Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Assistant Bookkeeper

🎯 Role Definition

The Assistant Bookkeeper supports accurate and timely financial recordkeeping for small to midsize businesses by maintaining ledgers, processing invoices and payments, reconciling bank accounts, preparing routine financial reports, and assisting with month‑end close and payroll processes. This role requires strong attention to detail, proficiency with bookkeeping software (QuickBooks, Xero, Sage, or similar), solid Excel skills, and familiarity with basic GAAP principles. The Assistant Bookkeeper works closely with the accounting manager or controller to ensure compliance, improve workflow, and provide clean financial data for decision-making.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Bookkeeping Clerk or Junior Bookkeeper
Accounts Payable / Accounts Receivable Clerk
Accounting Intern or Administrative Assistant with finance exposure

Advancement To:

Senior Bookkeeper
Staff Accountant
Payroll Specialist
Accounting Manager / Controller (with expanded experience and education)

Lateral Moves:

Accounts Payable Specialist
Billing Coordinator
Payroll Clerk
Client Accounting Services (CAS) Associate

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Maintain the general ledger by recording, classifying and reconciling day‑to‑day financial transactions including journal entries, ensuring completeness and accuracy for month‑end close.
Process and code accounts payable invoices, prepare vendor payments, and manage vendor communications to ensure on‑time payments and accurate vendor balances.
Manage accounts receivable activities: generate invoices, post customer payments, reconcile customer accounts, and work collections to minimize aging receivables.
Perform bank reconciliations for multiple accounts on a periodic basis, investigate and resolve variances, and prepare reconciliation reports for review by management.
Support monthly, quarterly and annual closing processes by preparing accruals, prepaids, and account reconciliations to produce reliable financial statements.
Prepare, file and maintain sales tax, VAT or other transactional tax records and assist with periodic tax filings under the direction of the accounting manager or external tax advisor.
Maintain fixed asset schedules: record additions/disposals, calculate and post monthly/annual depreciation, and reconcile to the general ledger.
Enter and reconcile payroll-related journal entries, support payroll processing (timecard review, deductions, benefits), and coordinate with payroll providers (ADP, Paychex, Gusto) to ensure timely pay runs.
Reconcile and post credit card statements, employee expense reports and corporate card transactions, validating receipts and policy compliance.
Prepare routine financial reports and summaries (cash position, aged payables/receivables, expense analyses) to support operational decision-making and management review.
Assist with budgets and forecasting by compiling historical expense and revenue data, updating budget templates, and reporting variances.
Support external and internal audits by preparing schedules, supplying supporting documents, and responding promptly to auditor inquiries.
Maintain accurate vendor and customer master files, perform monthly maintenance, and ensure correct accounting codes and payment terms are applied.
Process intercompany charges and reconciliations, document allocations, and ensure accurate posting across corporate entities.
Monitor petty cash, process reimbursements, and maintain related reconciliation logs with receipts and approvals.
Implement and maintain internal controls over transactional processes, flagging potential control weaknesses and recommending process improvements to management.
Reconcile payroll tax liabilities and remit payroll tax payments or provide supporting documentation to payroll service providers and tax authorities.
Support AP/AR automation efforts by preparing and uploading invoices, mapping accounts in accounting software, and testing integrations with bank feeds or ERP systems.
Review monthly bank and credit card reconciliations with appropriate owners, escalate unusual items, and assist in research and resolution of reconciling items.
Prepare and file employee expense reports in accordance with company policy, ensuring timely reimbursement and accurate coding to expense accounts.
Maintain documentation and electronic filing systems for accounting records, invoices, contracts and reconciliations to support audit readiness and regulatory compliance.
Provide ad hoc financial data, extract reports from accounting systems (QuickBooks, Xero, Sage, NetSuite), and present clear reconciliations and summaries to stakeholders.

Secondary Functions

Assist in implementing and optimizing accounting workflows, including recommending software settings, automations, and best practices to reduce manual work and errors.
Support month‑end reporting by drafting narrative summaries of variances and trends to help managers interpret financial results.
Train and support administrative and operational staff on invoicing, expense submission, and basic bookkeeping processes to improve data quality at the source.
Participate in system upgrades, chart of accounts cleanups, and ERP or bookkeeping software migrations, providing subject matter input and testing.
Help prepare documentation and schedules required for business licensing, grant reporting, or lender covenant compliance.
Coordinate with procurement and operations to reconcile purchase orders, receiving reports, and supplier invoices to ensure accurate cost allocations.
Assist with cash flow forecasting by updating short‑term cash models, tracking payables timing, and reporting available cash to treasury or management.
Provide occasional coverage for front‑line finance tasks (e.g., cashiering, customer payments) during staff absences to maintain continuity.
Support month‑end closing checklists and follow up on open items to ensure timely and accurate financial close.
Work with external service providers (bookkeeping firms, payroll providers, tax preparers) to ensure timely delivery of outsourced services and accurate data exchange.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven proficiency with bookkeeping and accounting software such as QuickBooks Online/Desktop, Xero, Sage, Wave or NetSuite; able to maintain accurate ledgers and run standard reports.
Strong Microsoft Excel skills including VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, SUMIFS, conditional formatting and basic macros to analyze and reconcile financial data.
Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable processing expertise: invoice coding, payment runs, collections, credit memos, and cash application.
Bank and credit card reconciliation experience with the ability to identify and resolve differences, outdated deposits, and outstanding checks.
Familiarity with payroll processing workflows and payroll journal entries; experience with payroll platforms (ADP, Paychex, Gusto) a plus.
Knowledge of basic GAAP accounting concepts, accruals, depreciation, and period close procedures.
Experience preparing supporting schedules for audits and tax filings and ability to respond to auditor inquiries with organized documentation.
Ability to manage multi-entity or multi‑currency bookkeeping tasks and intercompany reconciliations where applicable.
Competence in preparing financial summaries and operational reports (aging reports, cash position, expense analyses) for management review.
Experience working with electronic banking, ACH approvals, wire transfers and expense reimbursement systems.
Exposure to ERP systems, AP automation tools, and bank feed integrations with the capacity to help configure mappings and troubleshoot exceptions.

Soft Skills

Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy in recording and reconciling financial transactions.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and recurring deadlines, especially month‑end close.
Effective verbal and written communication skills for interacting with vendors, colleagues, auditors and non‑finance stakeholders.
High level of integrity and discretion when handling confidential financial and payroll information.
Problem‑solving mindset with persistence to research discrepancies, escalate appropriately, and implement corrective actions.
Customer service orientation — responsive and professional when following up on collections, supplier queries, and internal requests.
Adaptability and continuous improvement focus; open to learning new tools, automations and updated accounting standards.
Team player who collaborates effectively with accounting, operations, HR and external providers to keep finance processes running smoothly.
Time management and prioritization skills to balance routine transactional work with ad‑hoc projects and process improvements.
Analytical thinking to interpret financial data, spot trends or anomalies, and proactively communicate potential impacts to management.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent required; strong bookkeeping coursework or certification preferred.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
Professional bookkeeping certifications (e.g., Certified Bookkeeper, QuickBooks ProAdvisor) considered a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Accounting
Finance
Business Administration
Economics
Office Administration with accounting emphasis

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–4 years of hands‑on bookkeeping or accounting support experience in small business, nonprofit, or corporate environments.

Preferred:

2+ years managing AP/AR, reconciliations and month‑end tasks in QuickBooks, Xero or an ERP system; prior payroll support and audit preparation experience preferred.