Manager – Accounting & Finance

Manager – Accounting & Finance

Department: Accounting & Finance
Reports To: Finance Leadership
Work Schedule: Monday–Friday, 2:00 PM–11:00 PM IST
Location: Remote – India
Employment Type: Full-Time Independent Contractor

Job Summary

     Austin Bazaar is a U.S.-based e-commerce retailer specializing in musical instruments and accessories.

We are seeking a hands-on Manager – Accounting & Finance to lead our accounting team and ensure accurate financial records, timely reporting, disciplined payment processes, and strong financial controls.

     This role combines team management with direct involvement in day-to-day accounting. The manager will oversee accounts payable, reconciliations, financial reporting, month-end close, inventory accounting support, payroll-related accounting, and process improvement.

     We are looking for someone who takes ownership of outcomes—not simply task completion. The successful candidate will identify discrepancies, investigate root causes, follow issues through resolution, hold the team accountable, and provide leadership with reliable financial information.

Strong experience with QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel, U.S. accounting, reconciliations, and month-end closing is required.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Accountability

• Manage daily activities of the accounting and finance team.
• Assign priorities, responsibilities, and deadlines.
• Review work for accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.
• Coach team members and address accountability or performance concerns.
• Maintain documented procedures and backup coverage for critical tasks.
• Escalate significant issues promptly.

Accounts Payable & Vendor Management

• Oversee invoice verification, accounts payable processing, vendor reconciliations, and payment preparation.
• Ensure invoices have required documentation and approvals.
• Review accounts payable aging and upcoming obligations.
• Coordinate payment priorities with finance leadership.
• Resolve duplicate charges, missing credits, pricing issues, and vendor discrepancies.
• Ensure payments follow approval controls.

Accounting Records & Reconciliations

• Maintain accurate financial records in QuickBooks.
• Ensure transactions are properly coded, classified, and documented.
• Prepare and review journal entries.
• Perform and oversee reconciliations for bank accounts, credit cards, vendor balances, marketplace settlements, payment processors, and other financial accounts.
• Investigate discrepancies and ensure corrections are completed promptly.
• Track unresolved items through resolution.

Financial Reporting & Closing

• Prepare and review monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports.
• Support preparation of profit and loss statements, balance sheets, cash-flow reports, and management schedules.
• Coordinate month-end and year-end closing.
• Maintain a close checklist with clear deadlines and ownership.
• Review accruals, prepayments, reconciliations, and expense classifications.
• Explain significant variances and unusual transactions.
• Support external accountants, auditors, and tax advisors when required.

Inventory & Payroll Support

• Coordinate inventory reconciliations with Operations and Procurement.
• Investigate differences related to receipts, transfers, returns, and adjustments.
• Support inventory valuation and cost-of-goods-sold reporting.
• Work with HR and payroll providers to validate payroll accounting data.
• Prepare payroll-related accounting entries and reconciliations.
• Maintain confidentiality of payroll and employee information.

Financial Analysis & Process Improvement

• Prepare Excel-based reports, reconciliation workbooks, trackers, and dashboards.
• Provide visibility into expenses, vendor balances, payment requirements, and reconciliation status.
• Identify unusual transactions, recurring discrepancies, and accounting process weaknesses.
• Recommend and implement improvements to accuracy, efficiency, documentation, and controls.
• Reduce unnecessary manual work through automation and standardized reporting.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Compliance

• Collaborate with Finance, Operations, HR, Procurement, and U.S.-based leadership.
• Follow up when information or documentation is incomplete.
• Ensure accounting activities follow company policies and applicable U.S. accounting practices.
• Maintain organized records and audit trails.
• Support appropriate segregation of duties and secure handling of financial information.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, or a related field.
• Minimum 6 years of relevant accounting and finance experience.
• At least 2 years of team management or supervisory experience.
• Experience supporting accounting for a U.S.-based business.
• Familiarity with U.S. GAAP.
• Strong hands-on proficiency with QuickBooks.
• Experience with accounts payable, general ledger accounting, reconciliations, journal entries, financial reporting, and month-end closing.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookup functions, SUMIFS, data validation, and reconciliation workbooks.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to investigate discrepancies and identify root causes.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Clear written and verbal English communication.
• Ability to enforce deadlines, follow up across departments, and escalate issues when needed.
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

Preferred Qualifications

• CA, CMA, CPA, or equivalent qualification preferred but not required.
• Experience in e-commerce, retail, distribution, or inventory-intensive businesses.
• Experience reconciling marketplace settlements and payment processors.
• Experience with inventory accounting across multiple fulfillment locations.
• Experience with accounting automation, process improvement, or Excel Power Query.

Work Setup

Candidates must have:

• Reliable high-speed internet.
• A quiet and professional workspace.
• Reliable availability during the assigned schedule.
• Ability to participate in video meetings.
• Ability to use required accounting, communication, productivity, time-tracking, and monitoring systems.
• Ability to securely handle confidential financial information.

The standard schedule is Monday through Friday, 2:00 PM to 11:00 PM IST.

Pre-Notification for Candidates – India-Based Roles

Please review before applying:

• This role supports a U.S.-based company and requires regular coordination with U.S.-based leadership.
• Candidates must consistently work the assigned India schedule.
• This position is structured as an independent contractor engagement and does not create an employer-employee relationship in India.
• Candidates must comply with company confidentiality, security, attendance, and work-monitoring requirements.
• Reliable attendance, punctuality, responsiveness, and professional communication are essential.

What Success Looks Like-Success in this role means:

• Accounting records are accurate, current, and supported.
• Financial reports are completed on time.
• Reconciliations are current and discrepancies are resolved promptly.
• Vendor invoices and payments are properly reviewed and approved.
• Leadership has clear visibility into upcoming payment needs and financial issues.
• Month-end close follows a consistent process.
• Inventory discrepancies are investigated and resolved.
• Financial documentation is organized and audit-ready.
• Significant issues are escalated early.
• Team members meet responsibilities and deadlines without repeated follow-up.

What We Offer

• A leadership role within a growing U.S.-based e-commerce company.
• Exposure to marketplace, inventory, vendor, and fulfillment accounting.
• Opportunity to lead and develop an accounting team.
• Ownership of financial reporting, process improvement, and controls.
• Collaboration with senior leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Opportunity to directly improve financial accuracy and operational discipline.