17 Director Of Accounts Payable Interview Questions and Answers

The accounts payable (AP) department is responsible for the financial management of a company by managing and paying the company’s bills. The director of AP is responsible for the overall management of the AP department and reports to the CFO.

If you’re interviewing for a director of AP position, you can expect to be asked a range of questions about your experience and skills in financial management and accounts payable. In this guide, we’ll provide you with sample questions and answers that you can use to prepare for your interview.

Are you familiar with the accounts payable process?

This question can help the interviewer determine your level of experience with accounts payable processes. Use your answer to highlight any specific skills you have that relate to this role, such as attention to detail and organizational skills.

Example: “I’ve worked in my current position for five years now, so I’m very familiar with the accounts payable process. In fact, I helped implement a new system at my company where we could track invoices more efficiently. This allowed us to reduce our AP processing time by 20%, which saved us money on late fees. I also regularly train new employees on how to use the system.”

What are some of the challenges you have faced while working as an accounts payable director?

This question can help the interviewer gain insight into your experience and how you overcame challenges. Use examples from previous roles to highlight your problem-solving skills, ability to adapt to change and leadership qualities.

Example: “One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced as an accounts payable director is finding qualified candidates for open positions. Finding new talent requires a lot of time and effort, but it’s important to ensure that we have the right people in place to support our company’s growth. To overcome this challenge, I use job boards and networking sites to find potential employees who are actively looking for work. This helps me save time by reaching out to individuals who already want to work at my company.”

How would you describe your leadership style?

This question can help the interviewer understand how you would lead your team. Your leadership style is a personal preference, so it’s important to be honest about what works for you and what doesn’t. You may want to describe a specific situation where you used your preferred leadership style to achieve success.

Example: “I believe in being an approachable leader who encourages my team members to ask questions and share their ideas. I think this helps build trust with my employees and allows them to feel comfortable sharing information that could benefit the company as a whole. In my last role, one of my employees had an idea for improving our accounts payable process. After discussing her idea with me, she implemented it and saved the company thousands of dollars each month.”

What is your experience with managing large teams?

The director of accounts payable is responsible for managing a large team of employees. The interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your leadership skills and how you’ve managed teams in the past. Use your answer to describe your experience with delegating tasks, motivating your team members and working as part of a larger group.

Example: “In my previous role, I worked with a team of five other people. We all had different skill sets, so we each took on different projects. For example, one person was great at creating spreadsheets while another excelled at data entry. In my current role, I manage a team of 10 people who are all tasked with similar responsibilities. Each employee has their own strengths, but we work together to complete our daily tasks.”

Provide an example of a time when you had to manage a difficult vendor.

As a director of accounts payable, you may have to manage vendors who are late with their payments or who don’t pay on time. Employers ask this question to see if you can handle conflict and difficult situations in the workplace. In your answer, try to show that you can be diplomatic while also being firm when necessary.

Example: “I once had a vendor who was consistently late paying us. I called them into my office and explained how important it is for us to receive our payments on time. They apologized but said they were having financial issues. I told them we would give them an extra week to make their payment, but after that, we would need to find another vendor. They agreed and paid us within the week.”

If hired, what would be your priorities as director of accounts payable?

This question helps the interviewer determine if your goals align with their company’s objectives. Use your answer to highlight how you would make a positive impact in this role and help the organization achieve its goals.

Example: “My first priority as director of accounts payable would be to ensure that all employees understand our policies regarding payments, invoices and late fees. I believe it is important for everyone to know what they can do to avoid mistakes when processing payments. In my last position, I developed an online training program where we could upload documents and videos explaining different aspects of AP processes. This helped us train new hires more efficiently and ensured that all employees understood our payment policies.”

What would you do if you noticed a discrepancy in the accounts payable ledger?

This question can help the interviewer determine how you would handle a challenging situation in your role. Use examples from past experience to show that you are willing to take initiative and solve problems when they arise.

Example: “If I noticed a discrepancy, I would first make sure that it was not simply an error on my part. If it was something more serious, I would immediately report it to my supervisor so we could discuss what steps to take next. In my previous position, I once discovered a large sum of money missing from our accounts payable ledger. After reporting it to my supervisor, we contacted the company’s CFO to discuss the issue further. Together, we determined that one of the employees had been embezzling funds for quite some time. The company fired the employee and implemented new security measures to ensure this didn’t happen again.”

How well do you communicate with other departments within the company?

The director of accounts payable is often responsible for communicating with other departments within the company. This question allows you to show the interviewer that you can work well with others and collaborate on projects. Use examples from your experience where you had to communicate with other departments or individuals in order to complete a task.

Example: “In my previous role, I was responsible for communicating with several different departments including accounting, human resources and marketing. We were working on a project together where we needed to collect data from each department. I met with each department head to discuss what information they could provide us with. Then, I created an excel spreadsheet that allowed all three departments to enter their data into one document.”

Do you have experience working with large volumes of invoices?

This question can help the interviewer determine if your experience level is a good fit for their company. If you have no prior experience working with large volumes of invoices, it’s important to highlight other skills that may be transferable and relevant to this role.

Example: “In my current position as director of accounts payable at ABC Company, I manage a team of five employees who process thousands of invoices each month. We use our ERP system to streamline the invoice processing workflow, which helps us meet monthly deadlines. In my previous role as an AP clerk, I also worked with high volumes of invoices. I learned how to prioritize tasks and work efficiently to ensure we met all due dates.”

When is the best time to reconcile accounts payable?

This question can help the interviewer determine your knowledge of accounting processes and procedures. Use examples from previous experience to show how you use your critical thinking skills to make decisions about when to reconcile accounts payable.

Example: “I find that it’s best to reconcile accounts payable at the end of each month, or after a company completes its monthly financial reports. This allows me to ensure all transactions are accounted for and I don’t miss any payments. In my last role, we had an issue with missing payments because our AP clerk was waiting until the end of the quarter to reconcile. After discussing this with my supervisor, we decided to change our process so the AP clerk reconciled every two weeks instead of once per month.”

We want to improve our invoice processing time. What would you do to achieve this?

This question is an opportunity to show your knowledge of the company’s goals and how you can help achieve them. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention a specific action or process that would improve invoice processing time.

Example: “I would implement a new software system that allows employees to submit invoices online. This would allow for faster submission and approval times. I would also encourage employees to use the system as much as possible so they could get used to using it before submitting paper invoices.”

Describe your experience with accounting software.

The interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your experience with specific accounting software. This can help them determine if you have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform well in this role. When answering, try to describe your experience with a few different types of accounting software. If you don’t have any experience with certain systems, consider describing what you would do if you were unfamiliar with it.

Example: “I’ve used both SAP and Oracle for my previous roles. I find that SAP is great for managing large amounts of data while Oracle is better for managing financial information. In my last position, we used SAP for our accounts payable system. However, I also understand how to use Oracle’s ERP system.”

What makes you the best candidate for this position?

Employers ask this question to learn more about your qualifications and why you are the best person for the job. Before your interview, make a list of all your skills and experiences that relate to this role. Think about what makes you unique compared to other candidates.

Example: “I am the most qualified candidate because I have extensive experience working in accounts payable. In my previous position, I managed an entire team of AP clerks and implemented new processes to help streamline our workflow. I also reduced our processing time by 20%, which saved the company thousands of dollars each month. These results show that I can be successful in this role.”

Which accounts payable processes have you overseen in previous roles?

This question can help the interviewer understand your experience level and how you’ve applied it to your previous job. Use examples from your past role that highlight your ability to manage multiple tasks at once, prioritize important projects and work well with others.

Example: “In my last position as director of accounts payable, I oversaw all aspects of the AP process including vendor onboarding, invoice processing, payment distribution and reconciliation. I also managed a team of five employees who worked on various stages of the AP process. We implemented new software that streamlined our processes and reduced errors in vendor onboarding and invoice processing.”

What do you think is the most important trait for an accounts payable director to have?

This question can help the interviewer determine if your skills and personality match their expectations for the role. Use your answer to highlight a trait you have that you think is important, such as communication or organization.

Example: “I believe the most important trait an accounts payable director can have is attention to detail. This role requires someone who can make sure all invoices are processed correctly and in a timely manner. I am very organized and methodical, which helps me ensure I don’t miss any steps when processing invoices. In my last position, I helped implement a new system that reduced errors by 20%.”

How often should accounts payable reports be reviewed?

This question can help the interviewer determine your level of experience with accounts payable processes. Your answer should include a specific time frame for reviewing reports and how often you do so in your current role.

Example: “I review my company’s accounts payable reports at least once per month, but I also check them daily to ensure that payments are being processed correctly. In my previous position, I reviewed our monthly reports every week to make sure we were on track with our budgeting process. This helped me identify any issues or concerns before they became larger problems.”

There is a gap in the accounts payable ledger. How would you address this issue with employees?

This question is an opportunity to show your leadership skills and ability to collaborate with others. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention a specific example of how you worked with employees to solve a problem in the past.

Example: “In my previous role as director of accounts payable, I noticed there was a gap in our ledger that prevented us from accurately tracking payments made by vendors. I immediately informed all employees about the issue so they could check their own ledgers for any discrepancies. After comparing notes, we discovered one employee had not recorded several vendor payments. We discussed the importance of accurate recordkeeping and implemented new procedures to prevent this from happening again.”