Summary

The Accounts Payable (A/P) Clerk is directly responsible for performing data entry and related duties in disbursing accounts payable to individuals, suppliers, corporations, and other entities. This includes maintaining ledgers, credit balances, and account irregularities. The A/P Clerk will also ensure the timely and accurate processing of payment documents such as purchase orders, travel reimbursements, and any other accounting transactions related to A/P management. This position involves diplomatic interaction to provide billing information and support in order to facilitate daily bank reconciliations.

Core Competencies

• Customer Focus
• Communication
• Energy & Stress
• Team Work
• Quality Orientation
• Problem Solving
• Accountability and Dependability
• Ethics and Integrity

Job Duties

• Collaborate with the Finance Team to maintain collection goals and general A/P performance levels.
• Obtain approval for disbursements and ensure that expenditures do not exceed available cash.
• Prepare and fill out payments to third parties, whether by cash, check, credit, and other forms of payment.
• Audits purchase requests for materials, supplies, equipment, and other collateral; verifies that orders are charged to the proper accounts.
• Post and reconcile company payments to general ledgers.
• Review bills to the company for potential errors and/or discrepancies.
• Investigate and resolve billing discrepancies or misapplied cash transactions.
• Post A/P data to profit/loss reports, balance sheets, income statements, and other documentation.
• Review all credit balances, refunds, and adjustments, and apply adjustments and/or corrections to corporate billing records.
• Balance daily A/P batches; prepare and distribute payment reports and statistics to key personnel.
• Ensure the strict confidentiality and privacy of financial records as they relate to the organization and its business partners.
• Form payment strategies to make timely A/P payments and mitigate supplier objections.
• Investigate payment problems while following corporate A/P policies and procedures.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration and 1 year of experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated ability to accurately calculate, post, correct, and manage accounting figures and financial records.
• Strong knowledge of payment regulations and fair credit practices.
• Must possess a high level of moral judgment for handling confidential information and monetary transactions.
• Experience in gathering data, compiling the proper information, and preparing financial reports.
• Able to perform moderate to complex account reconciliations.
• Strong diplomatic, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills in order to handle late payments and delinquent accounts.
• Basic knowledge of accounting systems, budgets, and internal controls. 
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and spreadsheet programs and applications.
• Effective attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy.
• Strong work ethic and positive team attitude.
• Sound analytical thinking, planning, prioritization, and execution skills.
• Excellent teamwork and team building skills.
• Able to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing.
• Able to build and maintain lasting relationships with other departments, key business partners, and government agencies.
• Strong problem identification and problem resolution skills.