Accounts Payable Administrator

Job Highlights 

The Accounts Payable Administrator is responsible for the accurate and timely processing of all outgoing payments at Houston Grand Opera. This role manages the full AP cycle — from invoice receipt and coding through payment disbursement — and serves as the primary point of contact for vendors, independent contractors, and internal staff on payment-related matters.

In addition to day-to-day AP processing, this role owns vendor onboarding and maintenance and corporate credit card administration. The Administrator is detail-oriented, well-organized, and experienced in a high-volume AP environment, with a strong understanding of internal controls and a customer-service mindset toward both internal and external stakeholders.

Join Us!

We are looking for talented, passionate, and dedicated people who are eager to make contributions to our community and our mission. If you are excited about this position but your experience does not align perfectly, we encourage you to apply! You may be just the right candidate for this position or another role at HGO.

About the Houston Grand Opera

The mission of HGO is to enrich our diverse community through the art of opera. We do so by creating, curating, exploring, and producing outstanding experiences centered around the human voice. HGO has received a Tony Award, three Grammy Awards, and three Emmy Awards – we are the only opera company in the world to win all three honors. 

Our strategic focus is two-fold: creating profoundly enriching experiences for our diverse audiences and clearly defining and positively promoting the HGO brand. We believe every team member enriches our organization by exposing a broad range of ways to understand and engage our community and discover, design, and deliver enriching experiences.

Compensation and Benefits

We offer robust benefits to full-time employees, including:

• Comprehensive and affordable health benefits.
• Generous paid time off.
• 403b retirement plan with employer match.
• Flexible work schedule.
• Professional development fund and opportunities.
• Discounted parking in the Theater District garage and nearby lots, plus easy access to Metro transportation.
• Free tickets to our mainstage and community productions and events.

Key Responsibilities

Invoice Processing & Vendor Payments

• Receive, review, and process vendor invoices and check requests; verify accuracy of amounts, coding, and supporting documentation.
• Ensure all invoices are properly approved in accordance with the organization's authorization and approval policies.
• Prepare and process payment runs on a regular cycle (check, ACH, and wire transfers).
• Respond promptly to vendor inquiries regarding payment status, remittance, and account discrepancies.
• Maintain an organized AP filing system — electronic and/or paper — with complete and accurate documentation for every transaction.
• Review and process employee expense reimbursements in accordance with the organization's expense reimbursement policy.

Vendor Setup & Maintenance

• Onboard new vendors and independent contractors, including collection and verification of W-9s and banking information for ACH payments.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date vendor records in the accounting system, including contact information, payment terms, and tax identification numbers.
• Implement and enforce vendor onboarding procedures that safeguard against fraud, including validation of bank account changes.

Credit Card Administration

• Collect, review, and reconcile monthly credit card statements; ensure all charges are supported by receipts and proper coding.
• Follow up with cardholders regarding missing receipts, unsupported charges, or policy violations.
• Process credit card transactions in the accounting system and ensure timely payment of card balances.
• Manage procurement of credit cards for new employees and cancellation of cards for terminated employees.
• Lead training of new cardholders on credit card policies, expense documentation requirements, and use of online credit card management system.

Accounting & Financial Reporting Support

• Maintain accurate records throughout the year to support year-end 1099 preparation.
• Respond to vendor inquiries regarding 1099s and assist with corrections as needed.
• Assist with month-end and year-end close activities as needed.
• Prepare supporting schedules, gather documentation, and assist with responding to auditor requests during the annual audit.
• Provide general accounting support to the Controller and assist with special projects and reporting needs as assigned.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of accounts payable experience.
• Working knowledge of accounts payable processes, internal controls, and payment methods (check, ACH, wire).
• Familiarity with IRS 1099 reporting requirements (1099-NEC and 1099-MISC).
• Experience with accounting software (Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT a plus), ERP systems, and electronic payment processing (PaperSave a plus).
• Strong Excel skills and comfort working with spreadsheets for reconciliation and reporting.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage a high volume of transactions while meeting regular deadlines.
• Professional communication skills and a service-oriented approach to working with vendors and internal staff.
• Approaches discrepancies and unexpected issues with curiosity and initiative, seeking to understand the underlying cause and identify appropriate solutions.
• Approaches unfamiliar assignments with a positive attitude, an eagerness to learn, and a willingness to ask questions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a nonprofit organization, arts institution, or similarly mission-driven environment.
• Experience administering a corporate credit card or expense management program.
• Experience with digital AP workflows, including electronic invoice processing or AP automation tools.

Equal Opportunity

Houston Grand Opera is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at HGO are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws or regulations. HGO will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. HGO encourages applicants of all ages.