Accounting Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary 

The AP & AR Specialist is responsible for ensuring that the accounting system accurately and promptly reflects what the company owes and what it has earned. The position owns accounts payable and the assigned accounts receivable functions. It ensures expenses are properly coded, documented, reconciled, and paid on time, and that completed work and approved changes become timely, accurate customer billings. 

The role directly impacts cash flow, cash-flow planning, job-cost accuracy, month-end reporting, vendor relationships, and the company’s ability to understand true project profitability. Unentered invoices understate expenses and liabilities, can make profitability appear stronger than it is, and leave management with an incomplete view of upcoming cash needs; delayed billings and unrecorded receipts hold back or obscure cash the company has already earned. The objective is not speed alone, but accurate, efficient, and consistent processing that keeps the books as close to real time as practical. The first six months of employment are a training period, after which the employee is expected to perform both AP and AR functions with minimal oversight.

Responsibilities:

Accounts Payable Processing 

• Process vendor invoices promptly and accurately, entering the correct vendor, amount, invoice date, GL account, job, cost class, phase, task, and tax coding. 
• Maintain a steady daily processing pace throughout the week so invoices do not build into week-end or month-end backlogs. 
• Work with Project Managers and Foremen to obtain missing job, phase, task, PO, approval, or supporting information. 
• Scan and match invoices, packing slips, and POs; enter approved invoices into Foundation with support attached and maintain organized electronic records. 
• Ensure every transaction has the support, approvals, and coding needed to be reviewed, reconciled, and defended at month-end close, audit, or management review. 
• Prevent duplicate entries and resolve posting errors or discrepancies promptly. 
• Communicate promptly when volume, approvals, missing information, or other issues prevent normal processing. 

Vendor Management & Payments 

• Review vendor statements for missing invoices, credits, discrepancies, or duplicate activity. 
• Maintain vendor records, payment information, remittance addresses, W-9s, insurance certificates, WBE documentation, EINs, and other required information. 
• Verify all new or changed vendor bank information by phone call to the contact information already on file before any change is made. 
• Verify subcontractor insurance certificates are current at the time the contract is signed and again before each payment to the subcontractor. 
• Review AP aging and upcoming obligations so management has a complete view of upcoming cash requirements and payments are prepared according to vendor terms and cash-management priorities. 
• Prepare checks, ACH/EFTs, credit card payments, and other vendor payments. The Accounting Manager approves all payments and schedules ACH/EFTs; the Owner signs all checks. 
• Resolve vendor questions on unpaid invoices or account discrepancies to avoid late fees, missed discounts, account holds, or supply disruptions. 

Credit Cards & Reconciliations 

• Complete Finvari imports and required posting activity on the established weekly schedule. 
• Reconcile company credit card accounts and statements, and support reconciliation of other assigned accounts. 
• Review credit card activity for missing receipts, coding errors, duplicate charges, or unusual transactions. 

Purchase Orders, Job Cost & Budget Reporting 

• Match incoming invoices to applicable purchase orders and job documentation. 
• Review open purchase orders on active and inactive jobs and identify items that should be closed or corrected. 
• Coordinate with Project Managers when PO status or job coding is unclear. 
• Help ensure expenses are assigned to the proper accounting period and job so project costs and margins are accurately reported. 
• Identify missing invoices, unrecorded costs, or other AP issues that could distort job profitability or monthly financial reporting. 

Accounts Receivable Billing 

• Prepare and email “Pencil” billings to Project Managers by the 15th of every month, or as needed for special contracts. 
• Enter all AIA billing information and have it reviewed by the Project Manager before uploading into the online platform dictated by the GC. 
• Gather supporting documentation and verify billing amounts against contracts, schedules of values, approved pricing, and approved change orders. 
• Complete lien waivers with each billing cycle and submit them with the billing as required by the GC. 
• Coordinate with Project Managers and the Payroll Specialist so certified payroll, compliance, and other required documents accompany each billing. 
• Track each billing through submission and approval by the GC’s due date, and escalate items that cannot be billed because required information is missing. 

Cash Receipts 

• Record cash receipts in Foundation the same day deposit details are received from the Accounting Manager, applying each payment to the correct customer, job, and invoice. 
• Identify short, unapplied, or unidentified payments and resolve them with the Accounting Manager and Project Managers. 

Change Orders 

• Process all change orders from GCs into the appropriate accounting and billing systems once approved by the Project Manager. 
• Verify change-order documentation, pricing, approvals, job coding, and customer information before processing, and follow up with Project Managers when information is incomplete. 
• Maintain the change order log and clear documentation connecting approved changes to the applicable project and customer billing. 
• Help ensure approved changes are captured, billed, and reflected in project financial reporting rather than being lost or delayed. 

Monthly Close Support 

• Enter all invoices for the current accounting month by the established monthly cutoff so expenses and liabilities are recorded in the proper period. 
• Review recurring monthly expenses (rent, utilities, cleaning, vehicle payments, and similar) to ensure they are recorded in the correct period. 
• Review GL activity for potential posting or period errors. 
• Complete credit card reconciliations, vendor statement reviews, and the monthly PO review before close, resolving or escalating outstanding items. 
• Support the Accounting Manager with additional close-related information as required. 

Tax & Year-End Compliance 

• Review invoices for appropriate sales and use tax treatment. 
• Maintain documentation for tax-exempt jobs and provide applicable exemption information to vendors. 
• Maintain vendor information required for 1099 reporting, ensuring W-9s and vendor tax records remain current in Foundation. 
• Review annual invoice history and 1099 vendor classifications for accuracy. 
• Support preparation and ordering of required 1099 forms and ensure year-end adjustments are completed before established deadlines. 
• Assist with accounting, sales tax, and related continuing education as needed. 

Time Management & Process Discipline 

• Maintain an organized workflow that balances AP processing, reconciliations, vendor follow-up, AR billing, change orders, and monthly deadlines. 
• Prioritize work based on financial impact, due dates, month-end requirements, and job needs rather than allowing work to accumulate. 
• Communicate early when workload, missing information, or competing priorities may prevent a deadline from being met. 
• Use company systems and automation to reduce duplicate entry and simplify assigned processes. 
• Complete the six-month training period, after which AP and AR functions are expected to be performed with minimal oversight

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.