Bilingual AR & Customer Finance Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Position Summary

We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Bilingual AR & Customer Finance Specialist fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English to support our Ethnic Division's growing customer base. This role is responsible for managing invoicing, collections, account reconciliation, and maintaining strong customer relationships to ensure timely cash flow across our ethnic grocery and specialty food accounts.

The ideal candidate combines strong accounting fundamentals with excellent communication skills and cultural fluency to effectively manage Cantonese- and Mandarin-speaking customers and partners. Experience in food manufacturing, distribution, or CPG is strongly preferred, as familiarity with deduction management, net terms structures, and the operational cadence of ethnic grocery channels will significantly accelerate success in this role.

Key Responsibilities

Invoicing & Collections

• Generate and distribute customer invoices accurately and on time, ensuring alignment with agreed net terms across ethnic grocery and specialty accounts.

• Monitor AR aging and proactively follow up on past-due balances, prioritizing high-value and high-risk accounts in coordination with the Ethnic GM.

• Conduct collections outreach via phone and email in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, leveraging cultural and language fluency to resolve payment issues efficiently.

• Manage deduction disputes common in ethnic grocery channels, including short payments, pricing discrepancies, and freight claims, coordinating resolution with sales and operations.

Account Management & Reconciliation

• Reconcile customer accounts and resolve billing discrepancies in a timely manner, maintaining accurate account histories.

• Assist Corporate Accountants with applying customer payments and ensuring accurate posting in the accounting system.

• Support credit reviews for new and existing accounts, recommend credit limit adjustments, and assist with onboarding new ethnic grocery customers from a credit and terms standpoint.

• Collaborate with the Ethnic sales team and customer service to resolve disputes and continuously improve collections outcomes.

Reporting & Month-End

• Prepare AR aging reports and provide weekly collection status updates to the Ethnic GM and Finance team.

• Assist with month-end close activities related to receivables, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.

• Maintain detailed documentation of all customer communications, payment arrangements, and account activity.

Required Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in Accounts Receivable, collections, or a related accounting role.

• Fluency in Cantonese and Mandarin (written and verbal) required; English proficiency required.

• Strong understanding of AR processes, collections, deduction management, and account reconciliation.

• Experience with ERP/accounting systems (e.g., SAP, NetSuite, Sage, QuickBooks, or similar).

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables and aging analysis.

• Strong attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple accounts and prioritize effectively.

• Professional, confident, and culturally adept communication style — firm in collections while preserving long-term customer relationships.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in food manufacturing, distribution, or CPG environment — strongly preferred given the complexity of deductions and trade terms in these channels.

• Experience working with ethnic grocery, international, or export customers.

• Familiarity with net terms structures and credit risk assessment in a trade/wholesale environment.

• Knowledge of standard deduction and short-pay resolution processes.

Key Competencies

• Results-driven with strong follow-through and accountability.

• Customer-focused but firm and consistent in collections approach.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; comfortable working with financial data.

• High cultural fluency and interpersonal effectiveness across Cantonese- and Mandarin-speaking business relationships.

• Collaborative team player with the ability to work cross-functionally between sales and finance.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits.

• Opportunities for growth and professional development.

• Collaborative and supportive work environment.