WHAT DOES AN ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS MANAGER DO?
Published: Nov 01, 2024 - The Accounting Operations Manager oversees and optimizes billing, cash applications, and ensures adherence to federal regulations like the Anti-Money Laundering and Bank Secrecy Acts. Coordination with various departments ensures top-tier customer service and compliance with corporate and regulatory standards. Direct involvement in daily accounting practices and strategic management of IT processes and logistics underscores a commitment to operational excellence and security.
A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Accounting Operations Manager
1. Accounting Operations Manager Duties
- Team Management: Manages accounting staff
- Financial Reporting: Prepares the monthly reconciliation binder
- Accounting Oversight: Oversees the daily loan and cash accounting and reconciliation process
- Policy Development: Assists in the research and recommendation of accounting policies and procedures for new business activities
- Audit Support: Assists in fulfilling document requests related to routine audits and examinations
- Compliance Assurance: Ensures that accounting policies and procedures are maintained and followed
- Deadline Management: Ensures that accounting deadlines are met
- Process Improvement: Recommends enhancements to accounting controls, policies, and procedures
- Problem Resolution: Handles escalated general ledger problems and out-of-balance issues from staff
- Analytical Review: Performs month-end charge-off analysis
- Asset Management: Manages the unclaimed property process
2. Accounting Operations Manager Details
- Process Oversight: Oversee and streamline billing and cash application processes.
- Program Planning: Specialty billing/program planning and implementation.
- Quality Assurance: Plan and implement quality assurance for all processes.
- Staff Development: Personnel development and staff meetings.
- Cross-Department Collaboration: Works closely with other departments to ensure quality customer service is provided both within and outside the company.
- Documentation: Document all related billing and cash application procedures.
- Liaison Management: Serve as a liaison between the Company and correspondent banks.
- Brand Advocacy: Enthusiastically support the Bank’s Guiding Principles and Brand Behaviors.
- Regulatory Compliance: Adhere to federal regulatory requirements, such as the Anti-Money Laundering and Bank Secrecy Acts, and all established policies and procedures.
- IT Oversight: Oversee IT processes, licenses, and data security.
- Logistics Coordination: Oversee shipping documentation of warehouse and logistics team and assist with coordination of any logistical issues.
- Accounting Participation: Participate directly in daily accounting tasks.
3. Accounting Operations Manager Responsibilities
- Performance Monitoring: Monitor and analyze monthly operating results against budget.
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal budgetary reporting requirements.
- Strategic Planning: Work with department managers and corporate staff to develop one (1) year and three (3) year business plans for the Company.
- Goal Setting: Establish and implement short and long-range departmental goals, objectives, policies, and operating procedures.
- Process Improvement: Provide recommendations for procedural improvements.
- Financial Analysis: Maintain, analyze, and summarize general ledger accounts.
- Financial Reporting: Preparation of financial statements.
- Stakeholder Presentation: Present financial information to senior management and/or the Board of Directors.
- Relationship Management: Maintain vendor and customer relations.
- Advisory Support: Advice on initiatives, expansion, employees, ratios, and metrics.
- Due Diligence: Assist in acquisitions and due diligence.
- System Implementation: Implement systems and procedures.
4. Accounting Operations Manager Job Summary
- Customer Interaction: Interact with internal and external customers and vendors to resolve complex issues and to integrate solutions that meet the company’s financial and operational goals.
- Policy Development: Develop policies, internal control procedures, and analytical reporting, including AP metrics, that address the growth of the company.
- Internal Controls Management: Manage and monitor internal controls over vendor compliance, purchase orders/requisitions, and disbursements, including compliance with SOX controls.
- System Improvement: Provide recommendations for system functionality, create or modify system interfaces, and implement new payroll and procurement process improvements.
- HR Partnership: Partner with Human Resources business partners to ensure proper reporting, administration, and compliance with internal processes.
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll, wage, and hour laws and best practices.
- Accounting Support: Provide day-to-day and period closing support to the Accounting Manager and other members of the Finance department.
- Ad-Hoc Analysis: Complete various other ad-hoc analyses as directed by the Assistant Controller and other members of the Finance department.
- Expense Management: Manage expense reporting system and activities.
- Cash Forecasting: Provide input to the cash forecasting process.
5. Accounting Operations Manager Accountabilities
- Team Leadership: Mentor and build strong teams, leading to high levels of performance.
- Employee Training: Train and evaluate employees to enhance performance, development, and work product.
- Task Management: Develop priorities and work assignments to achieve department goals.
- Cross-Training: Ensure all activities are cross-trained.
- Relationship Management: Develop and maintain business relationships with key vendors and internal and external customers.
- Performance Metrics: Manage team metrics to improve cash flow, manage risk, and ensure compliance with regulations related to medical providers.
- Financial Closing: Responsible for timely month-end closing of accounts receivable and accounts payable accounts, including month-end reports and reconciliations.
- Process Improvement: Drive continual process improvement through automation to increase efficiency and ensure the successful implementation of those improvements.
- Tool Development: Assess and develop new tools and processes to create best practices.
- Credit Risk Management: Control credit risk for the Company by reviewing terms and conditions of customer contracts and evaluating credit relationships with both domestic and international customers.
- Invoice Accuracy Advocacy: Advocate for invoice accuracy, leading to timely customer payments.
- Workflow Audit: Audit workflow to ensure that all accounting transactions are processed accurately and in compliance with GAAP and other regulations under established internal controls.