Accounts Payable Supplier & Administrative Coordinator
American UniversityAbout the role
American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world. Learn more about American University
Department:
Time Type:
Full time
Job Type:
FLSA Status:
Non-ExemptWork Modality:
Union:
Job Description:
Summary:
The Accounts Payable Supplier & Administrative Coordinator is primarily responsible for coordinating supplier (vendor) records and supporting administrative operations within the Accounts Payable (AP) department. This role serves as the primary point of contact for supplier on-boarding, maintenance, and compliance, ensuring all supplier records are accurate, complete, and meet university and regulatory requirements. These duties include processing supplier registrations and updates, validating required documentation (e.g., W-9/W-8 forms), performing compliance checks, and ensuring proper verification procedures are followed for the accurate processing of this critical information.
Additionally, this position provides administrative support to the AP office, including invoice intake coordination, mail handling, distribution of checks; and providing general assistance to internal and external stakeholders. Additional duties include assisting maintaining the vendor file. The role contributes to maintaining strong internal controls, improving operational efficiency, and delivering excellent customer service.
This position reports to the Manager of Accounts Payable and has no direct reports. Must work collaboratively with all AP staff, internal department personnel and external suppliers.
Essential Functions:
1.) Supplier Management and Administration
Process new supplier registrations and change requests via ServiceNow and supplier portal.
Review submissions for completeness and accuracy prior to approval.
Validate required documentation (W-9, W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E, etc.) ensuring forms are complete and compliant.
Perform TIN match validation and ensuring alignment of legal name and tax ID.
Conduct compliance checks including OFAC screening and other required verifications.
Ensure proper documentation is attached and audit-ready (e.g., flattened PDFs, no editable fields).
Establish and maintain supplier remit-to records.
2.) Supplier Verification and Internal Controls
Independently verify supplier banking changes using approved verification methods.
Communicate with supplier points of contact on file to confirm updates.
Ensure adherence to university policies to prevent fraudulent or unauthorized changes.
Maintain proper documentation and audit trail for all supplier updates.
Escalate discrepancies or suspicious activity as appropriate.
3.) Invoice Intake and Coordination
Receive, review, and organize incoming invoices and payment documentation.
Ensure invoices meet submission requirements (e.g., PO included, one PDF per invoice, invoice on page one for OCR processing).
4.) Administrative and Office Support
Manage incoming mail and distributing checks and payments.
Respond to general AP inquiries from departments and suppliers.
Assist with document management, and record retention.
Support front-line office operations and customer service needs.
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