What are the responsibilities and job description for the Accounts Payable Analyst - Freight Audit & Payment position at Smurfit Westrock?
Description & Requirements
Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW) is the go-to leader and partner of choice in sustainable packaging. We are dedicated to creating efficient and scalable paper and packaging solutions to help solve complex packaging challenges. Guided by our values of safety, loyalty, integrity and respect, we are committed to delivering meaningful value for shareholders, customers, employees and the communities where we operate.
The Opportunity
The Accounting and Finance organization is a mission- and results-driven team that works collaboratively to support the business. We use technical expertise to manage processes that record, reconcile, and report financial activity across the enterprise. We also provide financial context when partnering with business leaders, senior and executive management, and the board of directors.
The Freight Accounting team is responsible for accounting for more than $1 billion in annual Smurfit WestRock freight spend. The Freight Audit and Payment team ensures carriers are paid timely and accurately by auditing freight statements and using multiple systems to research, resolve, and correct exceptions.
Responsibilities
We are seeking a Freight Accounts Payable Analyst to serve as an integral member of the Freight Audit and Payment team. This role will provide system support for the freight payment team, manage high-profile carrier accounts, partner with IT on system testing as needed, and serve as a systems support expert for freight payment processes. Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Freight Accounts Payable Analyst
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law.
Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW) is the go-to leader and partner of choice in sustainable packaging. We are dedicated to creating efficient and scalable paper and packaging solutions to help solve complex packaging challenges. Guided by our values of safety, loyalty, integrity and respect, we are committed to delivering meaningful value for shareholders, customers, employees and the communities where we operate.
The Opportunity
The Accounting and Finance organization is a mission- and results-driven team that works collaboratively to support the business. We use technical expertise to manage processes that record, reconcile, and report financial activity across the enterprise. We also provide financial context when partnering with business leaders, senior and executive management, and the board of directors.
The Freight Accounting team is responsible for accounting for more than $1 billion in annual Smurfit WestRock freight spend. The Freight Audit and Payment team ensures carriers are paid timely and accurately by auditing freight statements and using multiple systems to research, resolve, and correct exceptions.
Responsibilities
We are seeking a Freight Accounts Payable Analyst to serve as an integral member of the Freight Audit and Payment team. This role will provide system support for the freight payment team, manage high-profile carrier accounts, partner with IT on system testing as needed, and serve as a systems support expert for freight payment processes. Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Freight Accounts Payable Analyst
- Manage high-profile carrier accounts, including export, ocean, drayage, and truckload carriers
- Support customs and border duty activity, including plant-level allocation and related issue resolution
- Perform month-end close activities related to freight payables, including review, reconciliation, and issue follow-up
- Analyze data to identify trends, resolve recurring issues, and implement process improvements
- Serve as a liaison between IT and the freight payment team to troubleshoot system issues, support testing, and resolve carrier-related exceptions
- Support SOX audit compliance by completing assigned monthly controls and responding to audit requests for the Freight Payment organization
- Process accessorial invoices in Oracle Transportation Management (OTM)
- Serve as a team lead for carrier issue management, including escalation support, trend identification, and coordination with applicable parties
- Identify patterns and trends and resolve issues with applicable parties
- Monitor settlement errors and research root causes
- Prepare ad hoc reporting to support issue resolution, trend analysis, and leadership visibility as needed
- Work with the Freight Payment and Accounting teams to develop specialist-led problem-resolution processes.
- Create standardized training for specialists on new processes and system enhancements
- Train and onboard new Freight Payment team members
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, management, logistics, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience, including five or more years in freight payables, will also be considered
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly with internal teams, IT partners, carriers, and leadership
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
- Strong problem-solving skills, a continuous-improvement mindset, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team-oriented environment
- Ability to balance routine responsibilities, time-sensitive priorities, and ad hoc requests in a fast-paced environment
- Advanced Excel skills, including the ability to analyze data, identify trends, and support reporting needs
- Demonstrated potential to grow into expanded responsibilities or a future leadership role
- Preferred experience with Oracle Transportation Management (OTM)
- Corporate culture based on integrity, respect, accountability, and excellence
- Comprehensive training and ongoing learning and development opportunities to support career growth
- Competitive compensation that reflects skills, competencies, experience, and potential
- A career with a global packaging company where sustainability, safety, and inclusion are foundational to how we work every day
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law.