Paul Hastings is a leading international law firm that provides innovative legal solutions to many of the world's top financial institutions and Fortune Global 500 companies. With a strong presence throughout the U.S., Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, we have the global reach and extensive capabilities to provide personalized service wherever our clients’ needs take us. As one of the world’s leading law firms, we seek dynamic individuals who share our commitment to service, innovation, and professional growth.
Job Title
Specialist, Global Accounts Payable Expense
Location
Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Washington, D.C.
Regular/Temporary
Regular
Job Description Summary
We have an opening for a Specialist, Global Accounts Payable Expense.
The Expense Specialist is the dedicated owner of travel and expense operations within the Global Accounts Payable function at Paul Hastings. This role carries full responsibility for T&E processing, policy compliance enforcement, employee expense reimbursement, T&E audit and exception management, corporate and purchasing card reconciliation, and virtual payables program operations. The Expense Specialist owns the T&E ecosystem end-to-end — serving as the firm’s day-to-day authority on expense policy, card program operations, and travel-related financial controls. Responsibilities also include second-line escalation support for Processors, cross-training and backup coordination, and advanced compliance workflows. The ideal candidate combines deep T&E functional expertise with the judgment to interpret policy in ambiguous situations, the discipline to enforce controls consistently, and the professionalism to partner with attorneys, partners, and firm leadership on sensitive expense matters.
Job Description
In this capacity, the Specialist, Global Accounts Payable Expense will:
Travel & Expense Processing & Reimbursement
- Own the end-to-end processing of employee expense reports, ensuring accuracy, policy compliance, proper documentation, and timely reimbursement within established SLAs;
- Review and process complex and high-value expense submissions, including partner travel, international expenses, client entertainment, and multi-currency transactions;
- Verify receipts, GL coding, matter/client allocations, and approval routing for all T&E submissions, resolving discrepancies and returning non-compliant reports with clear guidance;
- Process employee reimbursements across all payment methods, coordinating with Payroll where applicable for integration with pay cycles; and
- Manage T&E processing queues and cycle times, ensuring the team meets or exceeds defined throughput and accuracy targets.
T&E Policy Compliance & Exception Management
- Serve as the firm’s day-to-day authority on travel and expense policy, interpreting and applying policy requirements to individual transactions and escalated scenarios;
- Review of T&E policy exceptions, out-of-policy submissions, and approval override requests — providing documented recommendations to the AP Analyst, Supervisor and leadership on disposition;
- Monitor expense submissions for patterns of non-compliance, policy circumvention, or unusual activity, escalating findings to the AP Analyst, Supervisor and leadership;
- Partner with the Travel department and firm leadership on policy clarification, edge case resolution, and policy update recommendations informed by processing trends; and
- Maintain a T&E exception log with trend reporting, presenting findings and recommended policy or process changes on a regular cadence.
Corporate & Purchasing Card Reconciliation
- Own the reconciliation of corporate and purchasing card transactions across AMEX GBT, Wells Fargo WellsOne, and other firm card programs, ensuring all charges are properly documented, coded, and reconciled within established timelines;
- Investigate and resolve card transaction discrepancies, including firm-paid vs. personal designation issues, missing receipts, duplicate charges, and unauthorized transactions;
- Monitor card statement cycles and reconciliation deadlines, driving timely completion and escalating delinquent cardholders or unresolved items to the leadership team;
- Coordinate with card program providers on transaction disputes, chargebacks, and data feed issues affecting reconciliation accuracy; and
- Prepare card reconciliation reports and exception summaries for leadership review.
Virtual Payables Program Operations
- Manage day-to-day operations of the firm’s virtual payables program, including transaction monitoring, vendor enrollment support, and program performance tracking;
- Monitor virtual card utilization rates, rebate capture, and vendor adoption, identifying opportunities to expand program coverage and financial benefit; and
- Coordinate with banking partners and internal stakeholders on program configuration, vendor onboarding to virtual payments, and issue resolution.
T&E Audit & Controls
- Conduct periodic audits of expense reports and card transactions to verify policy compliance, documentation completeness, and approval accuracy;
- Ensure all T&E activities comply with GAAP standards, SOX controls, and firm-specific policies and procedures;
- Maintain complete, audit-ready documentation for all expense transactions, card reconciliations, and policy exception decisions;
- Support internal and external audit requests related to travel and expense management, card programs, and T&E controls; and
- Identify and escalate control gaps, process exceptions, and potential fraud indicators within the T&E function promptly.
Second-Line Escalation & Issue Resolution
- Serve as a second-line escalation point for Processors and Coordinators on T&E-related transactions, system exceptions, policy interpretation questions, and complex expense submissions;
- Investigate and resolve escalated expense items that exceed Processor-level authority or require cross-functional coordination with the Travel Director, office administration, or firm leadership; and
- Document escalation patterns within T&E workflows and recommend process or policy changes to reduce recurring exceptions.
Cross-Training & Backup Coverage
- Serve as backup coverage for the AP Coordinator and peer Specialists during planned absences, peak periods, or team transitions;
- Maintain cross-training documentation for T&E processing, card reconciliation, and virtual payables workflows to ensure operational continuity; and
- Provide guidance to Processors on T&E-related inquiries, including policy questions, reimbursement status, and card program procedures.
Shared Mailbox & Workflow Triage
- Monitor the centralized AP mailbox for T&E-related inquiries, expense report submissions, card questions, and reimbursement requests, triaging per defined SLAs;
- Categorize and route T&E items to the appropriate workflow, escalating policy exceptions or compliance concerns as needed; and
- Track T&E-related mailbox response times and SLA adherence, flagging trends or bottlenecks to the AP Supervisor.
Systems & Process Support
- Operate proficiently within Emburse (Chrome River) for expense report processing, invoice workflow management, and reporting;
- Navigate ERP and AP systems including Elite 3E, and support data validation during new system implementations or platform migrations;
- Serve as a first point of contact for internal T&E platform inquiries related to expense report submission, approval routing, and reimbursement status;
- Contribute to process improvement initiatives within the T&E function, including workflow redesign, automation opportunities, and documentation of standard operating procedures; and
- Support system testing, configuration validation, and user acceptance activities during T&E platform evaluations or P2P implementation workstreams.
Performance & Accountability
- Meet or exceed defined targets for T&E processing accuracy, reimbursement cycle time, card reconciliation timeliness, and policy compliance rates as measured by team KPIs;
- Maintain continuous visibility with the AP Supervisor on T&E operational status, emerging risks, and open items; and
- Model a standard of policy expertise, processing discipline, and professional judgment that strengthens the firm’s T&E control environment.
Proficiencies:
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, conditional formatting, data analysis at volume);
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate policy decisions clearly and professionally to attorneys, partners, and firm leadership;
- Proven ability to operate effectively in environments with competing priorities, tight deadlines, and high standards for accuracy and compliance;
- Familiarity with Elite 3E or comparable legal industry ERP/financial management systems; and
- Familiarity with process improvement methodologies or SOP documentation standards.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field;
- Minimum 5+ years of experience in accounts payable, travel and expense management, or a related finance operations function, with direct experience in T&E processing and card program reconciliation;
- Demonstrated expertise in expense report review, policy compliance enforcement, and employee reimbursement processing;
- Experience with corporate card program reconciliation, including firm-paid vs. personal charge resolution and cardholder follow-up;
- Strong working knowledge of GAAP and SOX compliance requirements as they relate to T&E and the AP function;
- Direct experience with Emburse (Chrome River) for expense reporting and invoice management;
- Experience with corporate travel management platforms such as AMEX GBT, SAP Concur, Navan, or equivalent;
- Experience with virtual payables or virtual card programs (single-use accounts, supplier enrollment, rebate optimization);
- Exposure to procure-to-pay (P2P) platforms such as Zycus, Coupa, or equivalent;
- Experience supporting T&E platform evaluations, RFP processes, or system implementations; and
- Prior experience in a law firm or professional services environment.
The salary wage range for Boston that we expect to pay for this position is a minimum of $64,000 and a maximum of $79,500 annually. The actual pay wage may vary based on experience or other relevant factors.
The salary wage range for Washington, DC that we expect to pay for this position is a minimum of $59,900 and a maximum of $74,600 annually. The actual pay wage may vary based on experience or other relevant factors.
The salary wage range for Los Angeles that we expect to pay for this position is a minimum of $59,900 and a maximum of $74,600 annually. The actual pay wage may vary based on experience or other relevant factors.
The salary wage range for San Francisco that we expect to pay for this position is a minimum of $64,000 and a maximum of $79,500 annually. The actual pay wage may vary based on experience or other relevant factors.
The salary wage range for Palo Alto that we expect to pay for this position is a minimum of $64,000 and a maximum of $79,500 annually. The actual pay wage may vary based on experience or other relevant factors.
The salary wage range for New York that we expect to pay for this position is a minimum of $64,000 and a maximum of $79,500 annually. The actual pay wage may vary based on experience or other relevant factors.
Employees will be provided with an excellent career opportunity in a collaborative environment, in addition to a generous total compensation package with the opportunity to earn bonuses based on individual contribution and firm profitability.
Eligible employees can participate in the Firm’s comprehensive benefits program, which include the following:
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Medical, Dental, Vision, Life/AD&D, Long Term Care, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
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Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Account
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Healthcare Concierge and Advocacy
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Lifestyle Spending Account
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Voluntary 401(k) Plan and Profit Sharing
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10 Paid Holidays per year and a generous PTO Program
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Family Support including Paid Parental Leave, Fertility Benefits, Breast Milk Shipping, Back-up Child Care, Elder Care, and Tutoring
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Wellbeing programs (Employee Assistance Program, Relationship Support, Mental Health, Menopause and Midlife Health and Well-Being Events)
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Retirement Plan Consulting
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Anniversary Bonus Program
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Professional Development Programs
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Transportation and Commuter Benefits
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International Travel Insurance
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Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Accident Insurance
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Auto/Home/Pet Insurance
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Prepaid Legal Insurance
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Employee Discounts
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And More!
The Firm fosters an open and inclusive work environment that enables us to provide clients with the innovative thinking of teams rich in talent, experience and creativity. We regularly host programs intended to increase cultural competencies and address key topics related to community, opportunity and inclusion. Learn more about our Global Inclusion initiatives here: Global Inclusion
Paul Hastings is an equal opportunity employer. Pursuant to applicable local law, we will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the relevant fair chance ordinance. With respect to candidates for employment in Massachusetts, it is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. Although Paul Hastings does not use a lie detector test in its typical application process, an employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.