Outsource accounts payable: hire an offshore AP officer directly

Every Australian accounting firm and growing SME has the same problem: invoices pile up, payment runs get delayed, and whoever was handling accounts payable is now too busy to do it properly. The answer isn’t more software. It’s a dedicated person whose only job is keeping your AP function running.

This guide explains how to hire an offshore accounts payable officer directly from the Philippines: no outsourcing agency, no monthly markup, no ongoing fee.

What does an accounts payable officer do?

An accounts payable officer manages the money going out of your business. Their core tasks include:

Processing supplier and vendor invoices into your accounting system (Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks)

Matching invoices to purchase orders and delivery receipts

Preparing and running payment batches on schedule

Reconciling supplier statements and chasing missing invoices

Managing creditor queries: answering supplier questions about payment status

Maintaining supplier records and banking details

Flagging duplicate invoices, pricing discrepancies, and potential fraud

Producing monthly AP reports showing what’s owed and when it’s due

For a growing accounting firm, financial advisory practice, or professional services business, this is exactly the kind of high-volume, process-driven work that a skilled offshore hire can manage end-to-end, freeing your senior staff for client work that actually requires their expertise.

What does it cost to outsource accounts payable?

The gap between what you pay an AP officer locally versus offshore is significant.

Local hire (Australian): An accounts payable officer in Sydney or Melbourne typically earns around $90,000 a year plus super. Add superannuation (12%), annual and personal leave, and a recruitment fee of 15–20% of salary, and the total first-year cost sits at around $114,000–$119,000.

Through an outsourcing agency: Managed-service agencies charge a monthly management fee on top of the staff member’s salary. Some publish their rates (Staff Domain lists A$1,099 per person per month plus A$1,200 per hire, checked 12 October 2026), while bundled markups at many agencies are estimated at around $2,000–$4,000 per month. At that level it’s $24,000–$48,000 extra every year, indefinitely, for the same person doing the same work. For a detailed look at how these fees add up, see our breakdown of what Australian businesses actually pay in offshore agency markups.

Direct hire from the Philippines: An experienced accounts payable officer in the Philippines typically earns around $1,400 a month (about $16,800 a year). You pay them directly, they work your Australian business hours, and there is no third party taking a cut every month.

That’s an estimated saving of around $97,000–$102,000 in the first year compared to a local hire, and up to $24,000–$48,000 per year compared to a high-markup agency, recurring every year. For a full cost comparison across finance roles, see our Filipino staff salary and cost guide, or model your own numbers with the offshore hire cost calculator.

Why search only shows you agencies

Type “offshore accounts payable officer Australia” into Google and every result is an outsourcing agency. The reason is simple: an agency can make an estimated $10,000–$48,000 per year in ongoing margin from every AP officer it places, depending on its fee. They have every incentive to dominate search results. Direct hire gives businesses a much better deal, but no company profits from teaching you how to do it yourself.

That’s what this guide does.

How to hire an offshore accounts payable officer directly: 6 steps

Step 1: Define the scope clearly. Before you post the role, write down exactly what the AP officer will own. How many invoices per week? Which accounting software? Do they run payment batches, or do you approve those? Do they handle creditor queries directly, or escalate to your bookkeeper or accountant? A tight brief attracts candidates who can start contributing quickly.

Step 2: Post on Philippines job platforms. OnlineJobs.ph is the primary platform for remote finance professionals in the Philippines. LinkedIn Philippines also attracts more experienced candidates. Be explicit about the software stack (Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks), the volume of work, and that the role is remote and full-time. Mention Australian business hours. Experienced offshore candidates expect this and many prefer it.

Step 3: Filter for software proficiency first. Ask every applicant to describe their experience with your accounting system, specifically. “Tell me how you would process a supplier invoice with a purchase order mismatch in Xero” separates candidates who have done this work from those who’ve only listed the software on their CV. Ask for examples of AP reports they’ve produced.

Step 4: Video interview and practical test. A 20–30 minute video call lets you assess English proficiency, attention to detail, and how they handle questions they don’t know the answer to (a critical trait in AP work, where errors have real financial consequences). Follow up with a practical test: provide a sample set of invoices and ask them to prepare a payment run schedule in Excel or Google Sheets.

Step 5: Paid trial period. Before committing long-term, run a paid two-week trial with real (but low-risk) work. Give them access to a sandbox version of your accounting software, or a limited supplier batch. Review their output carefully: accuracy and attention to detail matter far more than speed at this stage. For a complete onboarding checklist, see our guide on your first 30 days with an offshore hire.

Step 6: Set up the engagement properly. Many Australian businesses engage Philippines-based staff as independent contractors under a service agreement, while others use a local payroll provider. The right structure depends on your situation, so get independent legal and tax advice; we can share general guidance only. Payment is direct, usually by bank transfer or an international payments service. Your service agreement should cover scope, confidentiality (they’ll have access to supplier banking details and financial data), and notice periods. For the compliance side of this, read our guide on the compliant way to hire offshore talent in Australia without an outsourcing agency.

What to look for, and red flags to watch for

Good signs: Candidates with experience in Australian or New Zealand businesses (they’ll understand GST, payment terms, and business norms). Strong Xero or MYOB skills with examples to back it up. A methodical, process-oriented communication style. Candidates who ask clarifying questions in the interview rather than just agreeing with everything: AP work requires people who raise issues, not bury them.

Red flags: Vague claims about experience without specific examples. Reluctance to do a practical test. Software listed on a CV that they can’t describe in detail when asked. Candidates who’ve only worked in general admin roles and are claiming AP experience. Anyone who can’t explain the difference between accounts payable and accounts receivable clearly.

Working with your existing accountant or bookkeeper

A common question is how an offshore AP officer fits alongside your existing finance team. The answer is: they handle the volume work so your more senior staff can focus on higher-value tasks. Your bookkeeper reviews and approves; your AP officer processes and reconciles. Your accountant advises; your AP officer ensures the data is clean and current. This is the model that growing accounting firms and financial advisory practices use to scale their back office without adding to their local headcount.

How Tarino can help

Tarino recruits offshore accounts payable officers and other finance back-office staff, such as offshore bookkeepers, for Australian businesses. We typically start with 1,000+ candidates per role. About 40% get through CV and quality screening, 20% through video screening, 10% through a practical assessment, 5% through a structured interview and 2% through finalist review. You get a shortlist of 3–4 ready-to-interview candidates in about 2 weeks, without spending weeks trawling through applications.

Our fee is $250 upfront plus $4,750 on hire, $5,000 excl. GST, and the $250 is credited back when you hire. No monthly management fees, no ongoing markup. You hire and pay them directly from day one. Each placement includes 6-month replacement cover for the same role, so if it doesn’t work out in that period we run a replacement search at no extra recruitment fee, under the conditions in your Scope of Work. More than 95% of our placements are still in the role at 6 months. See pricing for the detail.

Want to understand how this compares to going through an agency? Read our side-by-side breakdown of direct hire vs agency for offshore staff in Australia.