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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Revenue Specialist

💰 $60,000 - $90,000

FinanceAccountingRevenue Operations

🎯 Role Definition

The Revenue Specialist is a critical functional role within the Accounting and Finance department, responsible for the meticulous execution and oversight of all revenue-related activities. This position serves as the subject matter expert for billing, collections, and revenue recognition (ASC 606). You will work cross-functionally with Sales, Legal, and Customer Success to ensure that contracts are operationalized correctly and that revenue is recorded accurately and in compliance with accounting standards. This role is fundamental to maintaining our financial integrity, providing key insights into revenue performance, and scaling our financial operations for future growth.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Accounts Receivable Specialist
  • Billing Coordinator
  • Junior Accountant

Advancement To:

  • Senior Revenue Specialist
  • Revenue Manager
  • Revenue Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Financial Analyst
  • Sales Operations Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage the full order-to-cash lifecycle, ensuring accuracy and timeliness from initial contract execution through to successful payment collection.
  • Perform comprehensive reviews of new and amended sales contracts and order forms to identify and document key terms for proper revenue recognition under ASC 606.
  • Execute the monthly and quarterly financial close process for revenue, which includes preparing journal entries, complex account reconciliations, and fluctuation analyses for revenue-related balance sheet accounts like Accounts Receivable and Deferred Revenue.
  • Generate and distribute precise and timely customer invoices, ensuring they are fully aligned with contractual terms, consumption data, and internal billing policies.
  • Proactively manage the accounts receivable aging portfolio, spearheading collection efforts and communicating effectively with customers to resolve outstanding payment issues.
  • Investigate and resolve complex billing discrepancies and customer inquiries by collaborating extensively with Sales, Customer Success, and Legal teams to find a resolution.
  • Maintain the integrity of the billing system and customer master data, meticulously processing contract amendments, service upgrades, renewals, and terminations.
  • Calculate, track, and report on key revenue metrics and SaaS KPIs, such as Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR), and customer churn rates.
  • Assist in the preparation of detailed revenue reports, performance dashboards, and insightful presentations for senior management to support strategic decision-making.
  • Support external and internal audits by preparing and providing necessary documentation, PBC schedules, and clear explanations related to revenue, deferred revenue, and receivables.
  • Collaborate with the Sales Operations team to guarantee a seamless data flow and absolute accuracy between the CRM (e.g., Salesforce) and the ERP/billing system (e.g., NetSuite, Zuora).
  • Analyze current revenue trends, perform detailed variance analysis against budget and forecast, and provide insightful commentary on key business performance drivers.
  • Process credit memos, refunds, and other billing adjustments in strict accordance with company policy and established approval workflows.
  • Ensure strict compliance with internal controls (SOX), company policies, and regulatory requirements that govern the entire revenue cycle.
  • Reconcile payment processor reports (e.g., Stripe, Adyen) with internal accounting records to ensure all cash receipts are accounted for correctly and allocated properly.
  • Handle the complex accounting for varied revenue streams, including professional services, usage-based billing models, and multi-element software arrangements.

Secondary Functions

  • Participate actively in the implementation and enhancement of financial systems and billing platforms to drive process automation, scalability, and efficiency.
  • Assist in developing and refining revenue forecasts by providing data-driven insights into billing cycles, collection trends, and revenue recognition schedules.
  • Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation for revenue accounting policies, operational procedures, and internal workflows to ensure consistency and facilitate team training.
  • Partner with the FP&A team by providing essential data and detailed analysis for corporate budgeting and long-range strategic planning activities.
  • Monitor and assist in managing sales tax compliance, ensuring correct jurisdictional rates are applied to invoices and remitted as required.
  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to answer pressing business questions from leadership.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by identifying opportunities for improved data capture and reporting.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • ERP Systems: High proficiency with major ERP systems such as NetSuite, SAP, or Oracle Financials.
  • Billing Platforms: Hands-on experience with specialized subscription billing platforms like Zuora, Stripe Billing, or Chargebee is highly desirable.
  • Microsoft Excel: Advanced Excel capabilities, including the use of PivotTables, VLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, sum-ifs, and complex nested formulas for data manipulation and analysis.
  • Revenue Recognition (ASC 606): A strong theoretical understanding and practical application of revenue recognition principles under ASC 606/IFRS 15.
  • CRM Software: Working familiarity with CRM software, particularly Salesforce (SFDC), and an understanding of its integration points with financial systems.
  • Data Analysis: Basic SQL or other data querying abilities for performing ad-hoc analysis and pulling custom reports is a strong plus.

Soft Skills

  • Attention to Detail: Exceptional precision and a high degree of accuracy, with an ability to spot errors and inconsistencies in large data sets.
  • Analytical & Problem-Solving: Strong analytical capabilities with a natural curiosity for investigating and resolving complex financial discrepancies from root cause.
  • Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex financial information clearly to both financial and non-financial stakeholders.
  • Organization & Time Management: Outstanding organizational skills, with a proven ability to manage multiple competing priorities and consistently meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
  • Collaboration: A collaborative, team-player mindset with a track record of working effectively across different departments, including Sales, Legal, and Operations.
  • Initiative: A proactive, self-starting attitude with the ability to work independently, take ownership of tasks from start to finish, and identify areas for process improvement.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field of study.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2-5 years of direct experience in a revenue accounting, billing, or accounts receivable role.

Preferred:

  • Experience in a high-growth SaaS, technology, or subscription-based business model is highly desirable.
  • Experience in a public company or pre-IPO environment with exposure to SOX controls is a significant advantage.
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