Accounts receivable (AR) refers to the money owed to the company through billed services rendered or products sold. Companies that have AR coordinators and accountants usually also offer credit services to its customers. Whether you need to hire an accountants receivable coordinator or clerk for your accounting department, or need to write up a job description for the person's duties, be aware that accounts receivable coordinators, clerks or assistants usually work under the direction of a staff accountant, AR accountant or an accounting supervisor on the income side of the accounting department in a company.

Skill Set and Experience

Besides being competent with all office equipment such as faxes, copiers and printers, AR coordinators must be computer literate, have fast typing and 10-key skills, and have experience working with computer accounting software programs and spreadsheets. Because accounting is a detail-oriented job, AR technicians must have an eye for detail, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and customer service skills. Most AR coordinators will have at least a year's work experience in the position. AR coordinators attending school for an associate's or bachelor's degree have a chance at a promotion to junior accountant with higher pay.

Responsibilities

An AR coordinator organizes client invoices and mails them as requested. Other duties include managing client invoice copy files, opening and distributing department mail, check stub and bank deposit file upkeep, daily credit card deposit processing, administering customer invoice payments, checks or electronic payments, updating client payment records and the AR ledger, and answering AR customer phone inquiries. AR coordinators also research and handle customer charge-backs, returns, and bad checks, and adjust the AR ledger as directed.

Secondary Tasks

AR coordinators can also be assigned special research projects or tasks, which could include reviewing client payment trends or creating a report on outstanding invoices for the department. Depending on the internal structure of a company, an AR coordinator might be assigned to prepare daily cash deposits, fill out internal forms, and enter finalized cash receipts in the accounting system. Other secondary duties include running AR reports on request, updating customer profiles in the AR system or adding new clients to the accounting system database.

Education, Background and Salary

An accounts receivable coordinator, an entry-level position in the accounting department, falls under the category of bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks, as described by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). An AR coordinator's job title can change, dependent upon the company's job-naming protocols. Most companies only require a high school diploma of its accounting clerks and coordinators, but some may require additional accounting coursework or an associate's degree. In May 2012, BLS cites the mean national annual wage for accounting clerks, which includes AR coordinators, at $36,640 or $17.62 per hour.