Customer Finance Speciailist

The Customer Finance Specialist supports the Customer Finance function by managing key customer accounts, resolving deductions and claims, and ensuring accurate reconciliation of customer balances. The role acts as a key coordination point between Sales, Trade Marketing, and Finance to ensure that commercial activities, trade spend claims, and customer deductions are properly validated and reconciled.The role also requires direct engagement with customers, including periodic onsite visits, to resolve disputes, review account statements, and strengthen collection and reconciliation processes. The objective is to improve cash collections, reduce overdue balances, and ensure transparency and control over trade-related financial transactions.Key ResponsibilitiesAccounts Receivable & CollectionsMonitor customer balances and aging reports to ensure timely collections.Follow up with customers on overdue invoices and outstanding balances.Track payment commitments and support the collections strategy to reduce overdue receivables.Escalate high-risk or significantly overdue accounts to the Customer Finance Manager.Customer ReconciliationPerform regular reconciliation of customer accounts, including invoices, payments, deductions, and credit notes.Investigate and resolve discrepancies between company records and customer statements.Work with internal teams to validate disputed transactions and ensure proper adjustments where required.Claims & Deductions ManagementReview and validate customer deductions related to trade promotions, rebates, or marketing activities.Coordinate with Trade Marketing and Sales teams to confirm the legitimacy of claims and supporting documentation.Track claims status and ensure timely processing of approved claims and credit notes.Maintain clear documentation and audit trails for all claim-related transactions.Conduct onsite customer visits when required to review outstanding balances, reconcile accounts, and resolve disputes.Maintain professional relationships with customer finance teams to facilitate faster dispute resolution and collections.Support key account reconciliation meetings and periodic financial reviews with customers.Cross-Functional CoordinationAct as a liaison between Customer Finance, Sales, Trade Marketing, and Customer Service to resolve financial issues impacting customer accounts.Ensure that trade activities and promotional agreements are properly documented and reflected in financial records.Support alignment between commercial agreements and financial postings.Reporting & AnalysisPrepare customer aging reports and reconciliation summaries.Track trends in customer deductions, disputes, and claims.Provide insights to management on recurring issues impacting collections or claim processing.Compliance & Process DisciplineEnsure adherence to internal credit policies, approval processes, and financial controls.Maintain organized records of customer reconciliations, claims documentation, and communication with customers.Support initiatives to improve AR processes, claims management, and reporting accuracy.Qualifications & SkillsBachelor’s degree in Finance or AccountingAny progress on Professional Finance certifications (CMA, CPA, CFA) will be highly regarded3+ years of experience in Accounts Receivable, Customer Finance, or Credit Control.Experience with customer reconciliations, trade claims, and deduction management is preferred.Familiarity with ERP systems (preferably SAP) and strong Excel skills.Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with attention to detail.Ability to communicate effectively with both internal stakeholders and external customers.Comfortable conducting customer meetings and onsite visits when required.Ability to manage multiple issues simultaneously in a fast-paced commercial environment.#J-18808-Ljbffr