Accounts Payable Manager

About Us

At Northern Reflections, Ricki's, and Cleo, we are united by a shared vision: to inspire and empower women through fashion that fits their lives. With a proud legacy in Canadian retail, we bring together decades of expertise, a passionate team, and a commitment to delivering exceptional style, quality, and service.

As part of our growing organization, you'll join a collaborative and dynamic team that values innovation, customer connection, and the power of great fashion. Whether it's timeless comfort, polished workwear, or versatile style, each of our brands plays a unique role in serving women across generations.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Corporate Controller, the Accounts Payable Manager leads and oversees the end-to-end accounts payable operations, ensuring timely, accurate, and compliant transaction processing, disbursement management, vendor reconciliations, and financial reporting.

As a key leader within the Finance team, the AP Manager oversees the Accounts Payable staff, optimizes workflows within our Microsoft Dynamics NAV / Business Central ERP environment, strengthens internal controls, and supports cash flow management and forecasting. This role acts as a subject matter expert, serving as a critical point of contact for internal stakeholders, executive leadership, external auditors, and key vendor partners in a dynamic, high-volume environment.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Operations Management

• People Leadership: Direct, mentor, and coordinate the daily activities of the Accounts Payable team; allocate workload, set priorities, and drive high performance and accountability.
• Process Optimization: Continuously analyze AP operations to identify opportunities for efficiency, scalability, automation, and continuous improvement.
• Policy & Internal Controls: Enforce and enhance AP policies and procedures, ensure proper segregation of duties, maintain robust internal controls, and update training materials and SOPs as standards evolve.
• Troubleshooting & Support: Act as the escalation point for complex payment inquiries, system errors, and operational challenges across the team

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Accounts Payable & Cash Management

• Invoice & Payment Processing: Oversee the review, verification, and posting of merchandise and non-merchandise invoices, ensuring compliance with company policy and vendor terms.
• Disbursement Control: Manage the execution of payment runs via EFT, ACH, wire transfers, and cheques, ensuring optimal utilization of vendor discount terms and accurate cash management.
• Vendor Relationship Management: Oversee month-end vendor statement reconciliations, resolve invoice matching variances with cross-functional teams, and maintain strong, collaborative vendor relationships.
• Cash Flow Forecasting: Collaborate with Finance leadership to provide accurate accounts payable data and metrics to support daily, weekly, and monthly cash flow forecasting.

Compliance, Tax & Audit Support

• Sales & Commodity Tax: Manage sales tax liabilities and ensure strict compliance with GST/HST and applicable provincial commodity tax regulations on purchase orders and invoices.
• Audit & Reporting: Serve as the primary contact for internal/external auditors, bank auditors, and tax specialists during periodic audits and tax reviews.
• Month-End & Year-End Close: Support financial reporting close cycles by preparing AP aging analyses, accruals, account reconciliations, and variance investigations.

ERP Systems & Data Integrity

• ERP Subject Matter Expert: Serve as the department expert for Microsoft Dynamics NAV / Business Central, ensuring high data integrity, accurate GL postings, and effective workflow functionality.
• System Enhancements: Partner with IT and Finance to lead system testing, workflow optimization, and reporting enhancements within the ERP platform.

Key Qualifications

• Experience: Minimum 5+ years of progressive Accounts Payable experience, with demonstrated experience leading, supervising, or managing an AP function - preferably in a high-volume retail, multi-location, or consumer goods environment.
• Education: Post-secondary degree or diploma in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• ERP Expertise: Advanced hands-on proficiency with Microsoft Dynamics NAV and/or Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is preferred.
• Technical Skills: Advanced Microsoft Excel capabilities (Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, data analysis, complex financial modeling).
• Financial & Tax Acumen: Sound knowledge of GAAP, sales tax legislation (GST/HST/PST), commodity tax applications, and payment terms calculations.
• Leadership & Communication: Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across all levels of the organization and resolve sensitive payment or vendor negotiations with professionalism.
• Problem-Solving & Analytics: Strong analytical thinking, root-cause analysis, and decision-making skills under pressure.
• Integrity & Precision: Exceptional attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and a high degree of personal integrity and confidentiality.

Why Join Us?

At Northern Reflections, Ricki's, and Cleo, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to iconic Canadian retail brands while working alongside a passionate and collaborative team. We offer a supportive environment where your expertise is valued, your ideas are encouraged, and your contributions help drive our continued success.

Join us and help shape the future of Canadian women's fashion.