Trade Finance Specialist

Violet Foods; Williamstown (NJ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Violet Foods seeks a Trade Promotion & Deduction Accounting Manager to oversee trade spend accounting, deduction reconciliation, and promotional financial controls across our national grocery and retail customers. You will partner with Sales, Brokers, Customer Service, and Finance to validate promotions, monitor budgets, and ensure accurate accruals.

The role requires a bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance, 3–7 years in CPG accounting, and strong Excel/ERP skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or business.
• 3–7 years of experience in CPG accounting, trade promotions, or deduction management.
• Experience with retailer deductions (Kroger, Walmart, Target, etc.).
• Strong understanding of trade spending accounting and promotional funding structures.
• Proficiency in Excel and ERP systems.

Responsibilities

• Manage trade promotions accounting including billbacks, scans, lump sum programs, slotting fees, and other promotional allowances.
• Ensure trade spend is accrued, reconciled, and reported in the ERP system.
• Partner with Sales to validate promotional program details, pricing, funding structure, and timing.
• Monitor promotional budgets and ensure activity aligns with approved programs.
• Review, research, and reconcile customer deductions and chargebacks.
• Identify and dispute invalid deductions with retailers, brokers, and distributors.
• Maintain documentation supporting promotional agreements and deduction resolutions.
• Track deduction aging and drive timely resolution to improve cash flow.
• Prepare journal entries and supporting schedules related to trade promotions and deductions.
• Maintain detailed promotional documentation to support accounting compliance and audits.
• Develop standardized processes to ensure consistency and financial accuracy.
• Work with Sales and Broker partners to ensure promotions are executed and tracked accurately.
• Support Customer Service and Operations in resolving invoice discrepancies tied to promotional activity.
• Assist leadership with trade visibility and reporting.
• Develop reporting to track trade spend by customer and promotion; deduction trends and recovery rates.

Skills

Analytical skills

Reconciliation

Cross-functional collaboration

Excel proficiency

ERP systems

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance/business

Tools

Aptean ERP

Microsoft Dynamics

Job description

Job Title: Trade & Deduction Finance Specialist

Reports to: Vice President of Finance

Location: Onsite- Berlin, NJ

Status: Full-time/Non-exempt

Shift: Days

About the Company:

The Sclafani family has been part of the food industry since the late 1800s, bringing authentic Italian flavors to the United States. Over the years, they built the Sclafani® brand, offering canned tomatoes and pizza and pasta sauces. In the 1950s, Dominick Sclafani created Don Pepino®, a fully prepared pizza sauce that remains a best-seller to this day. Today, both Sclafani® and Don Pepino® are part of Violet Foods, recognized as two of the finest brands of canned tomatoes and sauces. Their enduring quality comes from one simple secret: fresh, premium tomatoes in every recipe.

Role Overview:

Violet Foods is seeking a highly organized and analytical Trade Promotion & Deduction Accounting Manager to oversee trade spend accounting, deduction reconciliation, and promotional financial controls across our retail customers.

This role will partner closely with Sales, Brokers, Customer Service, and Finance to ensure that all trade promotions, billbacks, scans, and other customer deductions are properly tracked, validated, accrued, and reconciled. The position plays a critical role in protecting company profitability by identifying invalid deductions, improving trade spend visibility, and strengthening financial controls around promotional programs.

The ideal candidate has experience in CPG trade accounting, retailer deductions, and promotional spend analysis, and thrives in a fast‑paced environment supporting national grocery and retail customers.

Trade Promotion Accounting

• Manage the financial tracking and accounting of all trade promotions including billbacks, scans, lump sum programs, slotting fees, and other promotional allowances.
• Ensure trade spend is accurately accrued, reconciled, and reported in the ERP system.
• Partner with Sales to validate promotional program details including pricing, funding structure, and timing.
• Monitor promotional budgets and ensure trade activity aligns with approved programs.

Deduction Management

• Review, research, and reconcile customer deductions and chargebacks.
• Identify and dispute invalid or unsupported deductions with retailers, brokers, and distributors.
• Maintain documentation supporting promotional agreements and deduction resolutions.
• Track deduction aging and drive timely resolution to improve cash flow.
• Reconcile trade accrual accounts and ensure proper month‑end close support.
• Prepare journal entries and supporting schedules related to trade promotions and deductions.
• Maintain detailed promotional documentation to support accounting compliance and audits.
• Develop standardized processes to ensure consistency and financial accuracy.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Sales and Broker partners to ensure trade promotions are executed and tracked accurately.
• Support Customer Service and Operations in resolving invoice discrepancies tied to promotional activity.
• Partner with Finance leadership to improve trade visibility and reporting.

Reporting & Analytics

• Develop reporting to track:
  • Trade spend by customer and promotion
  • Deduction trends and recovery rates
• Identify opportunities to improve promotional profitability and reduce leakage.
• Assist leadership with trade spend forecasting and budget tracking.
• Assist Finance Team with General Accounting Support as needed

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or Business
• 3–7 years of experience in CPG accounting, trade promotions, or deduction management
• Experience working with retailer deductions (Kroger, Walmart, Target, etc.)
• Strong understanding of trade spending accounting and promotional funding structures
• Proficiency in Excel and ERP systems

Preferred

• Experience with CPG ERP systems (Aptean, Microsoft Dynamics, etc.)
• Experience with Trade Promotion Management systems
• Experience working with brokers and syndicated data

Key Skills

• Strong analytical and reconciliation skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• Ability to manage high volumes of deductions and promotional programs
• Strong cross-functional communication skills
• Month‑end close support timeliness