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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Invoice Processor

💰 $ - $

FinanceAccountingAccounts Payable

🎯 Role Definition

The Invoice Processor is responsible for accurate, timely receiving, validating, coding, and posting of vendor invoices and expense documentation to support the accounts payable lifecycle. This role enforces company policies and internal controls, resolves vendor inquiries and discrepancies, supports month-end close activities, and contributes to process improvement and automation of invoice workflows. The ideal candidate combines strong accounts payable fundamentals, ERP and AP automation experience, attention to detail, and effective cross-functional communication.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Accounts Payable Clerk
  • Accounting Assistant
  • Finance Intern

Advancement To:

  • Senior Invoice Processor / Senior AP Specialist
  • Accounts Payable Team Lead
  • Accounts Payable Supervisor or Manager
  • Staff Accountant (with broader accounting exposure)

Lateral Moves:

  • Billing Specialist
  • Payroll Specialist
  • Vendor Management / Procurement Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Receive, review, and log incoming vendor invoices from email, mail, portals, and EDI — ensuring all invoices are captured in the AP queue within established service level agreements.
  • Accurately enter invoice data into the ERP or AP automation platform, including vendor name, invoice number, invoice date, amounts, purchase order references, and general ledger account coding.
  • Perform three-way matching between invoices, purchase orders (POs), and goods receipts or service confirmations to validate quantities, prices, and contract terms before approval.
  • Route invoices through the appropriate workflow for departmental approvals and follow up with stakeholders to obtain missing approvals, purchase orders, or supporting documentation.
  • Resolve pricing, quantity, tax, and other invoice discrepancies by researching history, contacting vendors, and collaborating with procurement, receiving, or business unit owners to reach timely resolutions.
  • Prepare and execute scheduled payment runs (ACH, wire transfers, EFT, checks) while verifying payment batches, payment terms, and bank details to minimize payment errors and late fees.
  • Handle vendor onboarding tasks such as collecting and validating W-9/Tax ID documents, setting up vendor records in the ERP, and ensuring correct tax and payment terms are applied.
  • Reconcile vendor statements to the accounts payable ledger, investigate outstanding balances, and propose or process credit memos or adjustments as necessary.
  • Maintain and post accruals for invoices received after month-end or for goods/services delivered before billing, ensuring accurate financial reporting and month-end close support.
  • Support month-end and year-end close activities by preparing AP schedules, reconciling accounts, and responding to audit inquiries and requests for supporting documentation.
  • Review and validate sales/use tax, withholding tax, and other statutory tax treatments on invoices and escalate complex tax issues to tax or finance leadership.
  • Identify and prevent duplicate payments by using system controls, manual reviews, and duplicate detection procedures; initiate stop-payments or recovery actions when duplicates are found.
  • Enforce SOX and internal control requirements around invoice approvals, segregation of duties, access privileges, and documentation retention to maintain compliance readiness.
  • Process and resolve vendor inquiries regarding invoice status, payment timing, remittance details, and discrepancies with professional and timely communication.
  • Support AP automation and OCR/scan validation efforts by uploading scanned documents, validating extracted fields, and correcting OCR inaccuracies to improve processing efficiency.
  • Maintain AP master data hygiene, including vendor address changes, bank account updates, and payment method preferences, while performing periodic vendor data cleanup projects.
  • Prepare documentation and support internal and external audit requests, providing invoice-level backup, approvals, and evidence of controls for sampled transactions.
  • Monitor AP aging and KPIs such as invoice processing cycle time, on-time payments, early payment discounts captured, and percentage of invoices automated, and report findings to management with improvement recommendations.
  • Collaborate with procurement, receiving, treasury, and tax teams to streamline invoice-to-pay processes, implement best practices, and support strategic initiatives like supplier enablement and discount capture.
  • Participate in projects to implement or enhance ERP/AP automation systems (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Coupa, Ariba, Basware), including user acceptance testing, template configuration, and training of end-users.
  • Apply discretion and data security best practices when handling confidential supplier contracts, banking information, and internal financial records.
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of industry best practices for AP, electronic payments, fraud prevention, and regulatory changes that impact supplier payments and reporting.
  • Coach or train junior AP staff on invoice routing procedures, system navigation, and exception handling to grow team capability and maintain consistent processing standards.
  • Document and update standard operating procedures (SOPs), process flow charts, and knowledge base articles for invoice processing and exception management to ensure continuity and onboarding efficiency.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist with ad hoc financial projects such as vendor rebate tracking, supplier performance reporting, and special reconciliations.
  • Support cash forecasting activities by providing accurate short-term AP payables estimates and anticipated payment timing.
  • Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by identifying manual bottlenecks, proposing automation opportunities, and piloting new tools or bots.
  • Help prepare vendor information packs for supplier onboarding and corporate procurement reviews.
  • Participate in cross-functional process mapping sessions to reduce touchpoints and accelerate invoice throughput.
  • Provide back-up support for check runs, wire processing and bank reconciliations during peak periods or staff absences.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficient with ERP and AP platforms (examples: NetSuite, Oracle E-Business Suite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics).
  • Experience with AP automation and e-invoicing tools (Coupa, Ariba, Basware, AvidXchange, Tipalti).
  • Familiarity with OCR and document capture technologies (Kofax, ABBYY, Ephesoft) and validating auto-extracted data.
  • Strong Excel skills including VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and basic macros to analyze invoice data and reconciliations.
  • Understanding of three-way matching, PO vs non-PO invoice processing, and exceptions workflows.
  • Knowledge of accounts payable controls and compliance frameworks including SOX requirements and audit documentation best practices.
  • Experience preparing month-end AP close items, accruals, and account reconciliations.
  • Basic understanding of corporate tax treatments related to vendor payments (sales/use tax, withholding, 1099 reporting).
  • Experience executing payment runs (ACH, wire, check) and working with treasury or banking portals to manage payments and returns.
  • Ability to use ticketing or helpdesk systems for vendor inquiry tracking and resolution (e.g., ServiceNow, Zendesk).
  • Familiarity with vendor master data management and change control processes.
  • Optional: basic SQL or reporting tool experience (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) for ad-hoc data pulls and AP performance dashboards.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy when entering invoice data and reconciling balances.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills for interacting with vendors and internal stakeholders.
  • Excellent time management and organization, with the ability to prioritize high-volume workloads and meet payment deadlines.
  • Problem-solving mindset and persistence to investigate and resolve discrepancies and escalations.
  • Customer-service orientation to maintain professional vendor relationships and timely responses.
  • High level of integrity and confidentiality in handling vendor banking and tax information.
  • Adaptability to changing systems, policies, and process improvements.
  • Collaboration and teamwork to work effectively across procurement, receiving, and finance functions.
  • Analytical thinking to identify trends, root causes of exceptions, and opportunities for process optimization.
  • Initiative and continuous improvement focus to propose and support automation or efficiency projects.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent required; relevant vocational or accounting coursework preferred.

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
  • Supply Chain / Procurement

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1–5 years of accounts payable or invoice processing experience, depending on role level.

Preferred:

  • 2–4+ years of hands-on AP experience in a corporate environment with ERP exposure and demonstrated success in invoice reconciliation, payment processing, and vendor management.
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