Accounting Specialist - Payables

Des

Plaines

Community

Consolidated

School

District

62

Job

Description

Accounts

Payable

Specialist

Supervisor:

Assistant

Superintendent

for

Business

Services,

Business

Office

Manager

Department:

Business

Office

Location:

Administration

Center

Employee

Group:

DPESPA

FLSA

Status:

Non-Exempt

Term:

12-Month

(245

Days),

Full

Time

Hours:

8

hours

daily,

including

30

minute

unpaid

lunch

Summary

of

Role :

The

Accounts

Payable

Specialist

completes

all

tasks

related

to

accounts

payable

operations

including

various

reports,

vendor

information,

statements,

invoices

and

purchase

orders

in

the

district

offices.

This

person

interacts

with

staff

members,

product

and

service

vendors

and

the

public

on

a

daily

basis

as

a

representative

of

the

school

district.

Essential

Duties

and

Responsibilities:

Makes

decisions

that

support

the

mission,

vision,

goals

and

interests

of

the

district

and

of

students.

Communicates,

collaborates,

and

cooperates

with

colleagues,

supervisors,

staff

and

vendors.

Maintains

confidentiality

of

student

and

staff

information.

Utilizes

confidential

and

personal

information

for

professional

purposes

only

in

accordance

with

school

district

policy

and

regulations.

Prepares

all

invoices

for

payment

including

checking

for

discounts

and

taxes,

extending

all

items,

checking

pricing,

preparing

any

debit

memos,

and

preparing

partial

payment

forms.

Post

transactions,

run

a/p

checks

and

complete

reconciliations

as

required

for

both

Board

and

Student

Activity

accounts .

Screens

all

purchase

orders

and

invoices

for

payment,

including

activity

account

purchase

orders.

Contacts

staff

for

authorization

of

payment.

Contacts

vendors

regarding

payments,

credits,

adjustments,

issues

with

delivery,

etc.

Verify

differences

between

purchase

orders

and

invoices.

Responsible

for

Imprest

check

transactions

including

distribution,

fund

balancing,

reporting,

and

reconciliation.

Process

inter-district

travel

and

expense

sheets;

verify

information

of

staff

development

forms

and

process

through

Imprest

funds.

Maintains

all

vendor

records

and

communication,

including

updated

vendor

contact

information,

distributing

updated

quarterly

vendor

listing,

maintaining

1099

forms

for

all

vendors

and

preparing

them

for

taxes

each

year,

filing

W-9

forms

for

vendors,

providing

tax

exempt

letters

when

necessary

keeping

records

of

all

those

sent

and

answering

incoming

phone

calls

and

emails

from

vendors

regarding

payment

status.

Completes

and

records

credit

letter

requests.

Opens

accounts

payable

mail,

date,

stamps

invoices

received

and

processes

them.

Maintains

the

postage

meter

and

processes

all

requests

for

repair

or

maintenance.

Prepares

and

organizes

all

paperwork

and

files

within

a

fiscal

year

for

short-term

and,

eventually,

long-term

storage.

Responsible

for

mailing

all

checks

and

correspondence

Daily

approves

Positive

Pay

Verification

with

bank

for

check

payments

using

bank

software.

Assembles

and

prepares

the

Monthly

Financial

Statement

for

the

Board.

Serves

as

a

backup

role

to

the

Accounts

Receivable

Specialist

as

needed.

Serves

as

backup

for

the

Receptionist

as

assigned.

Completes

work

in

an

established

time

frame:

seeks

appropriate

tasks

when

primary

tasks

are

completed

or

pace

is

slow.

Demonstrates

adaptability

to

expanded

roles

of

the

organization

and

changing

environment.

Consistently

arrives

at

work

on

time

and

completes

all

tasks

assigned.

Advises

the

Assistant

Superintendent

for

Business

Services

and

Business

Office

Manager

immediately

of

the

existence

of

any

problems

deemed

to

warrant

prompt

attention,

advice

or

intervention.

Maintains

files,

vendor

and

Accounts

Payable

records

in

an

efficient

and

coherent

filing

system

Performs

special

assignments

and

other

duties

as

assigned.

Supervisory

Responsibilities :

This

job

has

no

supervisory

responsibilities.

Education

and

Experience:

High

School

Diploma

or

equivalent.

A

college

degree

is

preferred.

College

coursework

in

accounting

or

business

services.

Three

years

of

experience

working

in

a

business

office

or

school

environment

is

preferred.

Knowledge

and

Skills:

Strong

interpersonal

skills

Demonstrates

ethical

behavior

Demonstrated

ability

to

work

collaboratively

with

students,

colleagues,

parents

and

school

community

Demonstrated

ability

to

work

independently

without

continued

supervision

Excellent

tech

skills

and

ability

to

use

Apple

computer

products,

Google

Suite

(Drive,

Docs,

Sheets,

Gmail,

Calendar

and

Slides)

and

other

applicable

financial

software

Knowledge

and

ability

in

the

areas

of

customer

service,

communications

and

accounting

Calculate

figures

and

amounts

using

basic

mathematics

concepts

of

algebra

and

geometry

related

to

school

district

information.

Demonstrated

ability

to

read,

interpret

and

write

verbal

and

written

information,

including

writing

routine

reports.

Typing

skills

are

necessary

for

this

role.

Communicates

effectively

with

colleagues,

vendors

and

the

school

community

Apply

common

sense

understanding

to

carry

out

instructions

furnished

in

written

or

oral,

or

diagram

form

Multi-task

effectively

in

a

busy

environment

Speak

clearly

and

concisely

both

in

oral

and

written

communication

Perform

duties

with

awareness

of

all

district

requirements

and

Board

of

Education

policies

Physical

Demands:

While

performing

the

duties

of

this

job,

the

employee

is

regularly

required

to

stand,

walk,

talk

and

hear.

The

employee

frequently

is

required

to

stand,

walk,

operate

office

equipment,

sit,

to

reach

with

hands

and

arms.

The

employee

may

infrequently

be

required

to

climb

or

balance;

and

stoop,

kneel,

or

crouch.

The

employee

must

occasionally

lift

and/or

move

up

to

30

pounds;

such

as

office

equipment

and

paper

boxes.

Specific

vision

abilities

required

by

this

job

include

close

vision,

distance

vision,

color

vision,

peripheral

vision,

depth

perception,

and

the

ability

to

adjust

focus.

Daily

use

of

computer

monitors

is

required.

Requires

using

a

computer

with

frequent

interruptions.

The

position

requires

the

individual

to

meet

deadlines

with

severe

time

constraints

and

to

interact

with

vendors,

staff

and

the

school

community.

Work

Environment:

The

work

environment

characteristics

described

here

are

representative

of

those

an

employee

encounters

while

performing

the

essential

functions

of

this

job.

The

employee

works

in

an

office

environment

that

is

generally

quiet.

At

times

the

employee

may

be

on

site

at

school

buildings;

the

work

environment

in

a

school

building

is

subject

to

noises

associated

with

both

an

educational

environment

and

other

settings

such

as

a

gymnasium,

lunchroom

or

LMC.

Work

is

usually

conducted

indoors,

but

outdoor

work

may

be

expected

on

an

occasional

basis.

This

work

is

normally

conducted

at

a

single

site.

Occasional

travel

to

school

sites

is

possible.

Compensation:

This

position

is

part

of

the

Des

Plaines

Educational

Support

Personnel

Association

(DPESPA)

and

compensation

is

determined

by

a

collective

bargaining

agreement.

Evaluation:

Job

performance

will

be

evaluated

in

accordance

with

the

collective

bargaining

agreement.

The

mental

demands,

physical

demands,

and

work

environment

characteristics

are

representative

of

those

an

employee

encounters

while

performing

the

essential

functions

of

this

job.

Reasonable

accommodations

may

be

made

to

allow

an

employee

with

disabilities

to

perform

the

essential

functions.

The

information

contained

in

this

job

description

is

not

an

exhaustive

listing

of

the

duties

performed

in

this

position.

The

individuals

currently

holding

this

position

perform

additional

duties

and

additional

duties

may

be

assigned.

It

is

the

policy

and

practice

of

District

62

to

decide

all

matters

relating

to

employment

solely

on

the

basis

of

the

applicant's

ability

to

perform

the

essential

functions

of

the

position.

Any

individual

needing

assistance

in

applying

for

this

opening

should

contact

the

office

of

the

Assistant

Superintendent

of

Human

Resources.

Updated

2025