Accounts Executive job description
An Accounts Executive records day-to-day financial transactions, handles bills and payments and keeps books ready for review. The role gives a business accurate numbers to run on.
Why the role exists
The Accounts Executive supports the finance head, accountant or outside chartered accountant. They enter purchases, sales and expenses, match invoices with payments and prepare reports. In small firms the role often covers most bookkeeping, so tidy records here save time and cost at every month end and year end.
What the person does
- Record sales, purchase, expense and bank entries in the accounting software every working day.
- Process supplier invoices, check them against orders and deliveries and prepare payments for approval.
- Raise customer invoices and follow up on pending receipts as per the agreed credit terms.
- Reconcile bank statements, supplier ledgers and customer ledgers each month and clear differences.
- Maintain petty cash and staff expense claims with proper bills and approvals.
- Prepare monthly reports such as outstanding receivables, payables and expense summaries.
- Organise documents and data for the chartered accountant for tax work, filings and audit support.
- Flag missing bills, duplicate entries and unusual items to the finance lead before month end.
Skills and tools
- Accounting software such as Tally Prime, Zoho Books or QuickBooks
- Double-entry bookkeeping, ledgers and trial balance basics
- Bank reconciliation and ledger matching
- Excel for reports, lookups and pivot tables
- Understanding of invoices, credit notes, purchase orders and delivery proof
- Clear and polite follow-up with customers and suppliers on payments
- Care with documents, filing and audit trails
- Working with an outside accountant and answering their queries promptly
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- B.Com or M.Com preferred, or equivalent experience in bookkeeping and accounts.
- Preferred one to three years in accounts for a business of similar size and type.
- Experience in Tally or a cloud accounting tool and monthly closing is preferred.
- Tax and filing requirements depend on the employer, state and facts, so confirm them with your own adviser or chartered accountant.
How the work is judged
- Accuracy and timeliness of daily entries and monthly books closing.
- Quality of bank, supplier and customer reconciliations.
- Payments processed on time with correct approvals.
- Collection follow-up and ageing of receivables.
- Completeness of documents handed to the adviser or auditor.
Where the role can lead
- Senior Accounts Executive or Accountant handling closing and review.
- Finance Manager or Accounts Manager leading the team.
- Move into financial planning, credit control, audit or specialised finance roles.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- How do you reconcile a bank statement when the books are off by a few entries?
- A supplier says a payment is pending but our records show it paid. What do you do?
- Describe how you would close the books at month end if bills arrive late.
- Which accounting software have you used and which reports do you run most often?
- How have you followed up a customer who keeps delaying payment without harming the relationship?
- Tell us about a mistake you caught in the books and how you corrected it.
Hiring tips for this role
- Give a short set of transactions and ask for entries and a bank reconciliation. A hands-on test shows more than a talk on theory.
- Check the system match. A Tally-trained person can learn a cloud tool, but allow time and say so in the plan.
- Verify integrity through reference checks. Accounts staff handle money and documents, so honesty and care are essential.
- Be clear about what the outside accountant keeps. Overlap leads to gaps, so define who owns each filing, report and approval.
Questions about hiring a accounts executive
An accounts executive records transactions and prepares routine reports. An accountant usually reviews entries, prepares financial statements and takes more judgement. Small firms often use one title for both, so describe the actual duties.
It is preferred, not compulsory. Practical bookkeeping, software skill and accuracy matter most. Candidates with another degree and strong accounts experience can do well, so judge them by a practical test.
Usually yes for tax, filings and audit work. The executive keeps books clean and ready, which makes the adviser's work faster and cheaper. Confirm exact needs with your own adviser.
GullyHR supports permanent hiring. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates for accounts experience and software skill, and help you through the offer stage.
Hiring a accounts executive?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.