Description

COMPANY INTRODUCTION

Manzana Products Co. has been in business for over 100 years and is a leading producer of organic apple juice, apple sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Manzana is owned by Agrial, a prominent French co-op of 12,000 farmer members and a force in agriculture and food production.

Manzana’s mission is to create quality apple products by placing the highest value on people, suppliers, customers, and continuous improvement in manufacturing capabilities, with social and environmental responsibility at the heart of our actions.

We are in the process of relocating our manufacturing facility from Sebastopol, CA to Sunnyside, WA.  While the facility is essential, we believe that building a strong, dedicated team is the key to success. At Manzana, we work each day to foster a culture focused on food safety, employee health and safety, customer service, continuous improvement, and an inclusive, respectful environment where all team members’ contributions are valued, and feedback is encouraged.

At Manzana, all employees are required to actively participate in our comprehensive Food Safety Program to ensure the consistent production of the highest quality and safest food products. This commitment is essential to maintaining our standards and protecting our customers.

Join us as we grow and make a difference together

Job Summary:

The AP/AR Specialist owns the full accounts payable and accounts receivable cycles for a fast-paced food production environment and administers the company's employee expense platform end to end. Working closely with procurement, receiving, production, and sales, this role ensures vendors are paid accurately and on time, customer payments are collected and applied promptly, and expense reports comply with policy. Because a significant part of our customer base is concentrated in retail, retailer deduction and chargeback management is a core part of this role.

The ideal candidate combines transactional rigor with strong communication skills and thrives on high volume, tight deadlines, and the realities of a manufacturing plant: three-way matching, freight and co-packer invoices, EDI document flows, and perishable goods urgency.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

·         Accounts Payable (approx. 45%)

o   Process high-volume vendor invoices (raw materials, packaging, ingredients, MRO, freight, co-packing, utilities, services) with three-way match against purchase orders and receiving records.

o   Investigate and resolve price, quantity, and receiving discrepancies with procurement, the warehouse, and vendors; escalate recurring issues.

o   Prepare weekly payment runs (ACH, check, wire), prioritizing critical suppliers and capturing early-payment discounts.

o   Maintain vendor master data, W-9s, and payment terms; support annual 1099 reporting.

o   Reconcile vendor statements monthly and clear aged open items; manage debit memos for returns, shortages, and quality rejections.

·         Accounts Receivable (approx. 35%)

o   Apply cash receipts (ACH, checks, EDI 820 remittances) daily and reconcile to bank activity.

o   Own the retailer deduction and chargeback workflow: research, code, validate, and dispute deductions (shortages, pricing, trade promotions, compliance fines such as OTIF/MABD penalties) through retailer portals; recover invalid deductions and partner with sales on trade-related items.

o   Run collections on past-due balances with a customer-service mindset; maintain AR aging and flag credit risk to the Controller.

·         Expense Process Management (approx. 15%)

o   Administer the company's expense management platform: onboard and offboard users, maintain approval hierarchies and GL coding rules, train employees, and serve as first point of contact for questions.

o   Audit expense reports for policy compliance, receipts, coding accuracy, and appropriate approvals; return non-compliant reports with clear guidance.

o   Process reimbursements through payroll on a defined cadence.

o   Track policy exceptions, report spend trends to management, and recommend policy or workflow improvements.

·         Month-End & General Support (approx. 5%)

o   Support month-end close: AP/AR sub-ledger reconciliations to GL, accrual schedules for un-invoiced receipts, and aging reports.

o   Assist with external audits, internal controls documentation, and continuous improvement of AP/AR/expense workflows.

Requirements

Qualifications

•     A minimum of 3 years of hands-on AP and AR experience in manufacturing, food production, or CPG distribution.

•     Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field (equivalent experience considered).

•     Working command of three-way matching, PO-based invoicing, and cash application.

•     The ideal candidate would have experience managing retailer deductions and chargebacks, including navigating retailer/distributor portals, or be willing to learn.

•     Solid understanding of basic accounting (debits/credits, accruals, sub-ledger vs. GL) and month-end close mechanics.

•     ERP proficiency (Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central) and strong Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, reconciliations).

•     Hands-on experience administering a dedicated expense management platform (e.g., Concur, Expensify, Ramp, Brex) — auditing reports, managing card programs, and supporting end users.

•     High accuracy and attention to detail under volume; ability to manage deadlines across weekly payment runs, daily cash application, and monthly close.

•     Clear, professional communication with vendors, customers, and employees at all levels — including plant-floor and non-finance staff.

•     Discretion with confidential vendor, customer, and employee information.

Skills:

•     Trade promotion accounting exposure (accrual tracking, deduction matching against promotional agreements) and freight audit experience.

•     Familiarity with major retailer compliance programs and portals (e.g., Walmart Retail Link/APDP, Kroger Lavante, distributor portals such as UNFI or KeHE).

•     Bilingual English/Spanish a plus.

•     Experience supporting process improvement or AP/expense automation projects (OCR capture, approval workflows).

Working Conditions

Office-based role within a food production facility. Standard schedule, with additional availability expected during month-end close and year-end audit.

Summary

Additionally, Manzana offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

·         Healthcare benefits:

o   Medical, dental and vision with 100% of the monthly premiums for the Employee paid by Manzana.

o   Manzana offers a generous contribution towards the monthly healthcare premiums for eligible dependents.

o   Team Members are eligible to enroll the first of the month after 30 days of employment.

·         Life AD&D Insurance (when enrolled in medical insurance)

·         401(k) with a company match of up to 6% of the employee’s contribution.

·         Paid vacation

·         Paid sick leave

·         Paid holidays: 9 per year

·         Employee Assistance Program (EAP)