise a wide range of payment categories, including vendor payments, employee and non-employee travel and expense reimbursements, and reconciliation of transactions under the New York State Credit Card Programs (Procurement, Travel, and Non-Employee Travel Cards). The position also manages student-related disbursements such as stipends and awards, and oversees specialized payment types including Independent Contractor Agreements (ICA), honoraria, petty cash reimbursements, and inter-agency payments

In addition to the CUNY Title Overview, duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Implement University, State, City, and grant-related policies governing disbursements and advise departments on allowable expenses, documentation requirements, funding rules, and compliance standards.
• Review and approve a broad spectrum of payment transactions to ensure compliance with policy, funding source guidelines, and internal controls.
• Manage accounts payable operations in CUNYfirst and other financial/procurement systems (including future University-wide implementations);
• In conjunction with OIT and central offices, resolve technical issues and coordinate system enhancements
• Oversee account and transaction reconciliations across multiple systems: NYS Statewide Financial System (SFS), CUNYfirst/PeopleSoft, CUNYBuy, and the NYC Financial Management System (FMS), and investigate discrepancies, and generate reports to support operational accuracy.
• Coordinate the year-end close process for accounts payable and gather supporting data for internal and external audits.
• Supervise and mentor AP staff, and provide training and updated guidance to campus departments on payment, reimbursement, and credit card procedures.
• Propose and implement process improvements and workflow automation to enhance efficiency and strengthen internal controls.
• Liaise with internal departments (e.g., Academic Departments, Purchasing, Budget, Accounting), external auditors, government agencies, and vendors to resolve payment issues and ensure smooth operations.
• Assisting with special projects and other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree and four years’ related experience required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related business discipline.
• At least two years of experience in accounting, financial reporting, or financial analysis.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Office 365, and familiarity with CUNY’s financial systems (e.g., CUNYfirst, CUNYBuy) or other enterprise financial/procurement platform.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail and accuracy.
• Clear and effective written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, service-oriented environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively with professionalism and adaptability.
• Supervisory experience with the ability to plan, delegate, and monitor team workload effectively.

CUNY TITLE OVERVIEW

Manages Accounts Payable functions at the College or Unit level.

• Oversees day-to-day Accounts Payable activities and staff
• Interprets rules and regulations from CUNY, New York State and/or New York City; develops compliance practices and monitors activity
• Develops policies and procedures to enhance the effectiveness of payment activities and service levels
• Assists in implementing, upgrading, and managing automated payment systems
• Reviews data entry activities, identifying and resolving data quality issues
• Investigates and reports on payment histories and other information for management
• Performs related duties as assigned.

CUNY TITLE

Higher Education Assistant

FLSA

Exempt

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

$76,937 – $86,741, Salary commensurate with education and experience.

CUNY’s benefits contribute significantly to total compensation, supporting health and wellness, financial well-being, and professional development. We offer a range of health plans, competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans, tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study and generous paid time off. Our staff also benefits from the extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on our campuses and the opportunity to participate in a lively, diverse academic community in one of the greatest cities in the world.

• CUNY is in the process of implementing salary schedule increases. Once implemented, salaries of eligible employees will increase by approximately 9.54% with an additional increase of 3.5% effective 9/1/26, in accordance with the terms of the PSC-CUNY collective bargaining agreement.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications must be submitted online by accessing the CUNY portal on city university of New York job website www.cuny.edu/employment or https://cuny.jobs/ and following the CUNYFirst job system instructions. To search for this vacancy, click on search job listings, select more options to search for CUNY jobs and enter theJob Opening ID number 30937.

Click on the “apply now” button and follow the application instructions. Current users of the site should access their established accounts; new users should follow the instructions to set up an account.

Please have your documents available to attach into the application before you begin. Please note that the required material must be uploaded as one document under cv/ resume (do not upload individual files for a cover letter, references, etc.). The document must be in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf, or text format- and name of file should not exceed ten (10) characters – also do not use symbols (such as accents (é, è, (â, î or ô), ñ, ü, ï, –, _ or ç)).

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please include:

• cover letter or statement of scholarly interests
• curriculum vitae/ resume
• names and contact information of 3 references

upload all documents as one single file– pdf format preferred.

CLOSING DATE

The search will remain open until the position is filled. The committee will begin reviewing complete applications on October 3, 2025 . Applications submitted after the deadline will only be considered if the position/s remain open after initial round.

JOB SEARCH CATEGORY

CUNY Job Posting: Managerial/Professional

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.

Job ID

30937

Location

Hunter College

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