Senior Deductions AnalystDepartment: Finance
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Remote - US
DescriptionRole OverviewWe are looking for a Senior Deductions Analyst to own the deductions process across retail and distributor partners: Walmart, Target, Ulta Beauty, Whole Foods Market, The Vitamin Shoppe, KeHE, and UNFI. You will research, validate, and dispute a high volume of deductions, recover invalid claims, and work with Sales, Supply Chain, and Customer Service to stop repeat deductions at the source.
This is a hands-on senior role. You will carry your own deduction portfolio, set the standard for how disputes are documented and filed, and turn deduction data into clear recommendations for leadership.
Key ResponsibilitiesDeduction research and resolution- Manage the full deduction lifecycle for an assigned portfolio of high-volume accounts: identify, code, research, validate, dispute, and close.
- Research and resolve shortages, pricing discrepancies, promotional and trade deductions, returns and unsaleables, freight and logistics fees, and compliance chargebacks.
- Match deductions to backup documentation, including POs, invoices, ASNs, BOLs, proofs of delivery, carrier records, promotion agreements, and retailer remittance detail.
- Keep aged deductions low by working claims in priority order based on dollar value and dispute window deadlines.
Disputes and recovery- Prepare and submit well-documented disputes for invalid deductions and follow them through to recovery or write-off.
- Escalate unresolved disputes with retailer and distributor AP, compliance, and vendor relations teams.
- Track dispute windows and filing requirements for each customer so no recoverable claim expires.
- Recommend write-offs with clear justification and route them for approval under company policy.
R
oot cause and prevention- Analyze deduction trends by customer, reason code, and dollar value to find the drivers of repeat deductions.
- Partner with Sales, Supply Chain, Logistics, and Customer Service to fix root causes such as late shipments, labeling errors, ASN errors, and pricing mismatches.
- Validate promotional deductions against trade agreements and flag spending outside approved programs to Sales.
Profitability analysis by retailer- Build and maintain a customer profitability view for each retailer and distributor, from gross sales down to net revenue after deductions, trade spend, chargebacks, freight, and returns.
- Calculate deductions as a percentage of gross sales by retailer and track the trend month over month.
- Compare each account's net margin against plan and flag retailers or programs where deductions are eroding profitability.
- Measure the return on promotional and trade programs by retailer, including MCBs, billbacks, and slotting at KeHE and UNFI.
- Present monthly retailer profitability reviews to Finance and Sales leadership with recommendations on pricing, terms, and trade investment.
- Support annual customer planning and line reviews with cost-to-serve data for each retailer.
Reporting and process improvement- Produce weekly and monthly deduction reporting: open balance, aging, recovery rate, write-offs, and top deduction drivers.
- Improve deduction workflows, documentation standards, and reason-code structure.
- Support month-end close with deduction reserves, accruals, and reconciliations.
- Train and support junior analysts or specialists as the team grows.
Qualifications and ExperienceRequired qualifications- 5+ years of deductions, chargebacks, or accounts receivable experience in a consumer products (CPG) company, with at least 3 years focused on retail deductions.
- Direct, hands-on deduction experience with Walmart and Target, including their supplier portals and compliance programs.
- Direct experience with natural and specialty channel distributors KeHE and UNFI, including MCBs, promotional billbacks, and spoils.
- Proven dispute track record: preparing documentation, filing disputes within retailer windows, and recovering invalid deductions.
- High-volume experience: managing hundreds of deductions per month across multiple customers while meeting aging and recovery targets.
- Strong Excel skills, including pivot tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, and large data sets.
- Experience with an ERP system such as NetSuite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, or Fulfill.
- Clear written communication for dispute packages and customer escalations.
- Ability to work independently in a remote environment and manage deadlines without close supervision.
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business, or equivalent experience.
Preferred qualifications- Experience with deduction management software such as Glimpse
- Familiarity with trade promotion management (TPM) tools and validating promotional deductions against trade spend.
- Experience with Walmart Retail Link and Target Partners Online reporting beyond deduction research.
- Understanding of EDI transactions (810, 812, 820, 850, 856) and how they drive deductions.
- Experience building deduction dashboards in Excel, Power BI, or Tableau.
- Experience in health and wellness, beauty, or natural and organic food categories.
Compensation and benefits- Base salary: $80,000-$100,000 per year, based on experience and location.
