Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Accounting Technician

🎯 Role Definition

The Accounting Technician is a key member of the accounting and finance department responsible for maintaining accurate financial records, processing routine and semi‐complex accounting transactions, performing reconciliations, assisting in the preparation of financial reports, and supporting the month‑end and year‑end close processes. You will work closely with accountants and supervisors to ensure the integrity of financial data, support internal controls, contribute to process improvements and help deliver timely and reliable financial information to stakeholders.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Accounts Payable/Receivable Clerk
Bookkeeper
Junior Accounting Assistant

Advancement To:

Senior Accounting Technician
Staff Accountant
Accounting Specialist

Lateral Moves:

Financial Reporting Assistant
Budget & Cost Analyst
Payroll Technician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Maintain and update financial records including posting invoices, receipts, payments, accruals and journal entries to the general ledger in a timely and accurate manner.
Process accounts payable and accounts receivable transactions: verify vendor invoices, issue payments, record customer receipts, manage credit memos and follow up on outstanding items.
Reconcile bank statements, credit card statements, fixed asset sub‑ledgers and other accounts monthly to ensure accuracy and resolve discrepancies.
Assist with the month‑end and year‑end close process: prepare accruals and deferrals, record adjusting entries and help roll up sub‑ledgers into the general ledger.
Prepare basic financial statements, schedules, reports and summaries such as balance sheets, income statements, cash flow summaries and variance analyses for internal review.
Maintain and update the chart of accounts, fixed asset register and depreciation schedules, ensuring compliance with accounting policies and standards.
Monitor cash flow activities, petty cash transactions and bank deposits, and reconcile cash balances to support treasury functions.
Investigate and resolve accounting discrepancies by performing root‑cause analysis of variances in ledger balances or sub‑ledgers.
Assist with internal and external audits: compile audit schedules, provide documentation, respond to auditor inquiries and implement audit recommendations.
Ensure compliance with company policies, accounting standards (GAAP/IFRS) and regulatory requirements, and support regulatory filings such as tax or statutory reports.
Collaborate with other departments (such as procurement, operations or HR) to ensure that accounting entries reflect business activities accurately and that internal controls are maintained.
Prepare and submit vendor and customer account reconciliations, monitor aging reports, follow up on outstanding items and escalate issues as needed.
Enter data accurately into accounting systems, maintain journals and ledgers, ensure timely cut‑offs and support the integrity of financial period closings.
Provide clerical and administrative support within the accounting department: file management, document retrieval, transactional approvals, and record‑keeping.
Support budgeting and forecasting activities: gather actuals, assist in variance analysis, maintain budget spreadsheets and provide commentary on differences.
Participate in process improvement initiatives: identify opportunities for automation, standardize workflows, streamline accounting processes and support system implementation or upgrades.
Maintain confidentiality and security of financial and accounting data, ensure audit trails and adhere to data protection and information governance policies.
Respond to accounting and finance queries from internal stakeholders: provide reports, analysis, clarification of transactions and support decision‑making.
Ensure that purchase orders, expense reports, reimbursements and other cost transactions are coded correctly, authorized and processed in accordance with policy.
Assist in payroll support functions and journal entries for payroll accruals, tax filings or other related reporting as required by the finance team.

Secondary Functions

Support ad‑hoc financial data requests, special accounting projects or exploratory analysis for business units.
Contribute to the organisation’s accounting and finance roadmap, including policy updates, system configuration, documentation of workflows and training of junior staff.
Collaborate cross‑functionally to translate operational activities into financial entries, improve accounting operations and support management reporting and decision‑making.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficiency in bookkeeping, general ledger maintenance, account reconciliation, accruals/deferrals and financial recording.
Strong knowledge of accounting principles (GAAP, IFRS) and familiarity with regulatory compliance and audit support.
Experience with accounting or ERP systems (such as QuickBooks, Sage, SAP, Oracle or similar) and strong Excel skills including formulas, pivot tables and data analysis.
Ability to prepare basic financial statements, schedules and internal reports and to perform variance analysis.
Competence in processing accounts payable/accounts receivable transactions, vendor/customer reconciliations and aging analysis.
Familiarity with fixed asset accounting, depreciation schedules, amortisation and capital asset registers.
Cash flow monitoring, bank reconciliation, petty cash management and treasury support capabilities.
Analytical skills to identify discrepancies, investigate root causes of variances and implement corrective actions.
Data entry accuracy, document management and audit‑ready documentation skills.
Ability to support process improvements, assist system implementation or upgrades and work with cross‑functional teams on workflow standardisation.

Soft Skills

Meticulous attention to detail and a quality‑oriented mindset to ensure accuracy and integrity in financial records.
Excellent organisational and time‑management skills; able to handle multiple tasks, meet deadlines and prioritise in a dynamic environment.
Strong verbal and written communication skills: able to explain financial information clearly to non‑finance stakeholders.
Problem‑solving mindset: able to interpret data, identify issues, propose solutions and implement improvements.
Collaborative team player: works effectively with colleagues across departments, supports team goals and contributes to culture.
Adaptability and flexibility: able to learn new systems, embrace changing processes and work in evolving accounting environments.
Discretion and integrity: able to handle confidential financial information with professional ethics and compliance awareness.
Initiative and self‑motivation: takes ownership of tasks, supports continuous improvement and seeks opportunities for professional growth.
Business‑partner orientation: understands how accounting activities support broader business objectives and contributes proactively.
Reliable and service‑oriented: responds timely to stakeholder inquiries, supports internal customers and maintains high levels of accuracy and professionalism.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:
High school diploma or equivalent; completion of accounting or bookkeeping coursework or certification preferred.

Preferred Education:
Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or related field; accounting technician qualification or certification preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Accounting
Finance
Business Administration
Economics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:
1‑3 years of relevant accounting or bookkeeping experience in a corporate, non‑profit or public sector finance environment.

Preferred:
Experience with ERP or accounting software, experience in month‑end close, audit support or multi‑entity accounting, and prior work with financial reporting, reconciliations or process improvement initiatives.