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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Lead Accounts Receivable Specialist

💰 $ - $

FinanceAccountingAccounts ReceivableCollections

🎯 Role Definition

The Lead Accounts Receivable Specialist owns daily AR functions and strategic initiatives to accelerate cash conversion and improve customer billing experiences. This role leads a small team of AR analysts, partners closely with sales, customer service, credit, and treasury, and drives continuous improvement projects such as automation, policy updates, and month-end close efficiencies. Success is measured by reduced DSO, accurate cash application, timely dispute resolution, and reliable AR reporting for leadership decision-making.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Accounts Receivable Specialist / AR Analyst
  • Staff Accountant with AR responsibilities
  • Credit & Collections Representative

Advancement To:

  • Accounts Receivable Manager
  • Accounting Manager / Billing Manager
  • Finance Manager or Director of Finance

Lateral Moves:

  • Credit Risk Analyst
  • Billing and Revenue Operations Manager
  • Treasury Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead and manage the end-to-end accounts receivable lifecycle: bill/invoice generation, cash application, collections, dispute management, and AR aging maintenance for North America and/or global customers.
  • Drive collections strategy and execution, including prioritizing collection activities by risk and aging, contacting customers, negotiating payment plans, and escalating delinquent accounts to management or collections agencies as needed.
  • Oversee cash application processes to ensure timely, accurate posting of remittances from multiple sources (lockbox, ACH, wire, credit card, EDI), reducing unapplied cash and increasing straight-through matching rates.
  • Prepare, analyze, and present daily/weekly/monthly AR reports and KPIs (DSO, aging buckets, bad debt, unapplied cash, pledge vs. actual) to Finance leadership with actionable insights and recommendations.
  • Lead month-end and quarter-end AR close activities, including reconciliations of AR sub-ledgers to the general ledger, preparing supporting schedules, and ensuring timely cutoffs and revenue recognition compliance (ASC 606).
  • Investigate and resolve complex billing disputes, partner with sales and customer service to obtain required documentation, and manage credit memos, refunds, and adjustments according to company policy.
  • Implement and enforce credit policies and procedures, including customer credit evaluations, credit holds, and approval workflows, to reduce exposure and write-offs.
  • Coach, mentor, and develop a team of AR specialists: assign workloads, perform performance reviews, establish team goals, and drive training programs to raise technical proficiency and customer communication skills.
  • Drive process improvement and automation initiatives (e.g., electronic invoicing, EDI, lockbox optimization, robotic process automation) to increase efficiency, reduce manual errors, and shorten cash conversion cycles.
  • Manage communication with large/key accounts and enterprise customers to maintain strong relationships while achieving timely collections and resolving invoicing issues.
  • Oversee dispute and deductions management process: root-cause analysis, recurring deduction prevention, chargeback resolution, and liaison with product, logistics, or pricing teams to remedy systemic issues.
  • Ensure SOX/compliance controls are designed and operating effectively within AR (segregation of duties, proper approval workflows, reconciliations) and support internal and external audits.
  • Supervise application of unapplied receipts and manage suspense accounts, providing clear documentation and audit trails for all adjustments.
  • Reconcile intercompany receivables and manage billings related to shared services, transfer pricing, or intercompany sales, ensuring timely settlement and accurate eliminations.
  • Collaborate with Treasury and Cash Forecasting teams to provide receivable-related cash inflow forecasts, anticipated collections by customer/region, and risk assessments for prospective shortfalls.
  • Manage write-offs, allowances, and bad debt reserves: prepare recommendation memos, obtain required approvals, and ensure GAAP-compliant accounting treatment and disclosures.
  • Administer billing systems and ERP configurations for AR modules (billing frequency, payment terms, tax codes), and coordinate with IT/ERP teams on system upgrades, patches, and billing logic changes.
  • Lead pricing and contract billing reviews to ensure invoices align with customer contracts, subscription terms, and SOWs; partner with legal/sales to resolve discrepancies.
  • Maintain and optimize AR aging strategies, including tailored collection plans for high-risk segments, structured payment plans for customers in distress, and business-rule driven escalation matrices.
  • Serve as primary AR point of contact for cross-functional projects (ERP implementations, M&A integration, process standardization), representing AR impacts, risks, and change requirements.
  • Monitor customer credit limits and exposure; recommend and enforce holds or limit reductions in coordination with Credit and Sales leadership to mitigate risk.
  • Provide training and procedural documentation for AR workflows, ensuring knowledge transfer, continuity, and consistent execution across team members and shifts.
  • Support month-end revenue and receivable analytics used by FP&A, Sales Ops, and Executive leadership for accurate forecasting, KPI tracking, and business reviews.
  • Conduct root cause analyses on recurring reconciliation differences, delayed payments, or disputed invoices and lead corrective action plans with measurable recovery targets.

Secondary Functions

  • Participate in cross-functional initiatives to improve customer billing experience and reduce time-to-cash through streamlined invoice delivery and payment options.
  • Support ad-hoc analyses to identify trends in collections performance, customer payment behavior, and opportunities to reduce DSO or bad debt expense.
  • Contribute to periodic policy reviews and updates for billing, credit, and collections processes to reflect changing business models and regulatory requirements.
  • Collaborate with Accounts Payable or vendor teams on offsetting issues, vendor credits, and treasury netting opportunities when appropriate.
  • Provide training and documentation for new ERP modules or third-party collection tools and support change management activities across finance teams.
  • Respond to and support audit requests, tax inquiries, and compliance reviews related to receivables, deferred revenue, and customer contracts.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Accounts Receivable Management: billing, invoicing, collections, cash application, aging analysis, unapplied cash resolution.
  • ERP Systems: hands-on experience with NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Workday, or similar; AR sub-ledger configuration and troubleshooting.
  • Billing Platforms & Integrations: EDI, lockbox processing, payment gateways, electronic invoicing.
  • Revenue Recognition & Accounting Standards: ASC 606 experience and month-end close procedures, journal entries, reconciliations.
  • Financial Reporting & KPIs: DSO, aging reports, bad debt analysis, cash forecasting, AR metrics creation and presentation.
  • Credit Risk & Analysis: customer credit evaluations, credit limits, holds, and collections prioritization.
  • Excel Advanced: pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, complex formulas, and experience building dashboards.
  • SQL and Data Querying: ability to extract and analyze AR data from databases or reporting tools (helpful for automation and root-cause analysis).
  • SOX and Internal Controls: design and maintenance of AR controls, audit readiness, and documentation.
  • Process Automation Tools: familiarity with RPA, workflow engines, or AR automation vendors (e.g., HighRadius, AvidXchange) is a plus.
  • Billing Contract & Pricing Review: interpret contracts, SOWs, subscription terms and ensure invoices reflect agreed terms.

Soft Skills

  • Leadership and team development: coaching, delegation, performance management, and hiring for AR functions.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication: professional customer correspondence, negotiation, and stakeholder presentations.
  • Analytical problem solving: diagnose root causes, reconcile discrepancies, and drive data-backed conclusions.
  • Customer-focused mindset: balance collections objectives with preserving customer relationships and retention.
  • Project management: manage cross-functional projects, timelines, and change management for AR initiatives.
  • Attention to detail and organizational skills to manage high-volume billing and reconciliation tasks.
  • Adaptability and continuous improvement orientation: embrace process change and technology adoption to increase efficiency.
  • Conflict resolution and negotiation skills for resolving disputes and collecting overdue balances.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

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

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree plus certification (e.g., Certified Credit and Collection Professional (CCCP), CPA, or CMA) or a relevant advanced degree (MBA).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Business Administration
  • Supply Chain / Operations (for billing-heavy roles)
  • Economics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 4–8+ years in accounts receivable, collections, or general accounting roles, with at least 2+ years in a supervisory or lead capacity.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years leading AR operations in a mid-market or enterprise environment, demonstrated success reducing DSO and implementing AR system/process automation; experience with multi-currency and global receivables preferred.
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