Accounts Receivable Specialist

Accounts Receivable Specialist

The Accounts Receivable Specialist is responsible for managing the full accounts receivable cycle, including customer invoicing, cash application, collections, account reconciliations, and maintenance of accurate customer records. This position requires hands-on experience with SAP and the ability to work closely with Sales, Customer Service, Operations, and Finance to resolve account issues, improve collections, and support accurate financial reporting.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Prepare, review, and distribute customer invoices accurately and on schedule.
• Apply customer payments, including ACH, wire transfers, credit cards, and checks, to the appropriate accounts in SAP.
• Monitor the accounts receivable aging and follow up promptly on past-due balances.
• Contact customers regarding outstanding invoices, payment status, short pays, deductions, and disputed charges.
• Research and resolve billing discrepancies in partnership with Sales, Customer Service, Shipping, and other departments.
• Reconcile customer accounts and maintain clear documentation of collection activity and open issues.
• Prepare AR aging reports, collection forecasts, cash receipt reports, and account status updates for management.
• Process approved credit memos, debit memos, account adjustments, refunds, and write-offs.
• Maintain accurate customer master data, billing terms, tax information, credit limits, and contact information in SAP.
• Assist with month-end and year-end close activities, including account reconciliations and supporting schedules.
• Provide documentation and explanations for internal and external audits.
• Follow company policies, internal controls, and established accounting procedures.
• Identify and recommend opportunities to improve invoicing, cash application, collections, and reporting processes.

SAP and Systems Responsibilities:

• Enter, review, and maintain accounts receivable transactions in SAP.
• Use SAP reports to monitor customer balances, open invoices, payment activity, and aging trends.
• Research transactions through SAP document flow and supporting customer records.
• Maintain accurate customer master records and payment terms in accordance with approval procedures.
• Support data accuracy between SAP, banking platforms, customer portals, and reporting tools.
• Use Microsoft Excel to analyze account activity and prepare reconciliations and management reports.

Requirements:

• Associate's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Three to five years of accounts receivable, billing, cash application, or collections experience.
• Practical experience using SAP ERP, preferably SAP Business One, SAP ECC, or SAP S/4HANA.
• Working knowledge of accounts receivable processes, account reconciliations, and general accounting principles.
• Experience communicating with customers regarding collections and disputed balances.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including sorting, filtering, PivotTables, and VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational ability, and follow-through.
• Professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Accounts receivable experience in a manufacturing, distribution, or industrial environment.
• Knowledge of inventory, shipping, purchase orders, customer returns, and how operational transactions affect invoicing and receivables.
• Knowledge of U.S. GAAP and internal control practices.
• Experience using customer portals, electronic invoicing systems, and online banking platforms.
• Experience with credit management, customer risk review, or international customers and payments.
• SAP training.