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Accounts payable specialist resume example

A one-page resume for an accounts payable specialist with about four years in accounting support, two and a half of them in full-cycle AP. Controllers and AP managers hire for accuracy, speed and control, so the bullets show volume, payment runs, duplicates caught and vendor master cleanup.

Accounts payable specialist resume example, page 1 of 1Rosa VillanuevaAccounts Payable Specialistrosa.villanueva@example.com · (210) 555-0156 · San Antonio, TX · linkedin.com/in/rosavillanueva-apSummaryAccounts payable specialist with four years in AP and accounting support, the last two and a half at a multi-sitemanufacturer. I process about 1,600 invoices a month across 3 entities in SAP, run the weekly payment batchesand catch duplicates before they go out. Bilingual in English and Spanish.ExperienceAccounts Payable SpecialistMar 2024 – PresentAlamo Precision Components · San Antonio, TX•Process about 1,600 invoices a month for 3 entities in SAP S/4HANA, with three-way match against purchaseorders and receiving.•Run weekly ACH, wire and check batches of $2 million to $4 million and reconcile them to the bank by thenext morning.•Caught $46,000 in duplicate and incorrect invoices in 2025 before payment by reviewing vendor statementsmonthly.•Cleaned up the vendor master, deactivating 900 inactive vendors and collecting current W-9s from 350 activeones before 1099 season.•Answer 30 to 40 vendor emails and calls a week, keeping the shared AP inbox under a 48-hour response time.Accounting ClerkAug 2022 – Feb 2024Mission Trail Dental Group · San Antonio, TX•Entered invoices and expense reports for 11 dental offices in QuickBooks Online and filed 1099-NEC forms for60 contractors.•Reconciled 4 company credit card accounts monthly and chased missing receipts, cutting unreceiptedspending by 70%.EducationA.A.S. in Accounting2020 – 2022San Antonio College · San Antonio, TXSkillsFull-cycle accounts payable · Three-way match · ACH, wire and check payments · Positive pay ·Vendor master maintenance · 1099 reporting · Expense reports · SAP S/4HANA · QuickBooks Online · SAP Concur · Excel (XLOOKUP, pivot tables) · Account reconciliationCertificationsAccounts Payable Specialist (APS)2025Institute of Finance & Management (IOFM)LanguagesEnglish Native · Spanish Native
Accounts payable specialistUse this example

What recruiters look for

  • Volume and complexity: invoices a month, number of entities, PO and non-PO invoices.
  • Controls: three-way match, approval workflows, vendor master changes, positive pay and fraud prevention.
  • Payment runs: how often, which methods (ACH, wire, check, virtual card) and the dollar range.
  • Systems: the ERP and AP tools you use daily, such as SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Coupa, BILL or SAP Concur.
  • Year-end and compliance: 1099s, W-9 collection, sales and use tax on invoices, audit samples.

Writing the summary

Give your years in AP, the volume and the type of company, then one line on what you do best: accuracy, catching errors, cleaning up processes or vendor relations. Name your ERP.

The summary in this example

Accounts payable specialist with four years in AP and accounting support, the last two and a half at a multi-site manufacturer. I process about 1,600 invoices a month across 3 entities in SAP, run the weekly payment batches and catch duplicates before they go out. Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Moving from AP clerk or data entry into a specialist role

Accounting clerk with 18 months of invoice entry and expense report review in QuickBooks Online for an 11-office healthcare group. I process about 600 invoices a month with almost no corrections and am ready for a full-cycle AP role in a larger ERP.

AP specialist aiming for an AP lead role

Accounts payable specialist with five years in AP, including 18 months training new clerks and covering for the AP lead. I set up invoice automation in Coupa, cut our cost per invoice by a third and prepare the month-end AP accrual.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

  • Cut average invoice processing time from 9 days to 3 by moving 70% of vendors to electronic invoices.
  • Moved 180 vendors from paper checks to ACH, saving about $9,000 a year in printing and postage.
  • Stopped a $28,000 payment to a fraudulent bank account by calling the vendor at a known number to confirm a change request.
  • Prepared and filed 450 Forms 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC with no IRS penalty notices.
  • Reduced past-due invoices from 210 to 25 in a quarter by clearing approval bottlenecks with department heads.
  • Captured $35,000 in early payment discounts in a year by scheduling 2/10 net 30 invoices on time.
  • Prepared the monthly AP accrual and reconciled the aging to the general ledger, with differences under $500.
  • Wrote a 25-page AP desk manual used to train 3 new hires.
  • Pulled and explained 60 invoice samples for the external auditors in 2 days.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • Full-cycle accounts payable
  • Three-way match and PO invoicing
  • ACH, wire, check and virtual card payments
  • Vendor master maintenance and W-9 collection
  • 1099 reporting
  • Expense report review
  • ERP and AP tools (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Coupa, BILL, SAP Concur)
  • Excel (XLOOKUP, pivot tables)
  • AP aging and accrual reconciliation

Soft skills

  • Accuracy at volume
  • Firm but friendly vendor communication
  • Following controls under pressure
  • Organization

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • Accounts Payable Specialist (APS) or Certified Accounts Payable Professional (CAPP): from the Institute of Finance & Management (IOFM), the best-known AP credentials.
  • QuickBooks or ERP certifications: useful at smaller companies that run QuickBooks or NetSuite.
  • No license is required for AP roles; accuracy and experience carry most of the weight.

Length and format

One page. Summary, then the current AP role with four or five bullets, earlier roles with two, then education, skills and any certification. If you are bilingual, add a languages line; many AP teams deal with vendors in more than one language.

Common mistakes

  • “Processed invoices” with no volume, systems or accuracy.
  • Leaving out fraud prevention and controls. Verifying bank detail changes and catching duplicates are some of the most valued AP skills.
  • Listing software without saying what you did in it.
  • Skipping year-end work such as 1099s and audit support, which hiring managers ask about.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between an AP clerk and an AP specialist?

Titles vary, but specialists usually handle the full cycle (matching, coding, payment runs, vendor issues and reconciliations), while clerks focus on data entry. Describe the full-cycle work you do, whatever your title.

Should I mention invoice automation tools?

Yes. Experience with Coupa, BILL, Tipalti or AP automation inside an ERP is in demand, especially if you helped set it up.

Is a degree required for accounts payable?

Often not. Many AP roles ask for a high school diploma or an associate degree plus experience. A bachelor’s degree helps if you want to move toward staff accountant; see the staff accountant example.

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