Client Accounting Manager

Lede Company LLC•Beverly Hills, CA

1h•$100,000 - $125,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lede Company seeks a Client Accounting Manager to own the full client billing cycle for entertainment clients and brand partners. The role manages invoicing, billbacks, collections, and project accounting against approved purchase orders and client advances. The manager serves as the primary accounting contact for account teams and clients, ensuring engagements are billed accurately, on time, and in accordance with GAAP. The role also establishes quality metrics and continually improves billing and collections processes. The manager oversees client and project account reconciliation, purchase-order and advance accounting, accounts receivable and collections, reporting, controls, and process improvement. They supervise and develop a team of three Accounts Receivable Associates and collaborate regularly with account teams, GL, finance, and AP. The position has a hybrid in-office expectation of four days per week at the company’s Los Angeles office. The Lede Company is a full-service strategy, communications, and social impact consulting firm serving corporate, entertainment, brand, and nonprofit sectors through dedicated Talent, Music, Strategic Communications, Brand, Content, and Social Impact divisions. The company is an equal opportunity employer.

Requirements

Associate or bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field.
At least 8 years of accounting experience, including client billing, accounts receivable, or revenue accounting.
At least 2 years in a supervisory or team lead role.
Hands-on project accounting experience, including billing against purchase orders and accounting for client advances, deposits, and deferred revenue.
Proven results in collections, dispute resolution, and AR reporting.
Experience handling client billbacks, markups, and billing discrepancies quickly.
Familiarity with client billing portals and vendor/supplier registration.
Working knowledge of accounting principles, especially revenue recognition and balance sheet reconciliations.
Experience with accounting systems, including ERP, billing, and AP tools.
Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables and data analysis.
Ability to handle a high volume of transactions accurately and manage competing priorities independently and as part of a team.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including comfort working with clients, business managers, and senior leaders.
Sound judgment and discretion when handling confidential information.

Nice To Haves

Experience in entertainment, PR, media, or another agency setting.
Experience implementing new software and supporting a team through onboarding and process change.

Responsibilities

Serve as the main accounting contact for account leads and teams, meeting once or twice a month to review billing, open items, and upcoming projects.
Work with clients and their business managers on invoices, statements, credits, and account questions; handle W-9 and 1099 paperwork and provide excellent service.
Own client billing from start to finish, including retainers, project fees, pass-through costs, and processing fees.
Prepare, review, and issue accurate client invoices on schedule; manage billbacks by gathering expense backup, coding reimbursable costs to the correct client and project, and billing them with supporting documentation.
Review and approve new client profiles, invoice setup, account updates, and billing batches and other team work.
Lead client billing onboarding, including client portal registrations and vendor/supplier forms.
Reconcile client accounts, ensuring invoices, payments, credits, advances, and reimbursable expenses are correctly recorded and allocated.
Identify and resolve unbilled expenses, missing fees, incorrect allocations, and historical account discrepancies; reconcile client- and project-level billing activity to accounting records and documentation.
Work with internal account teams to investigate discrepancies, capture all billable activity, and establish regular reconciliation procedures and controls.
Set up and track client projects against approved purchase orders, monitor billed and remaining PO balances, and flag overages and scope changes before billing exceeds approved amounts.
Record client advances and deposits as deferred revenue, draw down balances as work is delivered, and reconcile advance balances monthly.
Prepare project-level reports on budget, billed, collected, and remaining balances for account leads.
Own collections for the client portfolio and set strategies to reduce past-due balances and improve DSO.
Monitor AR aging, follow up with clients, business managers, and brand partners, and escalate high-risk accounts.
Manage team cash application and ensure payments and bank deposits are posted accurately and on time; reconcile cash and bank accounts to AR and review team cash reconciliations.
Resolve billing disputes, short payments, and unapplied cash; review and approve write-offs, credit memos, and payment adjustments within policy limits.
Prepare and present AR reports to management, including aging, cash forecasts, and collection trends; track DSO and bad debt and identify improvement opportunities.
Provide schedules and analysis for month-end and year-end close and support internal and external audits with documentation and schedules.
Document billing, collections, and project accounting processes; review, update, and enforce AR and credit policies and own key billing and AR controls.
Lead process improvements and automation across the team and systems, provide status updates to leadership, and support accounting and ERP system administration as needed.
Handle sensitive client and financial information with discretion.
Supervise, mentor, and develop the AR and billing team; assign and prioritize work, conduct regular performance reviews, and coach team members.
Act as the main escalation point for complex billing disputes, collection issues, and account exceptions.
Meet regularly with GL, finance, and AP teams, and handle ad-hoc projects and special requests.