Sr A/R and Collections Specialist

divh2Senior Accounts Receivable And Collections Specialist/h2pWere on a mission to bring learning to life! Across our family of companiesLearning Resources, Educational Insights, and hand2mindwe create childrens toys, pet toys, educational products, and supplemental curriculum trusted by teachers and loved by families. As a growing, family-owned business and a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace, we are dedicated to helping kids succeed in school and develop a lifelong love of learning. If youre curious, collaborative, and a kid at heart, youll feel right at home here. Join us in shaping the future of learning with our award-winning team!/ppWe are currently seeking a Senior Accounts Receivable and Collections Specialist to join our Shared Services Accounting team! This team supports some of our most visible and fast?growing customer channels, including Amazon, TikTok Shop, Walmart, Target, and other major retail and omnichannel partners. What makes this role exciting is the opportunity to manage complex, high?volume accounts while partnering cross?functionally with Sales, Customer Service, Logistics, and Finance. This position offers meaningful ownership, exposure to large national retailers, and the ability to directly impact cash flow, process efficiency, and customer relationships. A strong performer in this role will thrive in a dynamic environment that values accountability, continuous improvement, and collaboration./ppWhat youll do day to day:/pulliOwn end?to?end accounts receivable management for a portfolio of high?volume, high?visibility e?commerce and retail customers (including Amazon, TikTok Shop, Walmart, and Target) by monitoring AR aging, proactively following up on past?due balances, and supporting DSO targets./liliApply and reconcile customer payments across multiple methods while managing retailer?specific payment requirements, deductions, and EDI or portal processes./liliMaintain accurate AR documentation in the ERP system to support audit readiness while serving as the primary customer contact to resolve payment issues, disputes, and balances./liliInvestigate and resolve unapplied cash, short payments, overpayments, and other discrepancies through remittance and transaction analysis while performing detailed account reconciliations and supporting month?end close with balance validation, variance analysis, and audit?ready documentation./liliTrack, research, and resolve chargebacks, shortage claims, and pricing discrepancies, particularly with Amazon and other complex retail or marketplace partnersby preparing and submitting disputes, following up on open claims, and tracking recoveries to maximize cash collection./liliPartner cross?functionally to resolve root?cause issues impacting collections and chargebacks/deductions while identifying AR trends, risks, and process improvements across e?commerce and retail channels./liliAnalyze customer payment behavior and account standing to recommend or process credit hold releases in accordance with established credit policies/liliSupport process improvement initiatives related to cash application automation, dispute tracking, reporting, and overall AR efficiency/liliParticipate in internal and external audits by providing account support, reconciliations, and clear explanations of AR activity and controls/li/ulpWhat were looking for (Key Performance Objectives):/pullistrongAccurate and Timely Cash Application/strong Customer payments across lockbox, ACH, wire, and credit card are applied accurately and on time, with minimal unapplied cash and prompt resolution of exceptions or discrepancies./lilistrongEffective Dispute and Deduction Resolution/strong Retailer deductions, chargebacks, shortages, and pricing disputesparticularly for major e?commerce partnersare investigated, submitted, tracked, and resolved efficiently, resulting in strong recovery rates and reduced open dispute aging./lilistrongHealthy AR Portfolio and DSO Performance/strong Assigned e?commerce and retail accounts are actively managed to maintain healthy AR aging, minimize past?due balances, and support departmental DSO targets through proactive follow?up and issue resolution./lilistrongReliable Account Reconciliations and Close Support/strong Customer accounts are well?reconciled, accurately documented, and audit?ready, supporting a timely month?end close and providing clear explanations for reconciling items and variances./lilistrongStrong Cross?Functional Partnership and Process Improvement/strong AR issues are resolved efficiently through effective collaboration with Sales, Customer Service, Logistics, and Finance, while contributing to continuous improvement initiatives that enhance cash application, dispute management, and reporting processes./li/ulpRequirements/Ideal Attributes:/pulliAssociates degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field preferred/lili6+ years of B2B accounts receivable and collections experience, preferably supporting Mass Retail and e?commerce customers/lili3+ years of hands?on cash application experience (lockbox, ACH, wire)/liliDemonstrated experience working with Amazon, Walmart, Target, TikTok Shop, or similar large retailers/liliStrong understanding of deductions, chargebacks, shortages, and dispute resolution/liliProficient in Microsoft Excel (lookups, pivot tables, reconciliations)/liliExperience with D365 (Dynamics 365) or similar ERP systems preferred/liliStrong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact across all levels of the organization/liliHighly organized, detail?oriented, and comfortable managing competing priorities in a fast?paced environment/li/ulpWe are a drug-free workplace and an EEO employer./ppPlease note: This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time./ppCompensation Range: $33.00 - $34.50 per hour Actual compensation may vary due to other factors such as: years of experience, skill set and location. Total compensation includes profit sharing bonus potential, 401k matching, and a variety of other benefits (details can be found here)./p/div