Trade Deductions Accountant, Fast-Paced CPG

About Spindrift At Spindrift, we’re making every beverage a positive force of nature. Founded in 2010, we believe the best flavors come directly from nature. That’s why every Spindrift beverage is made the hard way—with real squeezed fruit, never from concentrate. From sourcing the best-tasting fruit globally to maintaining a carefully honed manufacturing process, we believe in doing things the hard way, the intentional way, the better albeit more challenging way, the right way – because, in the end, it’s worth it. Spindrift® sparkling water is available nationwide, and Spindrift Spiked® and Spindrift SODA is available in select markets. We are also a proud member of 1% for the planet, donating to environmental causes. Spindrift is headquartered in Newton, MA. The Staff Accountant, Trade Deductions Role The Staff Accountant supports Spindrift’s financial integrity by ensuring that trade deductions are accurately tracked, researched, and resolved in a timely manner. This role sits at the intersection of Accounting, Sales, and Customer Service and is ideal for a detail-oriented problem solver who thrives in a high-volume, fast-moving CPG environment where trade promotions, chargebacks, and customer deductions are a core part of day-to-day operations. Responsibilities Reporting to the Accounting Supervisor, the Staff Accountant’s primary responsibilities are: Trade Deduction Processing & Reconciliation

• Research deduction backup (remittance advices, customer portals, EDI documents, promotional calendars) to validate or dispute deductions in a timely manner.
• Classify deductions by type (trade promotions, off-invoice allowances, freight claims, pricing discrepancies, damages, returns, compliance fines) and ensure proper accounting treatment for each.
• Process approved deductions by creating and posting credit memos; maintain clear audit trails for all adjustments.
• Identify invalid or unsupported deductions; prepare and submit dispute packages to customers and follow through to resolution.
• Leverage our trade management tools to create monthly accruals and reconcile deductions taken as part of the monthly close process.
• Reconcile bottle deposits and review broker commissions on a monthly basis

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Sales and FP&A to validate promotional deductions against approved trade plans, customer agreements, and deal sheets.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain and Customer Service to investigate and resolve freight, damage, and compliance-related deductions.
• Communicate deduction status and aging to internal stakeholders on a regular basis; escalate unresolved or high-value items appropriately.
• Support the Sales team with customer-specific deduction reporting and chargeback documentation as needed.

Reporting & Month-End Close

• Prepare and maintain the trade deduction aging schedule; reconcile to the general ledger as part of monthly close.
• Prepare accruals for open or anticipated deductions; ensure deduction reserves are accurate and well-supported; reconcile deductions taken throughout the month.
• Generate regular deduction reporting by customer, category, and deduction type to identify trends and support management review.
• Support audit requests related to trade spending, customer allowances, and AR balances.

Controls & Process Improvement

• Ensure deduction workflows follow internal controls and documentation standards.
• Identify opportunities to streamline deduction intake, classification, and resolution processes.
• Help develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for trade deduction handling.
• 2+ years of accounting or finance experience; prior exposure to trade deductions, chargebacks, or accounts receivable in a CPG, food & beverage, or consumer goods environment strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or Finance
• Working knowledge of trade promotion mechanics common in CPG (off-invoice allowances, scan-backs, bill-backs, MCBs, OI, compliance deductions).
• Experience with cash application, credit memo processing, and general ledger reconciliation.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills; able to manage a high volume of open items while maintaining accuracy.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills; comfortable working cross-functionally with Sales, Logistics, and Customer Service teams.
• Intermediate Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, filtering and sorting large data sets).

Preferred Tools & Experience

• Experience with ERP or accounting systems (NetSuite preferred, but not required).
• Familiarity with customer portals (e.g., Walmart Retail Link, Kroger vendor portals, KeHE Connect, UNFI) and EDI remittance formats.
• Prior experience with deduction management software or trade promotion management (TPM) systems, especially BluePlanner, is a plus.

Working Conditions • Must be able to work from our Newton, MA office at least 4 days a week. The salary range for this position is $65,000 to $75,000 and is dependent upon the candidate’s experience prior to joining Spindrift. In addition, we offer the following compensation and benefits:

• Short-term and long-term incentive programs specific to level and department
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, with a current employer contribution rate of 80% towards monthly premiums, regardless of plan type selected
• Company-paid life insurance, and a 401k retirement savings plan with a company match
• Monthly cell phone allowance
• Annual allowances for personal use of Spindrift product, health and wellness, professional development, and social justice education
• A host of voluntary benefits including but not limited to additional life insurance, short-term disability and long-term disability insurance, pet insurance, commuter benefits, etc.
• In addition to any paid leave benefits required by regulation, the company provides paid parental leave, vacation, sick, personal, bereavement, community service, and holiday time

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