Payables Clerk Job Description
A Payables Clerk, also known as an Accounts Payable Clerk, is responsible for managing a company’s accounts payable, which involves tracking all outgoing payments to suppliers and service providers. The job responsibilities typically include:
- Reviewing and verifying invoices and check requests
- Sorting, coding and matching invoices
- Setting invoices up for payment and entering them into the system
- Preparing and performing check runs or electronic transfers and payments
- Post transactions to journals, ledgers and other records
- Reconciling accounts payable transactions and preparing analysis of accounts
- Monitoring accounts to ensure payments are up to date
- Researching and resolving invoice discrepancies and issues
- Maintaining vendor files and corresponding with vendors
- Providing supporting documentation for audits
- Ensuring compliance with internal control policies in a SOX environment
- Producing monthly reports and assisting with month-end and year-end closings
The qualifications for a Payables Clerk often include:
- An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
- Proficiency with accounting software and MS Excel.
- Strong knowledge of accounting principles, data entry, and general math skills.
- Good organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.
- Attention to detail and ability to multitask.
The specific duties and qualifications can vary depending on the size and industry of the company. Some companies might require more advanced skills or additional responsibilities.
Example of a Payables Clerk Job Description
Let’s take an example of a hypothetical job posting for an Accounts Payable Clerk at ABC Manufacturing Company:
Position: Accounts Payable Clerk
Responsibilities:
- Receive and verify invoices and requisitions for goods and services.
- Verify that transactions comply with financial policies and procedures.
- Prepare batches of invoices for data entry and enter invoices for payment.
- Process backup reports after data entry and manage the weekly cheque run.
- Record all cheques and prepare vendor cheques for mailing.
- List all vendor cheques in the log book and prepare manual cheques as and when required.
- Maintain listing of accounts payable and maintain updated vendor files and file numbers.
- Respond to vendor enquiries about payment status and resolve invoice discrepancies.
- Assist with month-end closing and provide supporting documentation for audits.
Qualifications:
- A Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field (preferred).
- At least 2 years of experience in a similar role.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and experience with accounting software.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to multitask.
- Excellent communication and organizational skills.
- Ability to work independently and with a team in a fast-paced and high-volume environment with emphasis on accuracy and timeliness.
In this job posting, the company has listed the main duties of the accounts payable Clerk, which revolve around managing and processing the company’s accounts payable. The qualifications section gives an idea of what skills and experience the ideal candidate should have.
