Trade Marketing & Sales - Deduction Specialist Lead

Barilla; Old Toronto; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Deduction Specialist Lead to oversee a dynamic team responsible for managing customer deductions and ensuring financial accuracy. This pivotal role involves leading a team, resolving discrepancies, and enhancing deduction management processes. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership and analytical skills, with a proven track record in Accounts Receivable within a CPG environment. Join a forward-thinking company where your expertise will drive operational excellence and foster strong customer relationships, making a significant impact on the organization's success.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in Accounts Receivable and Deduction Management.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail are essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of deduction specialists, ensuring high productivity.
• Manage customer deductions, resolving discrepancies and issues.
• Implement process improvements and best practices for efficiency.

Skills

Leadership

Problem-solving

Deduction Management

Analytical Skills

Customer Relationship Management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Office Suite

Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP)

Job description

Career Opportunities: Trade Marketing & Sales - Deduction Specialist Lead (91520)

Requisition ID 91520 - Posted - Trade and Sales - Trade Marketing & Sales - Canada - Toronto

The Deduction Specialist Lead is a key role in managing and overseeing the deductions team, ensuring the smooth flow of financial operations, minimizing revenue leakage, mitigating risks, and maintaining strong customer relationships. It requires a combination of leadership, problem-solving, and technical skills to effectively manage the team and develop and maintain “best-in-class” deduction management processes. This position has two Deduction Specialist direct reports.

Responsibilities

1. Team Leadership & Management:
   • Lead the team of deduction specialists, providing coaching and mentoring for team members, ensuring high productivity and quality standards.
   • Set team goals and KPIs to drive performance and efficiency.
   • Ensure the team maintains a high level of collaboration and effective communication both externally and internally (e.g., customer AR team, sales, customer service, trade team).
2. Deduction Management & Resolution:
   • Collaborate with sales, customer service, and trade team to understand contract terms, sales agreements, and any customer-specific deductions.
   • Investigate customer deductions and discrepancies, including pricing issues, promotional allowances, chargebacks, markdowns, and reclamation charges. Ensure adequate documentation is received to validate or dispute deductions.
   • Oversee the investigation and resolution of customer deductions related to billing, payments, or contracts and post audits.
   • Identify deduction issues, identify root causes, and work on corrective actions to minimize future occurrences.
   • Ensure timely and accurate processing of deductions for financial accuracy and tradespend estimations.
3. Process Improvement:
   • Review existing deduction management processes and identify opportunities for improvements or automation to reduce inefficiencies.
   • Work with cross-functional teams (e.g., sales, customer service, trade marketing) to resolve systemic issues that lead to deductions.
   • Implement and enforce best practices for deduction management.
4. Reporting & Analytics:
   • Maintain detailed records of deductions, disputes, resolutions, and communications. Prepare and present regular reports on deduction trends, volumes, and key performance metrics.
   • Analyze deduction data to identify recurring issues and assist in the development of strategies to mitigate.
   • Use data to forecast future deduction trends and proactively address potential challenges.
5. Customer Relationship Management:
   • Establish and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders – both internal and external.
   • Maintain clear and professional communication with customers regarding the status and resolution of their deductions, ensuring timely follow-ups and dispute closures.
6. Compliance and Risk Management:
   • Ensure that deduction processes comply with company policies and external regulations.
   • Mitigate the risk of financial losses through proper documentation and ensure audit and governance compliance.

Additional Information

1. Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field (or equivalent work experience).
2. 3+ years of experience in Accounts Receivable and Deduction Management, ideally in a CPG company.
3. Proficiency with SAP and Microsoft Office Suite, with advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, etc.).
4. Strong analytical skills with attention to detail.
5. Familiarity with customer deduction portals.

Key Challenges

1. Customer Relationship: Establishing key customer contacts and working relationships.
2. Process Complexity: Handling the variety of deductions (e.g., short payments, chargebacks, rebates) and ensuring compliance and accuracy.
3. Dispute Resolution: Managing disputes in a timely fashion.