Senior Associate Global Payments

The Senior Associate is a key contributor to the strategy and execution of global payment processes, with a focus on accounts payable and expense management. This role requires strong technical skills and a bias for action by proactively identifying challenges, proposing solutions, and driving timely decision-making to maintain project momentum. The Senior Associate collaborates with cross-functional teams to drive complex projects, implement innovative solutions, and optimize processes to meet the organization’s evolving needs. Additionally, this role ensures compliance with global regulations, supports technical integrations, and champions a customer-centric approach to deliver operational excellence in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

What You’ll Do:

Project Support: Provide subject matter expertise and critical input for business projects involving global payments, including the implementation of new systems/offices and the replacement or enhancement of existing systems and processes. Contribute to project planning by finding opportunities for efficiency, defining workflows and processes, and ensuring a thorough understanding of new opportunities. Assess and communicate the potential impacts of changes on workloads, interdependent teams, and overall operations. Play a key role in system and process testing, deployment, and integration to ensure alignment with operational requirements and seamless adoption across global payment functions.

Operational Oversight/Complex Payment Solutioning: Ensure the efficient execution of global payments processes. Responsible for invoice journal and payment review, acting as a decision-maker for complex expenses and leading at least one key area of operations (e.g. system administration, internal controls, reporting, etc.).

Regulatory/Compliance/Controls: Ensure that global payment processes adhere to all relevant regulations, internal policies, and technical financial standards, including GAAP, IRS, state filing requirements, and global regulatory standards. Maintain rigorous internal controls to uphold compliance and mitigate risks.

Cross-Functional Collaboration/Strategic Partnerships: Cultivate and strengthen strategic partnerships with internal teams, regional offices and affiliates to ensure seamless, timely, and accurate global payment delivery. Develop and implement training materials and programs to enable team members to effectively navigate systems, follow processes, and contribute to overall operational excellence.

Process Improvement/Documentation: Leverage critical thinking, operational expertise, and risk assessment to find opportunities for improvement within global payment processes. Partner with process owners and collaborators across geographies to implement and sustain enhancements that drive efficiency and effectiveness. Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation and training materials, while delivering ongoing support and training to teams across the organization to ensure effective knowledge sharing and adoption of processes and systems.

Your Experience 

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s or other advanced degree with 7+ years of experience, or equivalent experience.

Technical Expertise:

• Proficiency in payment management systems such as Coupa, Zendesk, D365, or similar platforms, with a focus on systems integration to enhance operational efficiency and reporting capabilities.
• Extensive experience managing diverse and complex payment processes, including grants, international payments, global accounts payable transactions, and specialized payments such as TDS, FCRA compliance, SIF, and IFI. Proven ability to navigate cross-border payment complexities, ensure regulatory compliance, and maintain accuracy and efficiency across various jurisdictions.
• Deep knowledge of global payment processes, including cross-border regulations, financial systems, and associated technologies.
• Expertise implementing robust internal controls to ensure effective financial management.
• Familiarity with AI and automation tools to optimize global payment workflows, streamline operations, and improve process efficiency.
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Ability to analyze complex financial issues, develop actionable recommendations, and implement solutions effectively using data and technology, with a focus on continuous improvement in global payment operations.
• Technical Financial Concept Communication: Ability to communicate complex concepts to partners with diverse backgrounds, including leadership, program staff, grantees, and other operational resources.
• Customer-Focused Solutions: Ability to develop and implement customer-focused solutions in global payment processes. Skilled in understanding and addressing the needs of employee, vendor, donor, grantee, and other partners, ensuring timely, accurate, and efficient payment services that enhance the overall customer experience.
• Communication: Proven ability in building relationships across departments and communicating complex financial concepts to diverse audiences, including leadership, program teams and regional partners.
• Project Experience: Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to support cross-functional projects and meet tight deadlines.
• Change Management: Proven ability to support and embrace change within global payment processes by fostering collaboration, promoting adaptability, and providing clear communication and training. Skilled at ensuring smooth transitions during system upgrades, process enhancements, and policy changes, while maintaining alignment with organizational goals and delivering measurable results.
• Organization & Initiative: Strong organizational skills and initiative, with the ability to work autonomously and cross-functionally while remaining flexible to changing tasks and priorities under tight deadlines.

Source: https://gatesfoundation.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Gates/job/Seattle-WA/Senior-Associate–Global-Payments_B020781-1