Accounts Payable & Travel Expense Manager

Hermeus is a venture-backed defense aviation company reclaiming the lost art of rapid iterative prototyping to build the fastest aircraft in the world today. By prioritizing relentless hardware iteration, we deliver high-speed systems at the pace of the modern battlefield. We work with the Department of War to provide the high-speed capabilities our nation and its allies need to maintain a durable, asymmetric advantage.

The AP/T&E Manager will own and scale the full Accounts Payable and Travel & Expense functions in a high-growth environment. This role is responsible for building efficient, automated, and compliant processes that can handle increasing transaction volume, support multiple government contracts, and prepare the company for further scaling.

Own End-to-End AP Operations: Manage invoice intake, three-way matching, coding, approval workflows, payment execution (ACH, wire, checks), vendor reconciliations, and aging management to ensure timely and accurate payments.

Lead T&E Program: Administer corporate card programs, expense policy enforcement, review and approval of expense reports (using tools like Ramp, Concur, or similar), and employee reimbursements.

Scale Processes for Growth: Design and implement scalable workflows, automation (OCR, workflow tools, AI-assisted matching), and system integrations to handle growth. Prepare for and support internal/external audits.

Vendor & Relationship Management: Maintain strong vendor relationships, negotiate payment terms and discounts, resolve disputes, and manage 1099/Misc reporting.

Month End Close Reporting & Analysis: Book AP journal entries and perform reconciliations for month end close. Provide AP/T&E metrics and insights (aging reports, cash flow forecasting, spend analytics) to leadership.

Team Leadership & Development: Build and mentor a high-performing AP/T&E team as the company grows (hiring, training, performance management).

Continuous Improvement: Identify and drive process automation, policy updates, and system enhancements to increase efficiency and visibility.

CAS & Government Compliance: Ensure AP and T&E processes support CAS standards (e.g., proper cost accumulation, segregation of direct/indirect costs, treatment of unallowable costs) and DCAA audit readiness. Ensure compliance with FAR/CAS rules on allowable/unallowable travel costs.

• Experience: 6+ years in Accounts Payable and T&E, with at least 3–4 years in a managerial role. Prior experience in a high-growth company or government contracting environment is strongly preferred.
• Systems & Automation: Hands-on experience implementing or optimizing AP/T&E tools (e.g., NetSuite, Ramp, Concur, or similar). Proven track record of driving automation and process improvement in scaling environments.
• Education & Certifications: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
• Skills: Strong project management and change management abilities. Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous startup environment while maintaining compliance rigor.
• Leadership: Demonstrated success building or scaling an AP/T&E team.