Accounting clerk job description template

Table 1: Position Identification

1. Position Summary

The Accounting Clerk manages day-to-day transactional accounting duties for [ORGANIZATION_NAME], ensuring financial records are complete, accurate, and up to date. The role administers full-cycle accounts payable and accounts receivable, processes vendor invoices, generates customer billings, and performs regular reconciliations across bank and ledger accounts. Reporting directly to [REPORTS_TO_TITLE], the incumbent operates as an operational gatekeeper for financial documentation, vendor communications, and routine reporting. The primary outcome of this role is maintaining high data integrity, transactional compliance, and structured audit trails to support sound business decisions and operational cash flow.

2. Key Responsibilities

2.1 Accounts Payable Administration (25%)

• Verifies, codes, and enters vendor invoices and expense claims into [ACCOUNTING_SOFTWARE] against approved purchase orders and receiving slips.
• Matches vendor statements, identifies invoice discrepancies or duplicate billings, and routes exceptions to [REPORTS_TO_TITLE] for authorization.
• Prepares electronic fund transfers (EFT), cheques, and credit card payments according to established vendor payment schedules and discount terms.
• Maintains vendor master files, contact details, and tax documentation in compliance with organizational record-retention standards.

2.2 Accounts Receivable and Billing (20%)

• Generates and issues sales invoices, progress billings, and customer credit notes from approved operational records.
• Applies customer payments received via EFT, credit card, cheque, or direct deposit to corresponding customer accounts within [N_BUSINESS_DAYS] of receipt.
• Monitors aged accounts receivable ledgers, issues routine statement reminders, and contacts overdue accounts via telephone and email to secure payment commitments.
• Documents customer payment arrangements, escalates unresolved delinquency to [REPORTS_TO_TITLE], and prepares bad-debt write-off requests for approval.

2.3 Bank and Account Reconciliation (15%)

• Executes daily or weekly reconciliations of operating bank accounts, credit card merchant feeds, and petty cash against ledger transactions.
• Investigates unallocated payments, outstanding cheques, and banking variances, resolving discrepancies within established month-end cut-offs.
• Reconciles accounts payable and accounts receivable sub-ledgers to the general ledger, correcting posting errors via adjusting journal entries approved by [REPORTS_TO_TITLE].

2.4 General Ledger and Month-End Support (15%)

• Prepares and posts standard recurring journal entries, including prepaid expense amortizations, accruals, and inter-account transfers.
• Extracts operational transaction summaries and trial balance schedules from [ACCOUNTING_SOFTWARE] for month-end financial reviews.
• Assists [REPORTS_TO_TITLE] with month-end close workflows by balancing suspense accounts and compiling supporting balance sheet working papers.

2.5 Payroll and Expense Processing Support (10%)

• Reviews employee timesheets, attendance logs, and expense reports for mathematical accuracy, mandatory approvals, and tax receipt compliance.
• Enters approved payroll hours, adjustments, and expense disbursements into [PAYROLL_SYSTEM] in alignment with designated pay periods.
• Maintains strict confidentiality over employee remuneration data, deduction records, and banking files.

2.6 Financial Recordkeeping and Tax Remittance Support (10%)

• Compiles transactional figures and invoice details required for provincial and federal sales tax returns (GST/HST/PST) and regulatory filings.
• Organizes and archives paper and electronic financial records according to statutory retention schedules and internal filing schemas.
• Retrieves supporting accounting source documents for external accountants, tax authorities, or annual compliance reviews.

2.7 Administrative and Operational Support (5%)

• Answers vendor and customer accounting enquiries via email and telephone, providing prompt statements and receipt confirmations.
• Identifies clerical bottlenecks in existing accounting workflows and recommends workflow refinements to [REPORTS_TO_TITLE].
• Performs general office and administrative tasks that directly support finance and administrative continuity.

3. Qualifications & Experience

Table 2: Role Qualifications and Experience

4. Competencies

Table 3: Competency Framework

5. Working Conditions & Performance Measures

5.1 Working Conditions and Physical Demands

This section defines the physical and environmental demands required for bona fide job performance, return-to-work planning, and accommodation assessments under applicable human rights legislation.

Table 4: Working Conditions and Physical Demands

5.2 Performance Measures

Table 5: Key Performance Indicators

5.3 Career Path

• Typical Prior Roles: Administrative Assistant, Data Entry Clerk, Receptionist with bookkeeping duties, Junior Accounts Assistant, Office Junior.
• Typical Next Roles: Senior Accounting Clerk, Full-Charge Bookkeeper, Accounts Payable Lead, Payroll Administrator, Junior Accountant (with formal educational progression).

5.4 Position Acknowledgement

This job description outlines the primary duties, responsibilities, and qualifying criteria for the Accounting Clerk position at [ORGANIZATION_NAME]. It is not an exhaustive inventory of all tasks that may be assigned. Operational requirements may necessitate amendments to duties or working schedules with reasonable notice from [OWNER_OR_MANAGER].

Table 6: Acknowledgement and Signatures

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