Accounts Receivable Specialist Lead

Who We Are: Great Northern Equipment Distributing, Inc. manufactures and distributes top-quality equipment that you can trust and count on at an exceptional value. We provide quality products and trusted brands to the hardware, lawn & garden, rental, agriculture and power equipment industries. We continue to strategically partner ourselves with quality products, and incorporate smart business solutions that we can utilize across our business to provide our customers exceptional value. Since we started in 1983, our goal has always been to understand our customer's business and develop a complete product and support solution that delivers exactly what you need.

Why Choose GNE?

We provide an industry leading benefits package to cover healthcare, retirement, and wellness programs to help you be your best self financially and physically. On top of that, we have:

• Location Rogers, MN or Renville, MN office
• Eligible for up to 20% remote work
• Competitive Pay: $30.00 -$33.00 per hour, with your exact compensation personalized based on your skills, experience, and location. We believe in rewarding top talent with pay that reflects your value.  
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Holiday pay
• Referral bonus
• Employee Assistance Program
• 401K with employer match
• Excellent work/life balance
• Employee Discount & Free Rental Equipment Program
• Opportunity for internal growth and employee advancement

Basic Function: The Accounts Receivable Specialist Lead contributes to shaping department policy, coordinates exemption certificate management, and serves as a department representative on cross-functional teams and projects.  Helps manage aspects of a company's receivables, ensuring accurate and timely collection of payments from customers. This involves applying payments, resolving discrepancies, and managing customer relationships through correspondence that involves email, phone and customer portal entry.

Essential functions:

• Accurately receives and processes payments from various methods, including Lockbox Checks, ACH, Credit Cards, and eCommerce accounts.
• Performs regular reconciliations of customer accounts to ensure financial accuracy and promptly identify discrepancies.
• Utilizes customer portals to facilitate efficient communication and exchange of documentation and account-related information.
• Manages outstanding invoices by initiating follow-ups, negotiating payment plans, and resolving payment-related issues to ensure timely collection.
• Maintains organized and up-to-date records of invoices, payments, and customer account details in compliance with internal and regulatory standards.
• Serves as a primary point of contact for customer inquiries, providing prompt and courteous support while fostering strong, positive relationships.
• Assists in evaluating customer creditworthiness and helps determine appropriate credit limits for customers.
• Identifies and resolves discrepancies, account errors, and billing issues to ensure the integrity of accounts receivable processes.
• Reviews department policies and collaborates with department leadership to update and communicate accounts receivable policies.
• Coordinates with other departments to find effective solutions to accounts receivable issues
• Serves as point of contact for exemption certificate management and compliance.
• Assists in compiling the necessary documentation and data required for business tax filings and compliance.
• Assists in preparing and organizing documents for company audits.

Secondary Functions:

• Greets and assists visitors, creating a welcoming environment and ensuring compliance with company safety protocols.

• Provides assistance to other departments with overflow tasks and cross-functional projects.

• Keeps supervisor informed of important developments, potential problems, and all related information necessary for effective management. 

• Performs other duties as assigned.  

• Attends training as directed by GNE. 

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

The requirements listed below are representative, but not all-inclusive, of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to see a job through to completion and passion to believe in the quality you provide. 
• Knowledge of and willingness to follow company policies, programs, procedures, and practices
• Honesty, dependability and unconditional ethics; ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Treats people with respect; works with integrity and ethically; upholds organizational values.
• Teamwork – Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others’ views; Gives and welcomes feedback, Willingness to assist others.
• Conduct themselves in a professional manner.
• Take initiative to locate missing information or find possible solutions to an issue.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with a wide variety of internal and external people.
• Adapts to changes in work environment; approaches change with a constructive, positive attitude.
• Ability to effectively manage timetables, time requirements and deadlines.

• Knowledge of Company products and markets.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in accounts receivable/collections role.
• High school diploma or general education degree (GED).
• Proven organizational skills and the ability to maintain precise records.
• Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages.
• Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.  Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with a wide variety of Company personnel and others.
• Intermediate knowledge and skills in Microsoft Office products including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

Preferred

• BS or BA degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business-related field.
• Experience with sales tax exemption certificate management, preferably with Avalara software.
• Knowledge of and experience with ERP software, preferably Microsoft’s Business Central.

Machines/Equipment: In the normal course of performing this job a telephone, copier, printer, headset and personal computer will be used.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Frequently required to sit, use hands to handle objects, talk and hear.
• Frequent wrist and/or hand movement is required.
• Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15lbs.
• Occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

• Office: Office setting is climate controlled and the noise level is usually quiet to moderate.
• Warehouse: Warehouse setting is partially climate controlled and the noise level is usually moderate. Employees may be regularly exposed to forklifts and other material moving equipment.
• Production/Shop Floor: Shop floor is not climate controlled and the noise level is usually moderate and above. Employees may be regularly exposed to welding, press, saws, grinding and cutting equipment. Personal protective equipment is recommended in some areas.

Summary: This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position and it is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, and responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position.