Accounts Receivable Specialist

Rakuten•Schaumburg, IL

11d•$42,849 - $72,684•Onsite

About The Position

Rakuten International is a division of Rakuten Group, Inc., a Japanese global technology leader in services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Headquartered in San Mateo, California with more than 4,000 employees worldwide, the Rakuten International business portfolio includes market leaders in e-commerce, digital marketing, advertising, communications and entertainment. We create products and services that provide exceptional value by aligning members and the businesses that want to engage them in a shared community. Rakuten is the most rewarding way to shop, giving millions of members Cash Back when they buy from their favorite brands. As a leading shopping platform, Rakuten partners with thousands of top brands across apparel, beauty and wellness, grocery, travel, on-demand services, subscriptions, and dining, helping members save on everyday purchases. Since 1999, Rakuten members have earned more than $4.6 billion in Cash Back, making it the largest Cash Back platform of its kind. Learn more at Rakuten.com . We are looking for an Accounts Receivable Specialist to join our Order to Cash (O2C) team within Finance at Rakuten Rewards. In this role, you will own a portfolio of customer, advertiser, and agency accounts and drive the collections lifecycle end to end: proactive outreach, dunning, dispute resolution, and unapplied cash resolution, ensuring partners pay in accordance with their contractual terms. Because Rakuten Rewards operates at the center of a large network of advertisers, agencies, and affiliate partners, this role requires someone who understands how affiliate marketing and agency-managed billing relationships work, including how commissions, payouts, and agency-of-record structures can complicate collections and cash application. You will be measured against clear SLAs and KPIs, including cash collection targets, aging, and QA reviews, while also contributing to process improvements and automation across our O2C. In this role, you will play a key role in analyzing and managing the organization's accounts receivable portfolio, helping to optimize cash flow and minimize outstanding debt. You will assess collections performance, identify trends, and develop strategies to improve recovery rates and reduce delinquency. By generating reports, analyzing data, and collaborating with the collections team, you will provide actionable insights that support effective collections strategies and decision-making. This role requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and a solid understanding of collections practices to contribute to financial health and operational efficiency.

Requirements

Has 3+ years of experience in accounts receivable, collections, or a related Order to Cash function.
Has experience working with or within agencies, advertisers, or the affiliate marketing industry, and understands how agency-of-record and affiliate payout structures affect billing and collections.
Has hands-on experience with systems such as Oracle, Salesforce, Tesorio, Kolleno, or HighRadius, or comparable AR/collections tooling.
Has a track record of managing a high-volume portfolio and meeting collections KPIs such as cash targets, DSO, and aging.
Has excellent written communication skills and is comfortable owning a high-volume inbox, engaging partners professionally and persistently via email.
Is comfortable navigating cross-functional stakeholders to drive dispute resolution with appropriate urgency.
Is proficient in Excel, including pivot tables and lookups, and brings strong attention to detail managing a high-volume, varied portfolio.
Prior experience in the affiliate marketing, performance marketing, or agency ecosystem
Bachelor's Degree Required

Nice To Haves

2-4 years Required
5-7 years Preferred
Master's Degree Preferred
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Preferred

Responsibilities

Administers the accounts receivable process, ensuring timely and accurate billing, collections, and reporting activities to support overall financial health.
Coordinates somewhat complex receivables functions, managing workflows and guiding team members to resolve escalated issues efficiently.
Analyzes somewhat complex accounts receivable data, identifying trends, discrepancies, and areas for improvement in the collections process.
Communicates with customers and internal teams to address outstanding balances, resolve disputes, and maintain positive relationships.
Develops somewhat complex reports and analyses on receivables, providing insights to management for strategic decision-making.
Completes monthly reconciliations of accounts receivable balances, ensuring accuracy and identifying discrepancies for corrective action.
Documents all receivable activities, maintaining clear and organized records to support audits and internal controls.
Implements process improvements and best practices within the accounts receivable function, enhancing efficiency and accuracy.
Recommends adjustments and strategies for credit and collections processes, contributing to the optimization of cash flow.
Applies a working understanding of credit risk and payment terms to help prioritize outreach and flag higher-risk accounts to management.
Partners with Finance Systems and O2C leadership on testing, rollout, and adoption of new collections tools and workflow enhancements.
Builds strong working relationships with agency and affiliate partner contacts to resolve payment issues efficiently while preserving the partnership.
Maintains accurate, detailed notes of all customer/agency interactions, commitments, and dispute status across systems including Oracle, Salesforce, and Kolleno (or similar tooling such as Tesorio or HighRadius).
Supports cash application research, payment discrepancy resolution, and account reconciliations, with particular attention to the complexities of agency-managed and affiliate billing relationships.
Contributes to month end close activities, including aging analysis and collection forecasts.