[FINANCE] Channel Finance Analyst

TCL North America•Irvine, CA

2d•$65,000 - $75,000

About The Position

The Channel Finance Analyst is responsible for the financial management of assigned customer and retail channel accounts, with a primary focus on accounts receivable, collections, cash application, account reconciliation, customer deductions, chargebacks, trade spend, and credit management. The role serves as a Finance partner to Sales, Logistics, Operations, and customers to support timely cash collection, resolve account discrepancies, recover invalid deductions, and maintain accurate customer account balances. The analyst also reviews customer and channel financial performance to identify risks, improve processes, protect company margins, and support business decisions. The role manages day-to-day customer account activity and vendor portal tasks, including invoice transmission, remittance retrieval, payment research, deductions, disputes, and account documentation. It monitors collections and aging balances; validates, classifies, and reconciles deductions and chargebacks; processes approved promotional and contractual expenses and related credit memos; and coordinates dispute resolution and recoveries with internal teams and customers. The analyst prepares recurring financial reports and account-level analyses; evaluates AR, collections, customer payment patterns, deductions, trade spend, promotional effectiveness, and ROI; and supports forecasting, audits, and ad hoc analysis. The position also supports period-end closing and account reconciliations, partners across Finance and operational teams, and participates in process improvement, automation, system enhancement, and special projects. The position primarily works in a professional office environment using computers and standard office equipment. It involves extended stationary, computer-based work and may require additional flexibility during month-, quarter-, and year-end or other critical Finance deadlines. Occasional movement around the office and lifting or carrying materials up to 15 pounds may be required. Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Requirements

Associate's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
At least 3 years of directly relevant experience in Accounts Receivable, customer accounting, collections, deductions, chargebacks, credit, order-to-cash, or a similar finance function.
Hands-on experience managing B2B customer accounts, including collections, account reconciliation, payment research, and deduction resolution.
Experience reviewing and resolving customer deductions, short payments, chargebacks, or disputed balances.
Experience using customer or retailer vendor portals for invoices, remittances, claims, deductions, or dispute resolution.
Working knowledge of accounting principles and the order-to-cash cycle, including invoicing, cash application, collections, reconciliation, and credit memos.
Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including PivotTables, XLOOKUP or VLOOKUP, SUMIFS, data reconciliation, and large-data analysis.
Experience working with an ERP or financial management system.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including researching discrepancies, determining root causes, and recommending solutions.
Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple customer accounts, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously.
Effective written and verbal communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally with Finance, Sales, Operations, Logistics, and external customers.
Legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire; employment visa sponsorship is not currently available for this position.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Economics, or a related discipline.
At least 5 years of relevant experience in channel finance, commercial finance, accounts receivable, credit and collections, or customer financial management.
Experience in consumer electronics, consumer packaged goods, retail, or distribution environments.
Experience supporting major national retailers or e-commerce accounts such as Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart, Costco, Target, Sam's Club, or BJ's.
Experience with retailer-specific vendor portals for invoicing, remittance, claims, deductions, and dispute management.
Experience using SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar enterprise ERP platforms.
Experience analyzing MDF, rebates, promotional allowances, volume discounts, trade spend, or other customer incentive programs.
Experience conducting trade-spend, ROI, margin, or customer profitability analysis.
Familiarity with credit risk analysis, customer financial statements, order hold/release processes, and credit limit management.
Experience supporting month-end close, account reconciliations, accruals, audits, and financial reporting.
Demonstrated experience recovering invalid customer deductions or improving processes to reduce recurring chargebacks.
Experience in a high-volume environment supporting multiple large customer accounts.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary Finance contact for assigned customer accounts and manage day-to-day account activity.
Manage customer vendor portals for invoicing, remittances, payment research, deductions, disputes, and related account activities.
Transmit customer invoices accurately and on time through EDI, customer portals, or other required methods.
Review and apply customer payments against remittance details and ensure accurate, timely posting in the applicable ERP and subledger.
Monitor aging balances and follow up on past-due accounts to support collections and minimize delinquency.
Prepare and distribute customer statements of account and reconcile balances with customer records.
Maintain accurate account notes, collection documentation, dispute activity, and customer records in company systems.
Escalate significant collection risks, payment delays, and account discrepancies to Finance leadership as appropriate.
Review customer contracts, promotional agreements, and supporting documentation to validate deductions, short payments, and chargebacks.
Classify, research, and reconcile deductions to ensure accurate financial treatment.
Review and process routine promotional and contractual expenses, including MDF, STC, rebates, volume discounts, and other approved trade programs.
Prepare and process credit memos and match expenses against available accruals.
Investigate unauthorized or abnormal deductions, including compliance chargebacks, quantity shortages, pricing discrepancies, returns, and other customer claims.
Partner with Sales, Logistics, Warehousing, and other internal teams to obtain documentation and resolve disputes.
Submit customer disputes through retailer portals and follow up on outstanding claims and recoveries.
Identify recurring deduction trends and recommend corrective actions to reduce future financial leakage.
Analyze AR aging, delinquency trends, customer payment patterns, deductions, and collection performance.
Identify potential collection and credit risks and recommend mitigation actions.
Analyze customer and channel trade spend, promotional effectiveness, and ROI to support business and contract decisions.
Develop root-cause analyses for recurring deductions and chargebacks and identify process improvement opportunities.
Prepare recurring financial reports and account-level analyses for Finance and business leadership.
Support forecasting, financial reporting, audits, and ad hoc analysis.
Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities related to AR, customer deductions, trade spend, and account reconciliations.
Assist with internal and external audit requests and supporting documentation.
Partner with Finance, Sales, Logistics, Supply Chain, Warehousing, and Operations to resolve customer account issues.
Participate in process improvement, automation, and system enhancement initiatives.
Support special projects and other Finance activities as assigned.