Marketing Budget Specialist

Job Description

Upbound Group

 

Senior Specialist Marketing Finance (Budget)

 

JOB PURPOSE:  Primary point of contact between marketing and accounting & finance on the Marketing Budget. Manage monthly, quarterly and annual budget cycles across all lines of business including Acima, Rent-A-Center (RAC), RACFI (RAC Franchise International), Get-It-Now, Home Choice.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Oversee large multiline operating budget for marketing and provide financial reporting. Including 25+ channels and vendors, and over 200 rows.

 

• Provide Marketing Budget monthly and quarterly close reporting to accounting and finance teams.
• Responsible for weekly cash flow management and forecasting
• Work closely with accounting and finance teams on monthly and quarterly variance analysis and reporting.
• Responsible for timely reconciliation of the Marketing Budget by category 
• Manage the monthly and quarterly accrual process with marketing team and vendors. Provide support for 10 marketing team stakeholders.
• Work closely with accounting on other functions.
• Yearly audits
• Reconciliations with AP
• Tax audits.
• Oversee all invoice processing activities and regulate spend against forecast.
• Serve as a daily contact for all vendor billing related needs across all Marketing channels.
• New vendor setup
• Tax exemptions.
• POC for billing related needs
• Provide insightful information, including YOY comparisons, to aid in long-term and short-term decision making.
• Coordinate the receipt and funding of co-op and MDF (marketing development funds) between marketing, merchandising, A/P and ensure proper hold/allocation is managed.
• Responsible for marketing software (IBM Cognos TM1) and data updates to secure financial information
• Software engineering encompassing yearly updates, glitches and other software related issues.
• Responsible for all TM1 data management including custom views, budget, invoicing and reporting.
• Serve as lead for marketing software requirements and user acceptance testing, including subject matter expert on new features and functionality.
• Partner across all business units to increase financial transparency in management of the Marketing Budget.
• Drive continuous improvements and optimizations in the departmental processes.

 

Additional Responsibilities

• Media Traffic Management: actively and consistently support radio and TV efforts to communicate RAC’s message by facilitating traffic instructions to scheduled media outlets. 
• Assist in gathering spend and business reporting for Upbound’s bi-annual MMM (marketing mix model), along with data dictionary upkeep.
• Other projects as requested by manager.

 

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s Degree in related field
• Retail store-based marketing experience strongly preferred.
• Four to five years of experience in Advertising and/or Marketing including finance and budget project coordination (of $40M+ in size)
• Budget software experience (IBM Cognos TM1 preferred)
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications especially Excel
• Strong organizational skills
• Professional and positive demeanor in all interactions
• Process driven.
• Strong communication and project planning skills
• Strong attention to detail; meets deadlines or elevates obstacles in a timely manner.
• Provide solutions; results oriented. 
• Ability to interface with all levels of management successfully.
• Must be a self-starter and team oriented.
• Ability to effectively prioritize work and manage projects. 

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Location(s)5501 Headquarters Dr, Plano, Texas 75024