Accounts Receivable Specialist

KR Wolfe Inc.; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

KR Wolfe Inc. in Phoenix, AZ, seeks an Accounts Receivable Specialist to own the complete customer-to-cash cycle for our labor-intensive construction and field-service work.

You will manage customer master data, invoicing, collections, and month-end close with accuracy. You will collaborate with Project Managers to align billing with progress, respond to client portals, handle retainage and lien documentation, and ensure timely cash inflows while protecting data integrity.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 3–5 years of progressive accounts receivable experience, with at least 2 years in construction, field-service, or project-based environment.
• Hands-on experience with construction/services billing complexities: progress billings, milestone invoicing, retainage, lien waivers/releases, and multi-portal submissions.
• Solid understanding of the full accounting cycle, income statement/balance sheet impact of AR, job-cost posting, and over/under billing concepts.
• Working knowledge of QuickBooks and ability to quickly learn Quickbase and additional client portals/systems.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot unbalanced or missing transactions and to work directly with Project Managers to resolve discrepancies.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage a high volume of invoices and aging items with minimal supervision.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for professional customer and internal stakeholder interactions.

Responsibilities

• Own the full customer master data lifecycle: setup, ongoing maintenance, credit terms, billing preferences, portal credentials, and contact hierarchy.
• Ensure every customer record supports accurate, contract-compliant invoicing and collection activity.
• Maintain confidentiality of all customer and company financial information.
• Create, review, and submit all customer invoices across contract types: progress, milestone, time-and-material, fixed-price, and hybrid.
• Navigate client portals and submission requirements to maximize first-pass invoice acceptance.
• Handle retainage, retention releases, lien waivers/releases, and related compliance documentation.
• Coordinate with Project Managers to align billing with progress, milestones, and approved change orders; resolve disputes before invoicing.
• Support over/under billing analysis by ensuring invoiced amounts reflect percent-complete and contractual rights; escalate variances to Controller.
• Own the collections process: monitor aging, initiate timely actions, and resolve past-due balances while preserving relationships.
• Post payments accurately; research and resolve unapplied cash, short-pays, and disputed amounts.
• Communicate with customers, AP departments, and project stakeholders to accelerate cash inflows.
• Escalate chronic or high-risk collection issues to the Controller with clear recommendations.
• Own AR sub-ledger reconciliation to GL; prepare supporting documentation for audits.
• Contribute to a clean month-end close with accurate AR aging, deferred revenue, and related schedules.
• Maintain data/workflows in Quickbase, QuickBooks, and client portals; troubleshoot unbalanced transactions; identify improvement opportunities.

Skills

Attention to detail

Strong communication

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting

Tools

QuickBooks

Quickbase

Client portals

Excel

Job description

Company Overview

KR Wolfe, Inc. is a dynamic, growing company dedicated to making the equipment and technology of tomorrow work today. We specialize in delivering specialized installation, integration, field service, and renovation services. Our focus is on creating and maintaining advanced environments and systems, primarily in healthcare, education, commercial, and government sectors.

Guided by our Vision to be the company of choice based on quality, value, and customer service, we embody SPIRIT in everything we do: Spreading Positivity, Initiating Relationships, and Inspiring Teamwork. Our Core Values—QUEST—drive us: Quality, Understanding & Care, Exceptional Service, SPIRIT, and Trust & Integrity.

Position Summary

The Accounts Receivable Specialist owns the complete customer-to-cash cycle for KR Wolfe. This role is fully accountable for accurate customer setup, complex construction and services billing (progress, milestone, retainage, and multi-portal environments), collections, account reconciliation, and the integrity of the AR sub-ledger.

You will master the unique billing complexities of labor-intensive construction, installation, integration, and field-service work—navigating varied contract terms, client portals, lien-related documentation, over/under billing coordination, and the constant interaction required with Project Managers to keep billing aligned with project progress. Your ownership directly drives cash conversion, reduces disputes, and provides clean data for financial reporting and job-cost analysis.

This is a high-visibility, high-ownership role that requires both technical precision and strong professional communication with external customers and internal project teams.

Key Responsibilities

1. Customer Account Ownership & Maintenance

• Own the full lifecycle of customer master data: setup, ongoing maintenance, credit terms, billing preferences, portal credentials, and contact hierarchy.

• Ensure every customer record supports accurate, contract-compliant invoicing and collection activity.

• Maintain confidentiality of all customer and company financial information.

2. Complex Construction & Services Billing

• Own the creation, review, and submission of all customer invoices across the full range of contract types: progress billings, milestone-based invoicing, time-and-material, fixed-price, and hybrid structures.

• Navigate and master multiple client portals and unique submission requirements, ensuring every invoice is accepted on the first pass whenever possible.

• Accurately handle retainage, retention releases, lien waivers/releases, and all related compliance documentation required by construction and service contracts.

• Coordinate closely with Project Managers to align billing with actual project progress, contractual milestones, and approved change orders—proactively identifying and resolving potential disputes before invoices are issued.

• Support over/under billing analysis by ensuring invoiced amounts correctly reflect percent-complete and contractual billing rights; elevate significant variances to the Controller.

3. Collections & Cash Application

• Own the full collections process: monitor aging, institute timely collection actions, and drive resolution of past-due balances while preserving customer relationships.

• Post all customer payments accurately and promptly; research and resolve all unapplied cash, short-pays, and disputed amounts.

• Communicate professionally and persistently with customers, AP departments, and project stakeholders to accelerate cash inflows.

• Escalate chronic or high-risk collection issues to the Controller with clear recommendations.

4. Reconciliation, Month-End & Audit Support

• Own the monthly reconciliation of the AR sub-ledger to the general ledger; investigate and clear all variances before close.

• Prepare and provide complete supporting documentation for internal and external audits in a timely, organized manner.

• Contribute to a clean, efficient month-end close by delivering accurate AR aging, deferred revenue, and related schedules on schedule.

5. Systems, Process Ownership & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain accurate data and workflows in Quickbase, QuickBooks, and any client-specific portals or systems.

• Troubleshoot unbalanced or missing transactions; take ownership of root-cause resolution rather than workarounds.

• Proactively identify process gaps, control weaknesses, or automation opportunities in the billing and collections cycle and recommend improvements to the Controller.

• Uphold company Mission, Vision, and Values (SPIRIT and QUEST) in all internal and external interactions.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business, or related field preferred.

• Minimum 3–5 years of progressive accounts receivable experience, with at least 2 years in a construction, field-service, or project-based environment.

• Demonstrated hands‑on experience with construction/services billing complexities: progress billings, milestone invoicing, retainage, lien waivers/releases, and multi-portal submissions.

• Solid understanding of the full accounting cycle, income statement/balance sheet impact of AR, job-cost posting, and over/under billing concepts.

• Working knowledge of QuickBooks and the ability to quickly learn Quickbase and additional client portals/systems.

• Proven ability to troubleshoot unbalanced or missing transactions and to work directly with Project Managers to resolve discrepancies.

• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage a high volume of invoices and aging items with minimal supervision.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for professional customer and internal stakeholder interactions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in a multi-division or multi-state construction/services company.

• Familiarity with AIA-style billing, government contracting payment processes, or healthcare facility billing environments.

• Advanced Excel skills and experience with data analytics or reporting tools.

Impact of the Role

The Accounts Receivable Specialist is the owner of KR Wolfe’s cash conversion engine. By mastering complex construction and services billing, driving timely collections, and maintaining clean, reconciled AR data, this role directly improves cash flow, reduces disputes, strengthens project profitability visibility, and supports the Controller’s ability to deliver accurate financial reporting to the Executive Leadership Team.