Finance Manager

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. 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. 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, elevate, 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. 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). 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. 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr Aputure