Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Accounts Payable Clerk

💰 $ - $

AccountingFinanceAccounts Payable

🎯 Role Definition

An Accounts Payable (AP) Clerk is responsible for accurately processing vendor invoices, managing payment workflows, maintaining supplier relationships, and supporting month-end close activities. This role requires strong attention to detail, familiarity with accounting systems (ERP, QuickBooks, SAP, Oracle), and compliance with internal controls and tax regulations. The AP Clerk ensures timely payment, accurate ledger postings, and effective dispute resolution while contributing to continuous improvement and AP automation initiatives.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Accounting Assistant or Bookkeeper
  • Administrative Assistant with accounting exposure
  • Junior Finance Clerk / Collections Assistant

Advancement To:

  • Senior Accounts Payable Clerk or AP Specialist
  • Accounts Payable Supervisor / Team Lead
  • Staff Accountant or General Ledger Accountant

Lateral Moves:

  • Payroll Specialist
  • Accounts Receivable Specialist
  • Procurement / Purchasing Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Process a high volume of vendor invoices end-to-end, including receipt, coding, approvals, three-way PO/match verification, and accurate entry into the general ledger or ERP system in compliance with company policies.
  • Prepare and execute electronic payments (ACH, EFT) and prepare checks and wire transfers, ensuring correct bank instructions, payment remittance details, and approval thresholds are followed.
  • Reconcile vendor statements and research, resolve, and document discrepancies, disputes, or short payments by liaising with vendors and internal stakeholders to ensure accurate supplier balances.
  • Verify and code invoices to the correct general ledger accounts, cost centers, and project codes, ensuring accurate accounting and proper classification for reporting and audit trails.
  • Support month-end close activities by posting accruals, reconciling AP ledgers to the general ledger, preparing account analysis, and providing required schedules for finance leadership.
  • Maintain the AP aging report and prioritize payments to optimize cash flow, take advantage of early payment discounts, and reduce past-due liabilities.
  • Execute three-way matching of purchase orders, receiving reports, and vendor invoices; identify exceptions and coordinate with purchasing/receiving to resolve mismatches.
  • Manage vendor onboarding and maintenance processes, including W-9 collection, vendor profile creation in the ERP, tax classification, and entering correct remit-to addresses and bank details.
  • Administer expense report review and reimbursement processing for employees, ensuring policy compliance, proper receipts, and timely payments.
  • Ensure compliance with internal controls, company policies, and external regulations (sales/use tax, 1099 reporting), and assist in the implementation of policy changes when needed.
  • Prepare documentation and respond to internal and external audit requests related to accounts payable, including vendor confirmations, payment support, and reconciliation schedules.
  • Maintain organized electronic and physical filing of AP records, invoices, contracts, and payment documentation to support auditability and document retention policies.
  • Collaborate with purchasing, receiving, and accounts receivable teams to close the loop on invoice and payment issues, streamline workflows, and improve cross-functional communication.
  • Participate in AP process improvement projects and AP automation rollouts (OCR, AP workflow, supplier portals) by providing operational input, testing, and training materials.
  • Analyze vendor spend and payment trends to identify opportunities for process savings, consolidation of vendors, or renegotiation of payment terms.
  • Monitor and manage vendor credit memos and reimbursements, posting adjustments to the proper accounts and coordinating application to open invoices.
  • Execute supplier statement reconciliations and follow up on aged items over defined thresholds, escalating unresolved problems to the AP Manager as necessary.
  • Maintain confidentiality of financial data, supplier bank details, and sensitive employee reimbursement information according to company security standards.
  • Post and maintain weekly cash requirements and payment runs, coordinating with Treasury or Cash Management to ensure sufficient funding and proper timing of disbursements.
  • Assist with tax-related AP tasks, such as preparing 1099 vendor lists, compiling supporting documentation for tax reporting, and communicating with vendors about tax forms.
  • Provide excellent vendor service by responding to inquiries about invoice status, payment dates, and remittance details, while documenting interactions and outcomes.
  • Support accounts payable reporting needs by preparing management reports, variance explanations, and ad hoc analyses requested by finance leadership.
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of best practices in accounts payable, payment security (ACH/Wire fraud prevention), and relevant accounting standards (GAAP) to strengthen internal controls.
  • Train and mentor junior AP staff on standard operating procedures, invoice processing rules, and system navigation to ensure team consistency and accuracy.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist the AP Manager with special projects, including system upgrades, policy roll-outs, and cross-functional initiatives to streamline procure-to-pay processes.
  • Support cash forecasting by providing short-term AP outflow estimates and highlighting large upcoming vendor payments.
  • Participate in vendor onboarding improvements, including implementation of supplier portals and e-invoicing adoption to reduce manual touchpoints.
  • Provide backup support for related accounting functions during peak periods, such as month-end, year-end, or staff absences.
  • Help maintain and update AP procedure manuals, process maps, and training documentation to preserve institutional knowledge and standardize processes.
  • Contribute to internal control testing and remediation efforts by supplying documentation, following test scripts, and implementing corrective actions.
  • Assist with petty cash reconciliation and small cash disbursement oversight when required by company policy.
  • Coordinate with procurement to enforce purchase order policies and reduce non-PO invoice exceptions.
  • Support vendor performance tracking by compiling metrics such as on-time payment percentage, dispute frequency, and invoice exception rates.
  • Engage with IT or external vendors to test and validate AP system integrations, data exports, and reporting accuracy.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficient in accounts payable processing and invoice lifecycle management including three-way matching, coding, and ledger posting.
  • Hands-on experience with ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar; comfortable navigating vendor master data and AP modules.
  • Experience with accounting software platforms (QuickBooks, Sage, Intacct) and AP automation tools (Concur, Tipalti, AvidXchange, Basware).
  • Strong Excel skills (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, IF statements, data sorting/filtering) for reconciliation and analysis.
  • Knowledge of bank payment methods and processing (ACH, EFT, wire transfers, check runs) and related security controls to prevent payment fraud.
  • Familiarity with GAAP fundamentals and month-end close procedures related to accounts payable and accrual accounting.
  • Ability to prepare and analyze AP aging, vendor reconciliations, and payment schedules; experience producing AP dashboards and management reports.
  • Experience preparing 1099 vendor reports, handling tax forms (W-9), and understanding basic withholding and tax compliance requirements.
  • Competency with electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) formats, OCR/invoice scanning, and automated approval workflows.
  • Strong record-keeping and audit support capabilities, including responding to external audit requests and maintaining supporting documentation.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy when processing high volumes of transactions.
  • Strong organizational and time-management abilities to prioritize multiple deadlines and recurring payment cycles.
  • Clear and professional communication skills for interacting with vendors, internal stakeholders, and cross-functional teams.
  • Problem-solving mindset with the ability to investigate discrepancies, propose solutions, and follow through to resolution.
  • High level of integrity and discretion when handling confidential financial and vendor information.
  • Team player mentality with willingness to train others and collaborate across accounting, procurement, and treasury functions.
  • Adaptability to changing systems, processes, and business priorities, and openness to continuous learning.
  • Customer-service orientation focused on building positive vendor relationships and timely issue resolution.
  • Analytical thinking to identify process gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities for automation.
  • Resilience and composure under pressure during month-end close periods or high-volume payment runs.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent required.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate degree or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Business Administration
  • Economics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1–5 years of accounts payable, bookkeeping, or general accounting experience.

Preferred:

  • 2–4+ years of hands-on accounts payable experience in a corporate or shared services environment, with demonstrated experience in ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle NetSuite) and payment processing.
  • Experience supporting month-end close, audits, 1099 reporting, and AP automation projects is a strong plus.
Explore More Careers