FRANCIS OPOKU
El Paso
Summary
Accounts Payable Specialist with 5+ years of experience supporting end-to-end AP operations, vendor management, and audit-ready documentation in high-volume, deadline-driven environments. Skilled in processing and troubleshooting complex invoices, performing 3-way match (PO/receiving/invoice), reconciling statements and clearing accounts, and partnering with decentralized departments to resolve payment issues quickly and professionally. Advanced Microsoft Excel user (PivotTables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, SUMIFS) with strong working knowledge of GAAP fundamentals, internal controls, and continuous process improvement.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Payroll Accountant
Asanko Gold
05.2022 - 08.2024
- Processed monthly payroll for 1520 employees with strong control over approvals, statutory deductions and payment.
- Prepared payroll reports and ensured accurate posting of accruals (leave, bonus, end-of-service), supporting clean period-end financials
- Reconciled payroll clearing accounts (tax, social security and loans) to maintain accurate balances and resolve variances
- Responded to inquiries from employees, HR, pension administrators, and government agencies with professional service and timely resolution.
- Coordinated internal/external audit support across payroll, Bullion Accounting and Accounts Payable, providing documentation and process explanations.
Accounts Payable Specialist
Asanko Gold
08.2017 - 04.2022
- Managed full AP lifecycle for domestics and international vendors: invoices receipt, validation, GL coding, approvals, and payment processing to ensure timely and accurate disbursements.
- Performed 3-way matching (PO/contract, GRV/receiving, invoice), resolved exceptions, confirmed appropriate tax treatment and documentation completeness.
- Served as a primary point of contact for vendors and internal payment inquiries; troubleshot issues multiple departments (missing receiving, price/quantity variances, duplicates, coding errors)
- Prepared AP aging and cash requirement summaries to support planning and on-time payment runs
- Reconciled vendor statements and monitored receiving/GRV activity to ensure liabilities were recorded accurately and cleared timely.
- Support month-end close by reviewing AP activity, correcting posting errors/omissions, and preparing debit/credit memos and vendor adjustments as needed.
- Maintained audit-ready files and ensured invoices-to-payment traceability in compliance with policies and controls.
- Contributed to process improvements that reduced overdue invoices by 30% through stronger follow-up, exception tracking, and cross-team coordination.
Petty Cashier
Asanko Gold
09.2015 - 07.2017
- Managed petty cash disbursements and reconciliations with accurate expense coding, documentation control, and policy compliance
Education
Master of Science - Data Science & Statistics
University of Texas At El Paso
El Paso, Texas, USA05.2026
Bachelor of Science - Actuarial Science
University of Cape Coast
Cape Coast, Ghana05.2015
Skills
- Accounts Payable Operations: invoice intake, coding, approvals, payment processing (EFT/wire/check)
- Complex invoice review, discrepancy resolution, duplicate prevention, documentation compliance
- Vendor file maintenance, vendor onboarding, vendor inquiry resolution
- Statement reconciliation and expense recording
- Month-end close support: accruals, subledger review, correcting posting errors
- Audit support: retrieving supporting documentation, explaining procedures, control compliance
- Training & support: guiding department staff on invoice workflows, approvals, and protocols
- Systems & Tools: Financial management systems/AP modules, Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook)
Certification
- Post Graduate Certificate Program: Data Science & Business Analytics.
- University of Texas at Austin, USA (McCombs School of Business) July 2022 - March 2023
STRENGTHS
- Service excellence
- Collaboration across decentralized teams
- Decision-making
- Continuous learning
- High attention to details
- Confidentiality
- Integrity
Timeline
Payroll Accountant
Asanko Gold
05.2022 - 08.2024
Accounts Payable Specialist
Asanko Gold
08.2017 - 04.2022
Petty Cashier
Asanko Gold
09.2015 - 07.2017
Bachelor of Science - Actuarial Science
University of Cape Coast
Master of Science - Data Science & Statistics
University of Texas At El Paso