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Accounts payable manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Carol Sullivan,

Thomas King

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical accounts payable manager skills. We ranked the top skills for accounts payable managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 7.4% of accounts payable manager resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an accounts payable manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 accounts payable manager skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how accounts payable managers use customer service:

Developed and maintained professional relationships with key vendors with approachable and dedicated attitude to guarantee a high level of customer service.
Manage new hiring/new hires/personnel files/cobra Customer Service/Vendor contacts General Clerical Assist Sales- Quotes Manage Loan payments, Train new employees.

2. Reconciliations

Here's how accounts payable managers use reconciliations:

Prepared and reviewed balance sheet reconciliations for various accounts including researching reconciling items, analyzing results and communicating to management.
Prepared financial statements and coordinated annual external audit (work paper preparation, reconciliations and inventories).

3. Purchase Orders

Here's how accounts payable managers use purchase orders:

Perform monthly reconciliation of international vendor statements by matching invoices with purchase orders and receiving documentation and entering invoices into the system
Implemented a Procurement Card Program which eliminated approximately 8,000 small dollar invoices, requisitions, purchase orders and related receiving documents.

4. Vendor Invoices

Here's how accounts payable managers use vendor invoices:

Analyzed vendor invoices for accuracy and available payment options that maximized the company's cash position while eliminating additional late charges.
Managed accounts payable function including monitoring productivity, accuracy and quality in processing vendor invoices, payments and reconciled statements.

5. Financial Statements

A financial statement is a report of an individual or a company that includes all the information about the declared assets, the use of money, income, and also the contribution of shareholders over a certain period.

Here's how accounts payable managers use financial statements:

Compiled, analyzed and provided financial information for the preparation of financial statements and closing journal entries to controller.
Worked with controller to implement computerized Financial Statements and General Ledger that interfaced with all other accounting departments.

6. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how accounts payable managers use payroll:

Converted numerous manual payroll systems to on-line database programs and prepared specialized reports required by senior management.
Prepared payroll for processing, processed customer credit applications, and submitted customer rebates to distributors.

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7. Internal Controls

Here's how accounts payable managers use internal controls:

Checked internal controls as set by Risk Management in accessibility to critical process and functionality.
Implement procedures in improving internal controls to include signature authorization hierarchy, etc.

8. Accruals

Here's how accounts payable managers use accruals:

Participated in month-end closing consisting of accruals, open A/P verification and ledger balance confirmation.
Prepare month-end accruals and perform monthly reconciliation of related general ledger accounts.

9. General Ledger Accounts

A general ledger account is a practice to keep a record of a company's total financial accounts. The accounts included in a general ledger lists the assets, liabilities, owners' equity, expenses, and income or revenue. It forms the basis of reporting a business's financial statements.

Here's how accounts payable managers use general ledger accounts:

Reconciled general ledger accounts against the subsidiary ledger balances and control accounts balances for discrepancies and necessary corrections.
Charge expenses to appropriate general ledger accounts and jobs by analyzing invoice/expense reports.

10. ACH

Automated Clearing House, ACH is a computerized electronic network to process, coordinate and manage transactions (credit and debit) and automated money transfers between banks and other financial institutions without the use of paper checks, electronic transfers, credit cards, or cash networks. The ACH network is regulated by the federal government and managed by the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA).

Here's how accounts payable managers use ach:

Implemented P-card and ACH payment processes monitoring reconciliations.
Initiate and submit vendor payments for approval twice a week consisting of domestic and foreign wire, ACH and check transactions.

11. Process Improvement

Here's how accounts payable managers use process improvement:

Collaborated with Team/IT Resources to facilitate process improvement/development opportunities
Assisted in any process improvement initiatives Resolved issues that had been elevated to the management level Directly responsible for year-end 1099 process

12. Credit Card

A type of card issued by banks and other financial institutions, that enable users to manage and borrow their finances is called a credit card. The funds borrowed from a financial institution through a credit card are meant to be paid back along with certain amounts of interest imposed by the bank.

Here's how accounts payable managers use credit card:

Improved credit card reconciliation process & increased accuracy twenty-five percent by exporting data and utilizing spreadsheet capabilities.
Designed and introduced an automated procedure to electronically route and approve Corporate Credit Card transactions.

13. Data Entry

Data entry means entering data into a company's system with the help of a keyboard. A person responsible for entering data may also be asked to verify the authenticity of the data being entered. A person doing data entry must pay great attention to tiny details.

Here's how accounts payable managers use data entry:

Contributed to data entry and processing of approximately 10,000 invoices monthly.
Transitioned from a data entry environment to exception report audits.

14. Expense Reports

Here's how accounts payable managers use expense reports:

Manage vendor communications including responding to complex vendor inquiries * Provided backup to Expense Coordinator by entering and coding expense reports.
Processed and reviewed Travel and Personal Expense Reports according to company policies, enhancing timely and accurate disbursements.

15. Invoice Processing

Here's how accounts payable managers use invoice processing:

Directed invoice processing and verification, ensured expense coding, voucher preparation, and check issuance were accomplished accurately and timely.
Developed departmental processes and procedures for efficient invoice processing, ensuring fiscal policy compliance and data integrity.

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What skills help Accounts Payable Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on accounts payable manager resumes?

Carol Sullivan

Associate Professor, The University of Texas Permian Basin

Microsoft Office is most important in my professional opinion, but also Accounting software like QuickBooks is important. Computer literacy is really important, especially if employees continue to work remotely.

What soft skills should all accounts payable managers possess?

Thomas King

Department Chair, Director, Master of Accountancy Program, Professor, Accountancy, Case Western Reserve University

The ability to develop working relationships with a wide range of colleagues who have diverse skills.

What hard/technical skills are most important for accounts payable managers?

Thomas King

Department Chair, Director, Master of Accountancy Program, Professor, Accountancy, Case Western Reserve University

The ability to extract information from unfamiliar data sets and then explain conclusions reached in a clear, persuasive manner.

What accounts payable manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Janet Tarase

Lead Accounting Faculty / Accounting Department Chair, Red Rocks Community College

Students that need to take a gap year have several opportunities to make that year count. They should consider doing one or more of the following three things:

Work on honing your soft skills, which include: critical thinking/problem solving, oral/written communication, teamwork/collaboration, technology/digital literacy, leadership, professionalism, time management, organizational, and confidence. These talents are desired by employers and also will help you succeed in your educational aspirations
Take free classes offered online through organizations like edX at EDX. Even Harvard is offering free classes, check out:
Onlinelearning
Also expand your global views or overcome those challenges you may be facing by checking out Ted Talks at Ted
Look for a job (full or part-time) or internship in your chosen career field. Even entry-level positions can allow you to see how this job fits into the larger picture or you could ask to shadow someone for a day. Since I am in the accounting field, I suggest contacting Accountemps; their website is: RobertHalf Occasionally, you can also receive job and skill enhancement training through Accountemps.

What type of skills will young accounts payable managers need?

Dr. Lilac Nachum Ph.D.

Professor, International Business, Baruch College, City University New York

In light of the changes described in #1, the most apparent skills would be those related to digital employment. These will relate to both new opportunities, created digitally, as well as the transformation of brick and mortar jobs online. The former requires skills such as online management of supply chains, digital marketing, online sale, and the likes. These new jobs might require in addition to digital skills also heavy doses of creativity and entrepreneurship as new products and industries are being created and developed. In relation to the latter, the jobs themselves might be well established and familiar for some graduates but their delivery would be transformed in significant ways and require advanced digital skills related to the implementation of these activities.

What technical skills for an accounts payable manager stand out to employers?

Dr. JP Krahel Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Accounting, Accounting Department Chair, Loyola University Maryland

First, Excel. It's the most basic, essential tool for the accounting professional. If you can come in on Day 1 knowing essential keyboard shortcuts, proper formula and reference use, and how to format a spreadsheet properly, you'll have an immediate advantage over your peers.

Second, believe it or not, is writing. People think that accounting is all about numbers, but really, it's less about the math (which Excel does for you) and more about being able to explain the deeper meaning behind the results. Can you explain complex depreciation methods to an audit client? Give bad news to a tax client in an understandable way? These are big deals.

Third is data analytics. Given the immense volume of data now available to firms, someone who can extract, clean, and present that data using modern software tools will have an edge. It's really another form of communication, and one that early-career accounting professionals would do well to familiarize themselves with before entering the workforce.

Do you want to know more?

List of accounts payable manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an accounts payable manager resume and required skills for an accounts payable manager to have include:

Customer Service
Reconciliations
Purchase Orders
Vendor Invoices
Financial Statements
Payroll
Internal Controls
Accruals
General Ledger Accounts
ACH
Process Improvement
Credit Card
Data Entry
Expense Reports
Invoice Processing
ERP
Payable Process

Shared Services
Account Reconciliations
External Auditors
SOX
Payable Functions
Vendor Statements
Payment Processing
W-9
Accounts Payables
GAAP
Accounts Payable Processing
Vendor Payments
Vendor Relations
HR
Direct Reports
Vendor Accounts
Payment Terms

Vendor Inquiries
Sarbanes-Oxley
IRS
Wire Transfers
Accounts Payable Management
Financial Reports
Bank Reconciliations
Payable Invoices
Bank Accounts
Fixed Assets
QuickBooks
W9
Cash Disbursements
Credit Memos
PeopleSoft
Bank Statements

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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