Senior Finance Manager

Key Responsibilities
Project & Financial Management
• Own the financial oversight of approximately 100-150 client projects annually
• Maintain accurate project financials, including budgets, committed costs, actual costs, billings and project-level profitability
• Ensure production costs and employee expenses are accurately captured and allocated to the appropriate projects
• Monitor project financial activity from initiation through final reconciliation and close
• Identify financial discrepancies, aging items and project risks and proactively drive them to resolution
• Maintain strong financial controls while supporting the speed and flexibility required in an agency environment
• Identify areas for efficiency and cost reductions

Revenue, Billing & PO Management
• Own the financial workflow between project teams, both internal and external, to ensure projects are billed accurately and on time
• Proactively work with internal teams to obtain required purchase orders and client approvals ahead of billing deadlines
• Maintain visibility over outstanding POs, unbilled activity and billing status across the portfolio
• Manage accrued/unbilled revenue, deferred/unearned revenue and related balance sheet positions, ensuring appropriate revenue recognition and timely clearing of balances
• Partner with the AR team to ensure invoices are raised accurately and promptly and help resolve client billing questions or disputes

Staffing & Vacancy Reporting
• Own the financial reporting associated with the approximately 150-person staffing model supporting The Kitchen
• Maintain clear visibility into contracted positions, filled roles, vacancies, start dates and departures
• Prepare regular vacancy reporting showing contracted headcount versus actual staffed headcount and the associated financial impact
• Ensure staffing changes are reflected appropriately in client reporting and billing
• Partner closely with Recruiting, Operations and Finance to reconcile staffing information and resolve discrepancies

Client & Stakeholder Management
• Serve as the face of Finance for The Kitchen, acting as the primary liaison between Salt Finance, The Kitchen leadership and relevant client stakeholders
• Provide timely, clear and proactive communication regarding billing, POs, project financials, staffing, vacancies and other financial matters
• Translate financial information into practical insights for non-finance stakeholders
• Establish regular reporting and communication rhythms so stakeholders understand what is outstanding, what requires action and where financial risks exist
• Build strong relationships across Finance, Operations, Recruiting, Production and client teams

Reporting & Controls
• Produce regular client and internal financial reporting covering project activity, production spend, billing, POs, staffing and vacancies
• Support month-end close by ensuring project revenue, costs, accruals and deferrals are complete and accurate
• Reconcile project-related balance sheet accounts and investigate aging balances.
• Maintain schedules for unbilled revenue, deferred/unearned revenue, accrued costs and other project-related accounts
• Develop and continuously improve processes, trackers and reporting that make the financial administration of The Kitchen simple, transparent and scalable
• Identify opportunities to reduce manual work and improve financial controls without creating unnecessary bureaucracy for operational teams.

What We're Looking For
• Strong experience in project accounting, ideally within an advertising, experiential, production, professional services or other project-based environment
• Demonstrated understanding of revenue recognition, including accrued/unbilled revenue and deferred/unearned revenue
• Experience managing high volumes of project costs, client billing and project reconciliations
• Strong understanding of balance sheet reconciliations and month-end accounting processes
• Experience working with purchase orders and client procurement processes.
• Strong Excel and financial reporting skills
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage a large number of projects and outstanding items simultaneously
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to work directly with senior internal and client stakeholders
• A proactive mindset—you don't simply report that something is outstanding; you follow it through until it is resolved
• Ability to bridge the gap between Finance and Operations, balancing strong financial discipline with the practical realities of a fast-moving client business