Accounts Payable Manager (15 month term)

Your Opportunity

Stantec has an exciting opportunity for an Accounts Payable Manager within its North American Accounts Payable team located in Edmonton, Alberta. Reporting to the Senior Manager, Accounts Payable North America, the Accounts Payable Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and strategic direction of a team of Accounts Payable professionals supporting North American operations.

The Manager provides leadership and oversight for Accounts Payable operations, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, efficient, and compliant services that support organizational objectives. This role is accountable for employee engagement, talent development, operational excellence, process optimization, risk management, and stakeholder satisfaction. The Manager serves as a key partner to Finance, Procurement, Business Center leaders, and other corporate functions to drive continuous improvement, enhance service delivery, and support business growth.

The Manager fosters a high-performance culture focused on accountability, customer service excellence, innovation, continuous improvement, and employee development.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and manage Accounts Payable technicians and Team Leads, including performance expectations, objectives, development plans, feedback, and timely resolution of performance concerns.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, succession planning, mentoring, career development, engagement, change management, staffing, and resource allocation to build an inclusive, high-performing team.
• Oversee timely, accurate, efficient, and compliant processing of invoices, expense reports, payments, and vendor transactions across North American operations.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators, service metrics, workloads, operational trends, and risk indicators to strengthen service quality, accountability, and resource utilization.
• Ensure operational continuity through workforce planning, cross-training, business continuity strategies, and oversight of month-end and year-end activities and reporting deadlines.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex operational, stakeholder, vendor, and high-risk payment matters.
• Maintain a strong control environment, including vendor master data governance and payment controls, to reduce financial, operational, compliance, and fraud-related risk.
• Partner with Internal Audit, External Audit, Tax, Finance, and Compliance on audits and regulatory requirements; assess controls and implement corrective actions for identified deficiencies.
• Lead Accounts Payable transformation and continuous improvement initiatives, including automation, system enhancements, digital solutions, workflow optimization, process documentation, policies, procedures, and governance standards.
• Partner with Finance, Procurement, and Information Technology on process and system improvements, and lead Accounts Payable integration activities related to acquisitions, growth, and business expansion.
• Build trusted relationships with business leaders, Finance, Procurement, vendors, and senior management; represent Accounts Payable in cross-functional projects, strategic initiatives, and organizational planning.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, workforce planning, and operational cost management; recommend organizational or resource changes and contribute to business cases for technology and operational investment.

Your Capabilities and Credentials

• Strong knowledge of Accounts Payable processes, accounting principles, internal controls, regulatory and compliance requirements, vendor governance, and fraud prevention.
• Demonstrated ability to lead high-volume Accounts Payable operations, manage service delivery, build leadership capability, and develop engaged, accountable teams.
• Strong analytical, financial, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret operational metrics, assess risk, and support business decisions.
• Experience leading process improvement, system implementation, automation, workflow optimization, or broader transformation initiatives.
• Ability to manage change, influence others, resolve complex issues, and build trusted relationships across all organizational levels.
• Excellent communication, presentation, collaboration, stakeholder management, and customer service skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, reporting tools, and data analysis. Advanced knowledge of Oracle ERP systems and Accounts Payable workflow technologies is preferred.
• Commitment to operational excellence, service quality, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related discipline. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Accounting designation is an asset.
• At least 7 years of progressive experience in Accounts Payable, Shared Services, or Finance Operations within a large corporate environment.
• At least 5 years of people leadership experience, including performance management, employee development, and workforce planning.
• Experience supporting audits, risk management, control improvements, and high-volume Accounts Payable operations.

Typical Office Environment

This role is primarily office-based and involves working with computers and remaining sedentary for extended periods.

This description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities. Duties and responsibilities may be assigned or changed at any time, with or without notice.

About Stantec

Stantec is a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what has previously been done on critical issues such as climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing cities and infrastructure. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so together we can redefine what is possible.