Senior Trade Spend Executive

Unicharm Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd; Petaling Jaya; On-site; MYR 78,000 - 112,000; Full time

Job summary

Unicharm Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd is seeking aSenior Trade Spend Executive to manage the end-to-end trade investment claims process. You will ensure accurate recording, validation, and processing, serving as the link between Sales field activities and Finance budget controls.

You will verify claims, manage accruals, maintain 100% compliant filing, and provide weekly budget reports to Sales leadership while collaborating with Finance and Retailers.

Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in business, economics, finance or related field.
• 3–5 years in Trade Spend, Commercial Audit or Sales Accounting, FMCG preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Excel and reporting tools; numerical accuracy emphasized.
• Familiar with AI tools; Gemini, Notebook a plus.
• Detail-oriented with high integrity and strong organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Verify claims against contracts and proofs of execution; validate costs.
• Manage flow of claims, issue credit notes and reconcile debits.
• Identify variances; negotiate resolutions with Sales or Retailers.
• Coordinate with Finance to ensure spend aligns with standards.
• Assist monthly closing with accrual estimates for liabilities.
• Maintain filings for trade agreements for audits.
• Track spend vs. budget per category; monitor unauthorized deductions.
• Generate weekly spend vs. budget reports for leadership.

Skills

Excel

Pivot Tables

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Financial acumen

Data accuracy

AI tools familiarity

Education

Degree/Diploma in Business Administration, Economics, Finance

Tools

Excel

Job description

The Senior Trade Spend Executive is responsible for the end-to-end management of trade investment claims. You will ensure that all promotional spending is accurately recorded, validated, and processed, serving as the critical link between the Sales team's field activities and the Finance department's budgetary controls.

Key responsibilities

• Verify retailer and distributor claims against approved promotional contracts and Proof of Execution (e.g., photos of displays, catalogs)
• Manage the In-Out flow of claims—ensuring that credit notes are issued to customers and debit notes are reconciled correctly
• Identify discrepancies between claimed amounts and actual performance; negotiate and resolve variances with Sales members or Retailers
• Act as the primary point of contact for the Finance team to ensure all trade spending aligns with company accounting standards
• Assist Finance in monthly closing by providing accurate estimates of outstanding trade liabilities (accruals)
• Maintain a rigorous filing system for all trade agreements to ensure 100% compliance during internal and external audits
• Track actual spend versus the allocated Trade Spend budget per category/account
• Monitor and reduce Unauthorized Deductions by retailers through timely reconciliation
• Generate weekly Spent vs. Remaining budget reports for Sales leadership to prevent overspending
• Educate Sales members on the correct claim submission process and documentation requirements

About you

• Degree/Diploma in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, or related field
• 3-5 years in Trade Spend, Commercial Audit, or Sales Accounting (FMCG preferred)
• Good communication skills in written, verbal and presentation
• Strong proficiency in Excel (Pivot Tables, Lookups)
• Able to manage reporting tools systems and market research systems
• Familiar with AI tools - Gemini, Notebook - will be added advantage
• Detail-oriented with a focus on data accuracy and integrity
• High integrity and excellent organizational skills