Cash Application Specialist

We are seeking a highly analytical and detail-oriented Cash Application Specialist to support complex, high-volume Accounts Receivable operations. This role carries end-to-end ownership of cash application, advanced reconciliation, and unapplied cash resolution — ensuring accuracy, completeness, and integrity of financial data. The ideal candidate brings deep AR expertise, navigates complex remittance structures, identifies discrepancies at their root cause, and operates with a high degree of ownership and precision.

Key Responsibilities

Cash Application & Payment Processing

• Apply high-volume payments across ACH, wire, check, and credit card with speed and precision
• Interpret complex remittance formats including partial payments, short pays, consolidated payments, and non-standard data
• Ensure accurate invoice-level application while maintaining integrity across ERP and sub-ledger systems
• Identify and resolve exceptions in payment files prior to posting

Advanced Reconciliation & Root Cause Analysis

• Perform detailed, multi-system reconciliations across customer accounts, bank activity, and AR subledger
• Investigate discrepancies by tracing transactions end-to-end across systems and identifying breakdown points
• Analyze patterns in short payments, unapplied cash, and misapplied transactions to determine systemic issues
• Drive resolution at the root cause — not just symptom correction

Unapplied Cash Ownership & Aging Management

• Own unapplied cash balances and aging, including tracking, prioritization, and resolution strategy
• Proactively reduce aging through structured cleanup efforts and cross-functional coordination
• Develop visibility into unapplied trends and recommend preventive actions
• Maintain detailed, audit-ready documentation of all unapplied activity and resolutions

Data Analysis & Exception Handling

• Export, manipulate, and analyze large data sets to identify discrepancies, gaps, and inefficiencies
• Handle complex exception scenarios requiring judgment, investigation, and cross-team alignment

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Collections, Accounting, Customer Experience, and Operations to resolve payment discrepancies
• Communicate findings, risks, and resolution paths clearly to stakeholders at all levels
• Act as a key contributor in resolving high-impact or high-dollar discrepancies

Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement

• Identify inefficiencies in cash application workflows and recommend scalable improvements
• Support development and refinement of SOPs, controls, and documentation
• Contribute to automation initiatives and system enhancements to improve accuracy and reduce manual effort

Required Qualifications

Experience

• 3–6+ years in Accounts Receivable with a strong concentration in cash application
• Demonstrated expertise in advanced payment matching — partials, short pays, deductions, and complex remittance structures
• Experience operating in high-volume, fast-paced environments with strict accuracy requirements
• Experience in multi-entity or operationally complex environments (preferred)
• Proven ability to own unapplied cash aging and drive measurable reductions (preferred)

Technical Skills

• Advanced Excel proficiency: Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP, data manipulation, and reconciliation modeling
• ERP systems: SAP, Oracle, Sage, or similar platforms
• Familiarity with QuickBooks, Zendesk, and payment processing platforms (preferred)
• Proven ability to manage and reconcile large data sets across multiple systems

Core Competencies

• Strong analytical and investigative skills with the ability to perform root cause analysis across systems
• Strong attention to detail combined with the ability to recognize patterns and systemic issues
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Clear, confident communication with stakeholders across functions and levels
• High accountability, ownership, and self-direction