Finance Manager

I. Position Overview

Aputure is the world's leading professional cinema lighting brand, trusted by creators from Hollywood productions to independent filmmakers. Our U.S. subsidiary operates across dual go-to-market channels — ToB wholesale and direct-to-consumer (DTC) via Shopify — requiring rigorous financial discipline at every touchpoint.

The Finance Manager owns the full-cycle general ledger (GL) accounting and day-to-day financial compliance for the U.S. subsidiary. This role is the financial backbone of our North American operations: enforcing expense controls, driving budget accuracy, and ensuring clean books under US GAAP. This is a high-visibility role that reports directly to the Regional Director and partners closely with HQ Finance, offering a clear path to a Senior Finance Manager or Controller track.

II. Core Responsibilities

1. Expense Review & Compliance Control

• Own end-to-end compliance review of U.S. subsidiary expenses — travel, marketing (e.g., paid media, influencer/creator fees, event sponsorships), and operational costs; set the bar for documentation standards and enforce them consistently.

• Enforce budget threshold controls per company policy; proactively flag, escalate, and resolve over-budget or anomalous spend before it impacts monthly close.

• Accurately classify non-deductible and partially deductible expenses under U.S. tax law (e.g., Meals & Entertainment); ensure GL-level tax adjustment entries are precise and audit-ready.

• Build and refine scalable expense review workflows — including policy templates, approval matrices, and recurring training for non-finance staff.

2. Budget Planning & Execution Analysis

• Partner with the Regional Director to lead the annual operating budget (AOP) process for the U.S. subsidiary; consolidate and validate expense forecasts from each business unit.

• Maintain monthly/quarterly rolling forecasts; produce actionable Budget vs. Actual (BvA) reports with root cause analysis for overspend; surface recommendations that move the needle on cost efficiency.

• Build financial dashboards (e.g., in Excel, Looker Studio, or NetSuite) to give leadership real-time visibility into budget execution.

3. Shopify DTC Revenue Recognition & Channel Settlement

• Reconcile Shopify platform sales data with ERP (NetSuite), ensuring accuracy across revenue, discounts, shipping fees, and refunds — with zero tolerance for reconciliation gaps at month-end.

• Manage third-party payment gateway flows (PayPal, Shopify Payments); reconcile processing fees, chargebacks, and unsettled funds; prepare monthly platform cash schedules.

• Own the month-end revenue recognition process per ASC 606, with proper treatment of returns, promotions, and bundled orders.

4. ToB Wholesale Accounting & General Ledger (US GAAP)

• Manage AR aging for ToB business; apply payments against contracts; process chargebacks, trade discounts, and bad debt provisions.

• Record routine JEs including depreciation and accruals; lead timely monthly/quarterly GL close; prepare trial balance and management-ready financial statements.

• Maintain GL integrity as the single source of truth — proactively identify and resolve discrepancies before close.

5. U.S. Tax Compliance & Cross-Border Supply Chain Accounting

• Maintain W-9/W-8 vendor files; lead annual 1099-NEC/MISC compilation and timely filing.

• Monitor multi-state Sales Tax Nexus obligations; coordinate with external advisors or software (e.g., Avalara, TaxJar) for accruals and filings.

• Coordinate with 3PL/overseas warehouse partners on reconciliations; close out COGS; manage intercompany transactions and monthly elimination entries between the U.S. subsidiary and HQ.

• Stay current on cross-border tax developments and proactively flag risks to HQ Finance.

6. Finance Systems & Process Improvement

• Identify bottlenecks in existing financial workflows and implement process improvements to reduce close cycle time and manual effort.

• Serve as the NetSuite power user for the NA region: maintain chart of accounts, support system configuration updates, and train internal users.

• Evaluate and recommend new fintech tools (e.g., Ramp, Brex, or expense automation) to improve efficiency and control.

Other

• Handle ad-hoc tasks assigned by HQ Finance or the Regional Director; contribute to cross-functional projects (e.g., ERP upgrades, audit preparation, entity expansion).

III. Qualifications

Education & Credentials

Bachelor’s degree or above in Accounting, Finance, or a related field. CPA (AICPA) licensed or actively pursuing the exam is strongly preferred. Candidates with overseas study or work experience are a plus.

Work Experience

3–5 years of full-cycle accounting experience, including at least 1 year of U.S.-based finance experience in cross-border e-commerce, consumer electronics, or international trade. Prior exposure to both expense management/controls and FP&A fundamentals (budget, forecast, variance analysis) is required, not just preferred.

Technical Knowledge

Solid command of US GAAP; working knowledge of U.S. tax rules (Sales Tax, 1099, W-9/W-8). Hands-on experience with revenue recognition (ASC 606) and/or intercompany accounting is a strong differentiator. Principled approach to internal controls and expense compliance.

Systems & Tools

NetSuite experience is required (not just a plus) — you will be the regional system owner. Advanced Excel skills (XLOOKUP, FILTER, pivot tables, Power Query) are essential. Familiarity with BI tools (Looker Studio, Tableau, or similar) is a plus. Comfort navigating Shopify reporting and third-party payment dashboards is expected.

Soft Skills & Work Style

• Fluent in both Chinese and English (reading, writing, speaking) — essential for daily communication with HQ Finance in China.

• Execution-oriented and detail-obsessed: you catch errors before they compound, not after.

• Comfortable holding the line on expense policy in cross-departmental negotiations — not a pushover, but constructively firm.

• Self-directed and proactive: you don’t wait to be told something is a problem; you surface it, frame it, and come with a solution.

• Collaborative but independent: you can drive a project solo and also know when to loop in stakeholders.

IV. What We Offer

• Competitive salary + performance bonus; benefits package including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k).

• High-impact role: your work directly shapes the financial health of a globally recognized brand.

• Hybrid work environment with flexibility and strong cross-cultural team dynamics.

• Clear growth path toward Senior Finance Manager, Controller, or FP&A Lead as the NA business scales.

• Direct access to company leadership and HQ Finance — your voice matters here.

Aputure Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability status.