Accounts Receivable Clerk

JOB SUMMARY

Perform accounting and clerical tasks related to the efficient maintenance and processing of accounts receivable transactions. This position is responsible for processing customer payments, verifying customer invoices, contacting customers when accounts become past due and verifying and reconciling invoices and accounts receivable to the general ledger. This position is also responsible for managing accounts receivable employees to ensure accuracy, efficiency and adherence to company policies. This includes building positive relationships with co-workers, customers and vendors while meeting the standards of our mission, vision and values. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: include the following but are not limited to the job specifications contained herein. Additional duties or job functions that can be performed may be required as deemed necessary by your immediate supervisor, Controller or the President.

Responsibilities:

• Reconcile processed work by verifying entries and comparing system reports to balances.
• Review customer invoices for accuracy (including sales tax) and any potential issues.  
• Monitor customer accounts by reviewing account receivable aging reports; verify federal ID numbers and tax exempt status for each customer; monitor potential collection issues and release customer orders on hold per company guidelines.
• Maintain accounting ledgers by verifying and posting account transactions.  
• Verify customer accounts by reconciling monthly aging and other reports to the general ledger. 
• Maintain updated customer files and records, including credit card information.  
• Initiate verbal and/or written communication to customers who have a past due balance. 
• Manage the collection process with past due customer accounts to include preparing all documentation for legal or other collection agencies.  
• Verify transactions comply with financial policies and procedures.  
• Work with each department manager to identify customer billing complaints and possible resolutions to either collect or revise customer receivables.  
• Assist in monthly closings.
• Assist in other areas of accounting and office roles as needed.  
• Prepare analysis of accounts as required.
• Familiarize yourself with our chart of accounts and the general ledger.  
• Receive and monitor bank transactions to include wire-in and ACH deposits. Track activity between bank accounts for these transactions.  
• Responsible for maintaining the daily bank cash sheet. 
• Manage and direct the activities and responsibilities of accounts receivable employees to ensure accuracy and efficiency of work.  
• Provide supporting documentation for audits.  
• Act in a professional manner and provide superior customer service.  
• Responsible for seeking educational opportunities and self-improvement for personal growth and development.  
• Follow all company operating and process procedures.

LEAD GENERATION: Develop a working knowledge of all the products and services supplied by Tri-Lift NC. Overall goal is to suggest and provide leads to other departments for products supplied by our company that will enhance our customers business.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Has the ability to perform some lifting of supplies and materials from time to time. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and use office equipment and computers for long hours, which can cause muscle strain. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Work is performed in a busy, open office area with constant interruptions and must meet with others on a regular basis. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

 
Core Competencies:

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent with one to three years of accounts payable or general accounting experience.  
• Communication: Effectively communicate with customers, vendors, co-workers and management.  
• Basic Skills: Excellent communication, organization and problem-solving skills. Has a high attention to detail and accuracy and can meet required deadlines.  
• Explaining situations clearly: Provide team members, customers and vendors with the information they need to make informed decisions.
• Dealing with conflict: Defuses conflict effectively without giving in or backing down; uses conflict as an opportunity to solve problems.
• Displays courage: Does what he/she thinks is right rather than what is convenient or safe; admits mistakes rather than trying to hide them.  
• Interpersonal savvy: Displays a high degree of tact and diplomacy; builds good rapport with co-workers, customers, vendors; can explain the causes of problems/issues in a way that is informative but not accusatory.
• Reading others: Picks up quickly on other’s reactions; figures out where their hot buttons are and what will make them happy.
• Active listening: Pays careful attention to other’s problems and asks appropriate clarifying questions; lets them explain their situation completely; can restate a conversation accurately.
• Demonstrates empathy: Understands the client’s problems and concerns and displays a motivation to be helpful.
• Accommodating to clients: Balances client’s and own organization’s needs to make sure that the client is satisfied.
• Level-headedness: Keeps cool under pressure; maintains an even temper when the client seems to be upset. Remembering that our job often puts us in high stress situations. 
• Works well with supervisors: Responds to coaching; honest and respectful of supervisors.
• Comfort with social situations: Friendly and easy to get along with, listens well and can carry on conversations.  
• Honest and trustworthy: Builds a reputation as a person who is consistent and direct while still seeking to be helpful.
• Adaptable and flexible: Likes working on new problems; can apply administrative knowledge and skills to unusual or novel situations.  
• Develops technical knowledge: Possesses and maintains knowledge of the equipment and software with which he/she will be working; learns new things quickly and can apply the knowledge on the job.
• Documenting actions and results: Writes reports of actions taken in a clear, concise way that others can understand easily.
• Staying on task: Keeps focused on important activities; moves quickly from one job to the next.
• Personal organization: Keeps workspace organized and clean; knows where all documents are located and maintained.  
• Managing the schedule: Determines how long a task will take and sets/changes other duties; accordingly, anticipates problems and adjusts schedule to compensate. 
• Multi-tasking: Can stay focused on several activities at the same time and switch between tasks quickly.
• Follows rules and regulations: Ensures that he/she understands the organization’s rules and follows them consistently at all Tri-Lift locations.