Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Finance Clerk

🎯 Role Definition

As a Finance Clerk, you will be the backbone of our finance department, providing essential support to ensure our financial operations run smoothly and efficiently. You will be responsible for a wide range of accounting and bookkeeping tasks, from managing accounts payable and receivable to assisting with financial reporting and reconciliation. This position requires a high degree of accuracy, integrity, and the ability to handle sensitive financial information with discretion. You'll collaborate closely with the accounting team and other departments, making this role a fantastic opportunity for anyone looking to build a solid foundation in the world of corporate finance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Administrative Assistant with bookkeeping duties
Data Entry Clerk
Recent graduate with a degree in Finance or Accounting

Advancement To:

Staff Accountant
Financial Analyst
Senior Accounts Payable/Receivable Specialist

Lateral Moves:

Accounts Payable Specialist
Payroll Clerk
Junior Accountant

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Process a high volume of accounts payable invoices, ensuring accuracy, proper coding, and timely payment in accordance with company policies.
Prepare, send, and monitor customer invoices, actively managing accounts receivable aging reports to ensure prompt collection of payments.
Perform daily and monthly bank reconciliations for multiple accounts, identifying, investigating, and resolving any discrepancies.
Assist in the month-end and year-end closing processes by preparing journal entries, reconciling general ledger accounts, and compiling supporting documentation.
Maintain and update financial records, ledgers, and databases with precision, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality.
Accurately process and audit employee expense reports and corporate credit card statements, verifying compliance with company travel and expense policies.
Generate and distribute routine financial reports, such as balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements, for management review.
Respond to and professionally resolve inquiries from vendors, customers, and internal departments regarding payment status, billing, and other financial matters.
Manage the complete purchase order process, including creating POs, matching them with invoices and receiving documents, and resolving any variances.
Input and maintain accurate vendor and customer information in the accounting system, including W-9 forms and payment terms.
Assist with the preparation and filing of tax-related documents, such as 1099s and sales tax returns.
Handle petty cash fund, including disbursing funds, collecting receipts, and performing regular reconciliations.
Support the annual audit process by preparing schedules, providing requested documentation, and communicating with external auditors.
Reconcile intercompany transactions and balances to ensure financial accuracy across different business entities.
Monitor and track fixed asset acquisitions, disposals, and depreciation schedules.

Secondary Functions

Assist in the development and implementation of new financial procedures and internal controls to improve efficiency and accuracy.
Support senior finance staff with ad-hoc projects, financial analysis, and data gathering for budgeting and forecasting activities.
Participate in system upgrades and testing for financial software, providing valuable user feedback.
Cross-train with other members of the finance team to provide backup support for critical functions like payroll and accounts receivable.
Create and maintain procedural documentation for key accounting tasks to ensure consistency and facilitate training.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

MS Excel Proficiency: Advanced skills, including VLOOKUP, pivot tables, and complex formulas for data analysis and reporting.
Accounting Software: Hands-on experience with accounting systems such as QuickBooks, SAP, Oracle, or NetSuite.
Accounts Payable (AP) & Accounts Receivable (AR): Deep understanding of the full AP/AR cycles.
Bank Reconciliation: Proven ability to accurately reconcile multiple bank and credit card accounts.
General Ledger (GL) Knowledge: Familiarity with chart of accounts, journal entries, and the month-end close process.
Data Entry: Fast and highly accurate 10-key and alphanumeric data entry skills.
GAAP Knowledge: Basic understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

Soft Skills

Attention to Detail: Meticulous and precise in handling financial data to prevent errors.
Organizational Skills: Exceptional ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritize workload, and meet strict deadlines.
Problem-Solving: Proactive in identifying discrepancies and resourceful in finding effective solutions.
Communication Skills: Clear and professional written and verbal communication for interacting with internal teams and external partners.
Integrity and Discretion: Ability to handle confidential financial information with the utmost professionalism and confidentiality.
Teamwork: Collaborative spirit and willingness to support team members to achieve departmental goals.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High School Diploma or equivalent, coupled with relevant work experience. An Associate's degree in a related field is a strong plus.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's Degree

Relevant Fields of Study:

Accounting
Finance
Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1-3 years of direct experience in an accounting or finance support role.

Preferred:

Experience working in a fast-paced environment with high transaction volumes.
Prior experience in the same or a similar industry is highly desirable.