Manager, Accounts Payable

Aspire Public Schools NorCal — Manager, Accounts Payable

Job Description 

About Aspire NorCal 

Founded in 1998, Aspire Public Schools has served scholars and communities across California for nearly three decades. With Aspire Los Angeles transitioning into an independent organization, the Bay Area and Central Valley regions are coming together to form Aspire NorCal, operating 22 schools serving approximately 10,000 scholars across Northern California (Oakland, Richmond, East Palo Alto, Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, and Ceres). 

This evolution comes at an important moment for Aspire. Changes in California’s funding, policy, enrollment, and operating environment have created an opportunity to rethink how the organization supports its schools and scholars in its next chapter. The formation of Aspire NorCal creates an opportunity to strengthen support for schools across teams previously organized by geography, improve the consistency and effectiveness of school support, and create clear accountability systems for organizational and scholar outcomes. The new model will require the organization to balance greater coherence across Aspire NorCal with responsiveness to the different communities and contexts of its schools. 

Aspire NorCal enters this transition with a long-standing mission focused on post-secondary success and a deep commitment to educational equity, along with decades of institutional knowledge across its schools and teams. Preserving those strengths while building Aspire NorCal as a unified region will be central to the work ahead. 

About the role 

Under the direction of the Controller, the Accounts Payable (AP) Manager is responsible for oversight of the Accounts Payable function for all of Aspire Public Schools. This includes timely and accurate recording of accounts payable, benefits, and cash general ledger functions, AP-related communications and trainings, and administration of the Coupa system.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, train, and support the AP team (1-2 direct reports), ensuring team members have the skills and support to achieve team goals and work plans.

• Oversee all AP processes, including the weekly payment run, invoice and credit memo processing, approval of AP invoices and journal entries, AP aging review, vendor data and profile maintenance, and vendor account reconciliations.

• Maintain and share AP knowledge and training materials, and monitor and enforce compliance with procedures.

• Drive continuous improvement of procurement and AP processes with school sites and other leaders, including cost-saving projects, automation, and streamlining of purchasing and reporting.

• Ensure timely and accurate posting of AP transactions, meeting monthly close deadlines.

• Review the monthly benefits payment run and research and resolve discrepancies.

• Administer the Coupa system, user profiles, approval chains, and the AP help desk.

• Assist in the 1099 reporting process through oversight of AP master data, and in preparing schedules for annual and other external audits.

• Complete other duties and projects as assigned, including travel to Aspire locations, conferences, and other work-related events.

• Support the new Service Level Agreement (SLA) under which Aspire NorCal will provide finance, accounting, and payroll services to Aspire LA.

Qualifications 

Education

• Undergraduate degree in Accounting or Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting preferred.

Experience

• 4+ years of experience in a similar position, or 6+ years of experience working in AP.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; fluency in Excel. Non-profit accounting preferred but not required.

Skills and competencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills to develop a team.

• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail; strong problem-solving, analytical, and time management skills.

• Ability to hold self and others accountable for high-quality, timely results.

• Ability to work independently and know when to escalate in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment.

• Ability to work with confidential information and use excellent judgment in resolving AP issues.

• Strong knowledge of GAAP and procedures used in a non-profit environment preferred.

Compensation and benefits

The salary range for this role is $102,265 to $131,279 annually in accordance with our salary schedule policy, commensurate with experience. This full-time, exempt position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Eligible for Aspire health benefits

• Retirement through CalSTRS or CalPERS, depending on the role's credential requirements, with a 403(b) option

• Paid time off and additional teammate benefits to be determined in accordance with updated employee value proposition to be shared prior to offer.  

Aspire NorCal is conducting a comprehensive study of our employee value proposition, which could lead to material changes in July 2027.

Location and work arrangement

• Work location and in-person expectations for this role are being finalized as part of our broader NorCal planning. We will share clarity with candidates in the coming weeks

Aspire NorCal expects to provide Finance, Accounting, Payroll, and Retirement services to Aspire LA under a multi-year service agreement, and part of this department’s budget is expected to depend on that agreement.  If the agreement is not finalized, is not renewed, or ends early, Aspire NorCal may reduce the department’s size accordingly, and any position in the departments listed above may be impacted.  Employment with Aspire is at-will

Application Deadline: November 20, 2026.

Equal opportunity 

Aspire Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Aspire Public Schools provides reasonable accommodations during the application and interview process.

Disclaimer

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.