Accounts Payable Technician

Accounts Payable Technician

The Accounts Payable Technician provides comprehensive accounts payable and procurement card program support through the review, analysis, and processing of financial transactions. Ensuring compliance with College policies, accounting standards, and budgetary requirements by maintaining accurate financial records, monitoring expenditures, supporting fiscal year end activities and coordinating payment processes. While serving as a resource to faculty, staff, vendor and departments by providing guidance on purchasing, payments, and account coding procedures, resolving transaction related issues and promoting efficient and effective financial operations.

Chemeketa is a proud Hispanic-Serving Institution that aspires to be an inclusive environment where we honor and value the unique contributions of our diverse students, employees, and community. We seek to foster cultural competence and pursue equitable solutions that support all students in achieving their educational goals. If you are interested in joining the work of the college to pursue a supportive and inclusive culture, we encourage you to apply.

When applying for this position, please attach the electronic documents listed below. Failure to do so will result in your application being rejected as an incomplete application. Any documents you provide that are not listed will not been seen by the Search Committee.

• Unofficial Transcripts - A n electronic copy of your academic transcript(s) from an accredited institution which clearly indicate the degree awarded, and any other applicable information, must be attached with your application if you would like it considered as part of your eligibility for the position. Any applicants who earned academic credentials from outside of the United States and wish to use those credits for consideration must also upload an evaluation of college credit earned at the non-U.S. institution.

Duties & Responsibilities

Accounts Payable & Payment Processing

• Inputs data from original documents to create payment.
• Prioritizes invoice payments to maximize available discounts, meet payment deadlines, and avoid late fees, penalties, or service interruptions.
• Monitor and processes monthly utility and other recurring payments for multiple campuses, ensuring expenses are charged to the appropriate organizational and account codes in accordance with established guidelines. Maintains and updates annual billing allocation spreadsheets, verifies charges for accuracy, and notifies appropriate staff of billing discrepancies or unusual account activity.
• Coordinates payment of contracts with procurement staff; verifies contract expiration dates, amount of encumbrance and contract numbers.
• Coordinates year-end accounts payable activities by reviewing invoices, purchase orders, and procurement card transactions to determine the appropriate fiscal year for expenditure recognition. Analyzes prepayments, subscription services, conference registrations, and other forward-funded expenses, researches open encumbrances, and ensures charges are accurately recorded and allocated to the correct fiscal period.
• Reviews and processes employee travel reimbursements, verifying receipts and supporting documentation to ensure expenses are necessary, reasonable, and compliant with College travel policies. Evaluates meal, mileage, lodging, and transportation expenses for appropriateness, confirms required pre-approvals for travel-related expenditures, and coordinates with employees and budget managers to resolve discrepancies.
• Responds to vendor and staff inquiries regarding payment status, account activity and encumbrances. Research and reviews financial records to provide accurate information and refers complex or specialized issues to appropriate personnel.

Procurement Card Program (PCard)

• Serves as a resource to staff on procurement and procurement card procedures, providing guidance on purchasing requirements, account code selection, and compliance with College policies.
• Reviews and resolves purchasing and payment processing issues; coordinates with departments and vendors to obtain required information, research account coding discrepancies, and implements corrections to ensure accurate financial transactions.
• Reviews and analyzes vendor invoices to determine whether procurement card payment is an available option. Communicates with departments regarding eligible transactions, facilitates procurement card payment arrangements, and supports institutional objectives to increase procurement card utilization and streamline payment processes.
• Reviews procurement cardholder statements on a monthly basis for accounting accuracy, complete receipt package supporting posted transactions, adequate descriptions of purchases, and necessary approvals.
• Tracks reconciliation errors with procurement card and recommends appropriate corrections to the Program Administrator.
• Work with accounting regarding transfers, deposits, credits, and maintenance of vendor information in computer. Prepares deposits for cashiering (refunds, etc.).
• Communicates accounts payable procedures to staff; answers questions; trouble-shoots and resolves key persons problems with software and on-line entry of requisitions and check requests; provides back-up training on use of computer software.

Payable Review and Expenditure Control

• Reviews and verifies account information on invoices and purchase orders; determines, assigns, and corrects account codes based on the nature of expenditures and organizational accounting requirements. Applies comprehensive knowledge of account coding structures and the master account code list to ensure accurate processing, budget tracking, and financial reporting.
• Note invoice information on purchase order; proofs vendor file payment address and adds or updates if necessary.
• Monitors purchase order balances and processes vendor invoices against established purchase order amounts. Tracks cumulative expenditures, notifies originating departments when spending approaches authorized limits, and obtains additional approval or coordinates purchase order amendments when expenditures are expected to exceed authorized thresholds.
• Determines if expenditure is for a fixed asset using established guidelines; obtains fixed asset number if needed.
• Verifies accuracy of back-up information; determines if back-up documentation is sufficient to process checks according to established guidelines; reconciles back-up documentation for advances.
• Advises on purchasing requirements, order placement procedures, and the appropriate procurement method, including determining when a purchase order or check request is required.
• Assists staff in projecting encumbrance needs for new budget year, researching what was spent in the past and aids in budget planning for the future.

Institutional Expectations

• Embraces diversity and actively collaborates effectively with a variety of students, staff and the public from diverse cultural, social, economic and educational backgrounds
• Participates in recruitment and retention of students at an individual and institutional level in promotion of student success
• Embraces, understands and uses appropriate technology tools to accomplish job functions
• Provides high quality, effective service to internal and external customers through continuous improvement and adoption of lean office practices

Candidate Qualifications

Your application will be scored based on the minimum qualifications, core competencies, and preferred qualifications listed below. If you are unsure whether you meet all of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply and address through your application materials all of the relevant education, transferable skills, and related experience that makes you a great candidate for this position. The information provided on your application will be used to determine step placement upon hire. Please ensure you include all information on your application which you wish to be considered.

Minimum Qualifications:

This level requires an equivalency of two (2) years of full-time work experience related to the essential functions and duties of the position listed above.

-----OR-----

An Associate's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.

Core Competencies:

Knowledge of :

• Bookkeeping principles;
• Basic accounting principles
• Applicable local, State and Federal laws and regulations;
• modern office equipment

Skill in :

• Providing exceptional customer service
• Using computers and applicable software
• Resolving bookkeeping and accounting discrepancies
• Communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work.
• Skill in compiling and consolidating accounting information for various fiscal or budget reports.
• Skill in applying rules, policies, and procedures to work assignments.
• Skill in using ten-key adding functionality.
• Skill in operating a computer to enter, update, and retrieve fiscal information. Skill in tracking errors and resolving discrepancies in accounting records.
• Skill in giving information about and solving bookkeeping or accounting issues. Skill in working in a group to resolve a problem or complete a project.

• Bicultural/multicultural skills sufficient to select appropriate behaviors, values and attitudes within different cultures during interactions with others

Preferred Qualifications:

• Two (2) years of experience in processing accounts payable.
• Two (2) years of experience performing account reconciliations and monitoring financial transactions to ensure accuracy and compliance with established procedures.
• Working experience using Banner or a related software.
• Working experience in higher education, local/