You can make your job easier when handling many accounts as an accounts payable officer if you choose one day of the week for generating all the checks you need to pay the invoices for that week. Since all checks will need two signatures, you may have to be sure that the two signing officers are in the office. You may have a stamp for each signature that you can use for checks if these officers are not present or for times when you need to generate the checks as soon as you receive the supplies and the invoice.
Another duty of the accounts payable officer is to use the software to generate customized orders for supplies. On times you may have to assist the Assistant Controller with some tasks in the office. You will also need to be thoroughly familiar with the policies and procedures of the office to ensure that all the accounts you deal with comply with these regulations. The information you enter into the computer system is usually coded, so you will need to know the codes for each type of invoice.
Responding to questions about paid and unpaid invoices is also a part of the job of an accounts payable officer. You may have calls regarding whether an account is paid and when the check was sent out. You do need to have excellent customer service skills to handle these calls with ease and to be able to be knowledgeable and efficient in handling the calls you receive.
The qualifications for the position of accounts payable officer include a two or four=year course in business or office administration. Accounting courses must be part of this program as well as basic computer and keyboarding skills. An ability to work with spreadsheets is essential for managing various accounts and for keeping the company’s ledger.
In this position, you will have to pay attention to detail and have a strong capacity for meeting deadlines. You will be called upon to do several tasks, so you should have the ability to multi-task as you may have several tasks ongoing at the same time. It is essential that you are able to work independently in an office setting. Individuals hired for this position usually have experience working in this position at another location or as an office assistant. You can advance to this position in the company with education and experience. In this position, you will work a normal 40=hour week and there is little chance of having to work overtime, unless there is some pressing matter that needs your immediate attention.
