We are seeking a detail-oriented and highly organized Accounts Payable Clerk to support our accounting and purchasing operations in a fast-paced, transaction-heavy environment.
The primary responsibility of this position is to ensure vendor invoices are accurate, properly supported, and ready for payment through a consistent three-way matching process:
Purchase Order (PO) + Proof of Delivery/Receipt (POD) + Vendor Invoice
This position is also responsible for tracking and reconciling drop-ship orders from vendor order placement through delivery to the customer. Because many transactions flow through multiple systems, the AP Clerk will regularly reconcile purchasing, receiving, invoicing, and payment activity between our ERP/operational system and accounting system.
The ideal candidate is highly organized, comfortable researching discrepancies, and understands that accurate accounts payable requires verification and follow-through, not simply entering and paying invoices.
Key Responsibilities
Three-Way Matching
Perform three-way matching of purchase orders, proof of delivery/receipt, and vendor invoices before invoices are approved for payment.
Verify that quantities, pricing, part numbers, freight, taxes, and other charges agree across supporting documents.
Confirm that goods or services have been received or delivered before processing invoices for payment.
Identify missing POs, PODs, receiving records, invoices, or other supporting documentation.
Investigate discrepancies between ordered, received, and invoiced quantities or amounts.
Work with Purchasing, Receiving, Operations, Sales, and vendors to resolve discrepancies.
Ensure exceptions are properly documented and approved before payment.
Prevent duplicate, unsupported, or incorrect invoices from being processed.
Drop-Ship Order Tracking and Management
Dual-System Reconciliation
Work within both the company’s ERP/operational system and accounting system.
Compare purchasing, receiving, invoicing, and payment information between systems.
Identify transactions that exist in one system but are missing, duplicated, or incorrectly recorded in the other.
Reconcile vendor balances and open AP activity between systems.
Reconcile drop-ship activity between the ERP, vendor documentation, and accounting records.
Research differences in invoice amounts, payment status, credits, deposits, receiving status, and outstanding balances.
Ensure corrections are accurately reflected in both systems when appropriate.
Maintain supporting documentation for reconciliation and audit purposes.
Accounts Payable Processing
Month-End and Accounting Support
Assist with month-end AP reconciliation and closing activities.
Review open purchase orders, received-not-invoiced items, invoiced-not-received items, and outstanding vendor invoices.
Review outstanding drop-ship orders as part of the month-end reconciliation process.
Help identify transactions that should be accrued or investigated before month-end close.
Provide supporting documentation for account reconciliations, audits, and financial reviews.
Assist the accounting team with additional reconciliation and administrative projects as needed.
Qualifications
Required
Preferred
Experience with three-way PO/POD/invoice matching.
Experience managing or reconciling drop-ship orders.
Experience working simultaneously with an ERP and accounting system.
QuickBooks Online experience.
Automotive, automotive aftermarket, manufacturing, distribution, or parts industry experience.
Experience with inventory-based businesses.
Familiarity with vendor deposits, freight charges, credits, partial receipts, backorders, and returns.
Experience reconciling vendor statements and AP aging.
What We Are Looking For
This position requires someone who is naturally inclined to verify information, investigate discrepancies, and follow transactions through completion.
A purchase order confirms what we agreed to buy.
The POD or receiving record confirms what was actually received or delivered.
The vendor invoice confirms what we are being asked to pay.
Those three elements should agree before payment is processed. When they do not, the AP Clerk is expected to identify the discrepancy, research the cause, and work with the appropriate person to resolve it.
Drop-ship transactions require additional follow-through because the product may never physically pass through our facility. The AP Clerk must be able to follow the transaction from the purchase order through vendor shipment and customer delivery, ensuring that the supporting documentation and financial records agree.
Because our accounting and operational information is maintained across multiple systems, this person must also be comfortable comparing records between systems and identifying when information is missing, duplicated, incomplete, or inconsistent.
Accuracy, documentation, reconciliation, and follow-through are more important in this role than simply processing a high volume of invoices.
