WHAT DOES A GENERAL LEDGER ACCOUNTANT DO?

Published: Apr 08, 2025 - The General Ledger Accountant is responsible for preparing and issuing tissue invoices, including serology testing and transportation, maintaining accurate AR and AP Aging reports, and managing invoicing batches and collections. This position oversees AP invoice processing, vendor statement reconciliation, payment selection, and monthly account reconciliations, ensuring all financial transactions are accurately documented and approved. This role provides support and training on the Concur expense management system, manages corporate card programs, and ensures compliance with financial policies.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for General Ledger Accountant

1. General Ledger Accountant Duties

  • Financial Reporting: Ensure correct, complete, and timely financial reporting for group reporting purposes and statutory/legal requirements for several European legal entities.
  • Financial Statements Preparation: Responsible for the preparation of the periodic financial statements and reports under IFRS and local GAAP, in close cooperation with Business Partnering, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Tax, and Cost Accounting.
  • Financial Analysis: Analyze the periodic financial statements, understand the developments, and discuss these when needed.
  • Statutory Reporting: Responsible for the preparation of the annual financial statements and local statutory reports.
  • Compliance Management: Ensure compliance of the financial statements and internal processes with the INEOS group reporting standards.
  • Process Improvement: Continuously improve processes in close cooperation with the EMEA Reporting and Accounting team.
  • Audit Leadership: Lead the IFRS and Local GAAP audits in close contact with public auditors.
  • Budget Support: Support Business Partnering in budgeting processes, cost analyses, and management reporting.
  • Journal Entries: Prepares journal entries to the general ledger.
  • Payment Schedule: Prepares Payment Schedule and reconciles.
  • Period End Closing: Assures documents being processed are included in the appropriate accounting period.
  • Issue Resolution: Analyzes, researches, and corrects issues related to accounting.
  • Communication: Communicates issues with errors, procedure violations, and discrepancies with all levels of management.
  • Balance Sheet Analysis: Performs balance sheet and income analysis.

2. General Ledger Accountant Details

  • Invoice Management: Prepare and issue tissue invoices, including serology testing, ground transportation, flights, and supplies, prepare AR batch for review.
  • Invoicing Approval: Review and approve organ invoicing batches.
  • AR Aging: Maintain the AR Aging, ensuring it is accurate and up-to-date.
  • Customer Partnership: Build effective partnerships with customers regarding inquiries and issues, work with customers to ensure timely collection on invoices.
  • AP Imports: Create AP imports from invoice workflow system, reviewing to ensure proper approval and coding of charges.
  • AP Aging: Maintain the AP Aging, ensuring it is accurate and up-to-date.
  • Account Reconciliation: In conjunction with the AP/AR Specialist, reconcile vendor statements and resolve prior balances and unpaid invoices.
  • Payment Selection: Select AP invoices for payment and create check run and ACH files.
  • A/P Accrual: Create the monthly A/P accrual entry and reconcile A/P accounts monthly.
  • Concur Support: Provide Concur user support to all employees and troubleshoot issues.
  • User Training: Provide user training on Concur to new employees.
  • Expense Reports: Ensure the review of all out-of-pocket and corporate card expense reports to ensure proper approval, coding, and receipt documentation prior to payment.
  • Corporate Card: Manage the Corporate Card program.
  • Journal Entries: Prepare, review, and post monthly or journal entry batches.
  • Bank Deposits: Prepares bank deposits, scan/submit checks to the bank, and prepare JE batches.

3. General Ledger Accountant Responsibilities

  • Process Improvement: Own and improve upon the accounts payable, corporate card management, and employee expense processes.
  • Reporting Support: Assist with the preparation of the monthly reporting package with the ability to provide insight into the flux analysis.
  • Journal Entries: Prepare journal entries and reconcile accounts such as benefits, fixed assets, prepaids, accruals, and cash.
  • Global Collaboration: Work closely with international peers and help develop the global finance team.
  • Policy Development: Develop accounting policies & procedures and implement internal controls for areas of responsibility.
  • Tax Reporting: Work on other ad hoc tax requirements including 1099 tax reporting.
  • Audit Support: Support external audit and miscellaneous reporting requirements.
  • Form Preparation: Support the Accounting Manager and the Director of Finance and Accounting with the annual preparation of Form 990 and Form 5500.
  • Financial Review: Assist in monthly financial statement review, including the preparation and review of support schedules.
  • Audit Preparation: Support the Accounting Manager in preparation for external audits and cost reporting.
  • Process Documentation: Maintain process documents and assist staff in implementing process improvements.
  • Team Support: Provide primary support for team members in absence.
  • Account Reconciliation: Prepare account, payroll, and inter-company reconciliations.
  • Issue Resolution: Identify all outstanding items and facilitate corrections.
  • Adjusting Entries: Prepare and input monthly adjusting journal entries into the company ERP system.

4. General Ledger Accountant Job Summary

  • General Ledger: Responsible for supporting the General Ledger of a number of legal entities.
  • Corporate Reporting: Monthly Corporate Reporting.
  • VAT Reporting: Management of VAT Reporting.
  • Statutory Liaison: Liaising with local statutory agencies.
  • Audit Liaison: Liaising with group auditors.
  • Process Improvements: Ongoing process improvement projects.
  • Accounting Compliance: Adherence to business accounting policies and procedures.
  • Revenue Recognition: Review and process revenue set-up requests for accuracy and compliance with the company revenue recognition policy.
  • Revenue Adjustments: Review and process revenue adjustment requests for accuracy and compliance with the company revenue recognition policy.
  • Accrual Processing: Assist General Ledger Manager with monthly close by processing various fringe and subcontractor accruals.
  • Audit Support: Support external financial statement audit and government audits.
  • Journal Entries: Responsible for the preparation and posting of monthly close journal entries.
  • Inter-Company Reconciliation: Ensuring accuracy of inter-company to include monthly reconciliation and journal entry re-class.
  • Cash Reconciliation: Responsible for cash reconciliations and ensuring cash has been properly recorded.
  • Prepaid Amortization: Responsible for amortizing non-insurance prepaids.

5. General Ledger Accountant Accountabilities

  • Financial Policies: Work together to define and optimize key procedures & financial policies and develop adequate systems.
  • Best Practices: Encourage the implementation of best practices.
  • Investment Policy: Define investment & depreciation company policy.
  • Problem Solving: Identify problems at an early stage and find creative solutions.
  • Financial Control: Ensure effective financial control.
  • MIS Development: Develop and monitor an accurate Management Information System.
  • Performance Analysis: Organize management information system, establish and analyze performance criteria.
  • Accounting Leadership: Lead and coordinate the accounting function of the different GIS branches and GIS entities worldwide.
  • Tax Compliance: Lead and coordinate the periodic VAT & Corporate Tax & Intrastat & declarations of the different branches including daily interaction with the concerned cabinets with the goal to guarantee compliance with local laws and regulations.
  • Account Consolidation: Lead and coordinate periodic consolidation of GIS accounts.
  • Intercompany Closing: Guarantee a monthly matching intercompany closing process.
  • Transfer Pricing: Lead GIS Transfer Pricing policy, coordinate with external cabinets and guarantee compliancy.
  • Closing Process: Finalizing the monthly and yearly closing processes and coordination/leading on the fiscal year-end audit with external cabinets.
  • Audit Leadership: Lead and coordinate internal & external audit reviews on GIS Accounts.
  • Audit Assistance: Assist with quarterly and annual audit process.

6. General Ledger Accountant Functions

  • GL Operations: Performing GL operational activities such as posting accruals, prepayments, etc. for the Spanish and Portuguese entities.
  • Month-End Close: Making sure all month-end closing activities are performed accurately and timely.
  • Team Cooperation: Effective cooperation with other teams, such as Payroll, AP, Cash Application, VAT, Credit Control.
  • Account Reconciliation: Monthly balance sheet reconciliations, ownership of all GL accounts, follow-up of outstanding items with other teams.
  • Variance Analysis: Analysis of variances and fluctuations in P&L and BS.
  • Internal Controls: Maintain SOX internal control process.
  • Reconciliation Preparation: Prepare account reconciliations, identifying and explaining significant outstanding items.
  • Journal Entry Support: Support all departments with various internal journal entry posting requests.
  • Month-End Management: Manage the month-end close, including complex general ledger accounting entries, expense and revenue recognition, and account analytics and roll forward schedules.
  • Financial Analytics: Prepare high-level analytics on the Financial Statements for executive reports and quarterly audits.
  • Audit Support: Prepare documentation and support audits and compliance processes.
  • Account Review: Prepare account review and propose required journal entries.
  • Accounting Research: Efficiently perform accounting research by navigating accounting databases to find the appropriate accounting treatment.
  • Closing Coordination: Coordinate month-end closings, general ledger account analyses and balance sheet account reconciliations and prepare SOX controls.
  • Site Collaboration: Work with the team and site controllers to ensure accurate and controlled financial statements for the specific sites.

7. General Ledger Accountant Job Description

  • Journal Entries: Prepare journal entries, reconcile financial statements and accounts, and ensure data accuracy.
  • AP Processing: Process Accounts Payable (input and pay vendor invoices, receipts, and reimbursements, reconcile vendor statements).
  • AR Processing: Process Accounts Receivable (prepare billings for customer contracts and act as main contact).
  • Customer Interaction: Interact with customers and vendors regarding collections, payments, and documentation.
  • Financial Review: Review financial records, processes, and accounts to ensure accuracy.
  • Bank Reconciliation: Reconcile various bank accounts by compiling and balancing financial information.
  • Error Correction: Correct accounting errors and posts journal entry adjustments.
  • Asset Depreciation: Prepare fixed asset depreciation and accruals.
  • Ledger Maintenance: Update and maintain general ledger accounts.
  • Tax Support: Assist with preparation and review of sales and use tax returns and registrations.
  • Process Improvement: Identify pain points in AMP's accounting processes and develop solutions to solve them.
  • Quality Assurance: Driving force for quality and transparency within the accounting team and the company overall.
  • Audit Support: Support internal and external audits.
  • Training Support: Support and train one junior colleague.
  • Internal Controls: Ensure effective internal controls for the assigned accounting areas.

8. General Ledger Accountant Overview

  • Master Data: Full ownership of master data maintenance, supplier master data, customer master data & project master data (across different business models such as B2B, B2C including e-commerce).
  • Data Validation: Validate the key financial data and contractual terms, ensure the data are accurately, completely, and completely maintained in ERP system.
  • Training Support: Support and lead master data training sessions to key stakeholders as well as various continuous improvement initiatives in master data process.
  • GL Validation: Review GL entry request, and validate approval documentation according to related policies.
  • GL Posting: Ensure GL entries are posted properly in ERP system.
  • Project Support: Support the general ledger transition project to FSSC, including readiness assessment, on-site transition and post-migration improvement.
  • Statutory Reporting: Statutory Reporting and FSSC Closing.
  • Financial Review: Validate the source financial information, complete the required statutory reporting, FSSC month-end report and deliverables to key stakeholders and management personnel.
  • Process Coordination: Work closely with other FSSC and financial functions to ensure close process is performed effectively and efficiently.
  • Balance Sheet: Support regular balance sheet and financial statements review.
  • Reconciliation: Analyse account movement and perform reconciliation, escalate and highlight issues to key stakeholders and management personnel (i.e., exception report).
  • Service Reporting: Report to site leadership to ensure a healthy service level.
  • Financial Records: Maintain company financial records including purchases, sales, receipts, and payments.
  • Invoice Management: Process accounts payable and receivable and manage invoices and tax payments.
  • Account Reconciliation: Conduct reconciliation of all accounts.

9. General Ledger Accountant Details and Accountabilities

  • Journal Entries: Managing journal entries and ensuring proper general ledger coding in support of monthly closings.
  • Bank Reconciliation: Developing bank reconciliations, intra-company reconciliations, and other month-end general ledger reconciliations.
  • Adhoc Projects: Assist with adhoc projects and/or reports and perform other related duties.
  • Tax Filings: Prepares timely sales tax filings, informational returns, and other external reporting requirements to ensure regulatory compliance.
  • Audit Support: Assists with information requests from external auditors and tax accountants.
  • Asset Management: Maintains the company’s fixed asset databases for internal and tax books.
  • Ledger Maintenance: Maintain and balance the general ledger in an accurate, complete, and up-to-date manner.
  • Policy Compliance: Interpret and apply accounting policies, rules, and regulations to ensure compliance with applicable standards.
  • Account Reconciliation: Reconcile selected balance sheet accounts per reconciliation schedule.
  • Month-End Entries: Prepare selected month-end journal entries and analyze accounts.
  • Financial Reporting: Use Oracle HFM to generate reports and upload financials at month-end.
  • Report Distribution: Run and distribute various month-end financial reports.
  • Team Support: Support other Financial Shared Services accountants during close and throughout the month.
  • Financial Controls: Responsible for certain general ledger activities to ensure a timely close each period-end with effective financial internal controls.
  • Entry Preparation: Preparing the necessary journal entries with appropriate supporting documentation.

10. General Ledger Accountant Tasks

  • Month-End Close: Execute the month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities in line with corporate policies, standard procedures, and established operational and financial control frameworks.
  • Business Analysis: Compiling and analyzing business information to prepare journal entries and document business transactions.
  • Account Reconciliation: Performing reconciliation of balance sheet accounts including follow-ups with business partners.
  • Compliance Monitoring: Ensuring timely compliance with internal control policies and SoX environment, including timely completion of internal and external audit requests.
  • Issue Escalation: Identifying, researching, and escalating accounting matters and/or process breakdowns that could result in financial misstatement and control exceptions or deficiencies.
  • Audit Support: Working with others to complete regulatory filings, internal audits, external audits, operational audits, and other required activities.
  • Process Improvement: Supporting the delivery of continuous improvement activities, including identification and escalation of identified issues.
  • Report Production: Supporting the production and the standard library of management reports, with initial variance analysis and commentary within the agreed timeline.
  • Reconciliation Review: Responsible for ensuring key account reconciliations are performed & reviewed.
  • US GAAP: Apply sound knowledge of US GAAP in determining the appropriate accounting treatment for transactions.
  • Audit Assistance: Support annual internal and external audits.
  • Financial Reporting: Assist in reporting/presentations of financial results.
  • Process Awareness: Understand and demonstrate a high level of process and controls awareness.
  • Control Integrity: Maintaining the integrity of the internal control environment and being proactive in identifying areas for improvement.
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