Media Billing Lead (Contractor)

Ksmmedia; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

KSM seeks an experienced Billing/Finance Lead to own the financial operations of a highly complex, omnichannel media account spanning 130+ U.S. and Canadian markets. You will manage end-to-end billing, reconciliation, accruals and vendor payments, and drive scalable processes with internal teams to ensure accurate invoicing.

This role requires disciplined monthly closes, clear client communication, and a passion for automation and workflow improvements within a fast-paced agency environment.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of agency media billing and client invoicing.
• Experience with 8+ media types across US/Canada.
• Experience managing financial operations across many markets.
• Strong analytical skills and accounting discipline.

Responsibilities

• Builds rigorous processes to ensure planned → authorized → purchased → delivered → invoiced → paid media aligns.
• Own the end-to-end billing workflow and drive continuous improvements.
• Diagnose reconciliation issues across systems, teams, markets or vendors and drive resolution.
• Maintain disciplined monthly close, client billing deadlines, accruals and reporting.
• Explain billing status, variances and financial risk to senior clients and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Planning, Investment, Activation, Ad Ops, Finance, and client finance teams.

Skills

Billing operations

Cross-border operations

Vendor management

Financial reporting

Attention to detail

Tools

Prisma

Lumina

Job description

Kelly Scott Madison—KSM—is a leading, independent media and advertising agency that futureproofs brands and fuels business growth. Our team of strategists, solutionists, technologists, and data analysts work united alongside incredible brand partners, helping them connect with customers in more meaningful ways today and positioning them to move with the customers of tomorrow. It’s an amazing and transformative time at our growing media agency.

At KSM, it’s about more than just a passion for our industry and craft. It’s about the impact we make on the lives and livelihoods of those around us, and the highly personal experience we have here. Being an independent, mid-size agency—not too big, not too small, and proudly entrepreneurial—you’ll be empowered, recognized, and challenged here. We’re adding new Bold Builders and uncommon perspectives to our community and can’t wait to learn more about you. Let’s explore the opportunity...

This is not a traditional media billing position. This individual will oversee the financial operations of a highly complex, localized omnichannel media account spanning 130+ U.S. and Canadian media markets and eight media channels. The role requires exceptional command of media financial operations, strong proficiency in Prisma and Lumina, and the ability to create disciplined, scalable processes across a high volume of campaigns, markets, vendors and invoices.

We’re looking for someone who can own the financial operating discipline of a highly localized, omnichannel media account—and who understands how planning, buying, trafficking, reconciliation and billing connect. We are a highly collaborative team who supports each other and thrives on driving value for our client. Although this role won’t have direct reports, it requires close collaboration with key internal stakeholders across titles & tenures.

This individual has a seat at the table and is part of the big decisions we make as a team.

The ways you will make an impact:

• Builds rigorous processes to ensure planned → authorized → purchased → delivered → invoiced → paid media aligns.
• Doesn’t simply process billing—owns the end-to-end workflow and continuously improves it.
• Can diagnose why something isn’t reconciling across systems, teams, markets or vendors and drive it to resolution.
• Highly disciplined around monthly close, client billing deadlines, accruals and financial reporting.
• Treats client dollars with rigor and can confidently explain billing status, variances, outstanding liabilities and financial risk to senior clients.
• Partners effectively with Planning, Investment, Activation, Ad Ops, Finance, Account Management and client finance/procurement teams.
• Can lead and develop billing/finance talent while creating clear ownership and accountability across the broader account team.
• Establishes SOPs, QA checks, escalation protocols, documentation and audit-ready processes.
• Spots unbilled media, aging invoices, vendor discrepancies, under/overspend and reconciliation issues before they become material problems.
• Looks for automation, standardization and workflow improvements rather than accepting cumbersome legacy process.

Experience you should bring:

• Deep understanding of agency media billing, client invoicing, vendor payments, reconciliation, accruals, credits, makegoods and month-end close.
• Working knowledge of billing mechanics across 8+ media types—broadcast, radio, OOH, digital, social, streaming/CTV, programmatic, etc. Media activity spans US and Canada.
• Comfortable managing financial operations across 130+ local markets, including market-level budgets, vendors, invoices and discrepancies.
• Advanced working knowledge of Prisma, including authorization, buying, financial reconciliation, billing and reporting workflows.
• Strong proficiency in Lumina and ability to use agency operating systems as the financial source of truth.
• Understands the added complexity of cross-border media operations, including currencies, taxes, invoicing and market-specific requirements.
• Comfortable operating in an environment with thousands of line items, multiple markets, vendors, campaigns and billing cycles.

Who you are:

• Extremely detail-oriented; able to identify discrepancies before they become client-facing issues.
• Able to translate complicated financial issues into a simple explanation: what happened, why, financial impact and what we’re doing about it.
• This account will inevitably have billing fire drills; needs someone who is organized, decisive and composed when issues arise.