Cash Applications Analyst

Cash Applications Analyst

Let’s be unstoppable together!

Circana is a leading provider of technology, AI, and data solutions for consumer packaged goods companies, manufacturers, and retailers. Our predictive analytics and Liquid Data® platform help clients measure market share, uncover consumer behavior, and drive growth - powered by six decades of expertise and an expansive, high-quality data set.

At Circana, we are fueled by our passion for continuous learning and growth, we seek and share feedback freely, and we celebrate victories both big and small in an environment that is flexible and accommodating to our work and personal lives. We’re a global company dedicated to fostering inclusivity and belonging. We value and celebrate the unique experiences, cultures, and viewpoints that each individual brings. By embracing a wide range of backgrounds, skills, expertise, and beyond, we create a stronger, more innovative environment for our employees, clients, and communities. With us, you can always bring your full self to work. Join our inclusive, committed team to be a challenger, own outcomes, and stay curious together. Circana is proud to be Certified™ by Great Place To Work®. This prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Circana. Learn more at www.circana.com.

Role Overview

The Cash Applications Analyst serves as the primary point of coordination between the company and an offshore team of Cash Applications Specialists. This role is responsible for the accuracy, timeliness, and integrity of cash application processes - ensuring incoming payments (checks, ACH, wire, credit card, and lockbox) are applied correctly and promptly to customer accounts. The Analyst monitors the offshore team's daily production and quality, resolves escalations, and reports on team performance and unapplied cash trends to Finance leadership. This is an individual contributor role with strong functional/matrix oversight of the offshore team, rather than direct people-management responsibility.

Job Responsibilities

Offshore Team Oversight & Reporting

• Serve as the main point of contact for the offshore Cash Applications team, providing daily direction, clarifying exceptions, and answering process questions.
• Monitor offshore team productivity and quality against defined SLAs (e.g., same-day cash application, unapplied cash aging, error rates).
• Conduct regular check-ins (daily stand-up or weekly cadence) with the offshore team lead to review volumes, backlogs, and blockers.
• Prepare and present recurring status reports to the Cash Applications/Collections Manager summarizing team output, aging unapplied cash, exceptions, and root causes of delays.
• Escalate systemic issues (bank file failures, remittance data gaps, recurring misapplications) to management with recommended corrective actions.

Cash Application Processing

• Review and apply complex or exception-based cash receipts (short pays, deductions, unidentified remittances) that the offshore team escalates.
• Reconcile bank deposits, lockbox files, and electronic payment feeds against the ERP/AR sub-ledger (e.g., NetSuite) and cash application platform (e.g., BlackLine ARM).
• Research and resolve unapplied and on-account cash, partnering with Collections and Customer Service as needed.
• Maintain and refine cash application workflows, matching rules, and remittance rules within the cash application system to reduce manual touches.

Process Improvement & Controls

• Identify recurring exception patterns and partner with IT/Systems to improve auto-match rates and remittance data quality.
• Document and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) and training materials used by the offshore team.
• Support month-end close activities related to cash application, including unapplied cash reconciliation and reporting.
• Ensure processes comply with internal controls and audit requirements (e.g., SOX, where applicable).

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 2–4+ years of experience in cash applications, accounts receivable, or order-to-cash operations.
• Experience working with or overseeing an offshore or outsourced team, including setting expectations and reviewing work product across time zones.
• Strong Excel skills; experience with an ERP system (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Oracle) and a cash application/AR automation platform (e.g., BlackLine ARM) preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to summarize team performance clearly for leadership.
• Strong attention to detail and a track record of meeting deadlines in a high-volume transaction environment.

Preferred

• Prior experience managing SLAs or KPIs for an outsourced/offshore finance operations team.
• Familiarity with lockbox, ACH, and wire payment processing.
• Experience building or maintaining status trackers/dashboards for team performance reporting.

Circana Behaviors

Beyond technical skills, experience, and role-specific attributes, these shared behaviors are fundamental to our culture and success. We seek individuals who consistently demonstrate and champion these behaviors in their daily work:

• Stay Curious: Being hungry to learn and grow, always asking the big questions.
• Seek Clarity: Embracing complexity to create clarity and inspire action.
• Own the Outcome: Being accountable for decisions and taking ownership of our choices.
• Center on the Client: Relentlessly adding value for our customers.
• Be a Challenger: Never complacent, always striving for continuous improvement.
• Champion Inclusivity: Fostering trust in relationships engaging with empathy, respect, and integrity.
• Commit to each other: Contributing to making Circana a great place to work for everyone.

Location: This position can be located in the following area(s): Remote, US

The below range reflects the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, any collective bargaining agreements, and business or organizational needs. The salary range for this role is $70,000 - $80,000 USD.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.

An offer of employment may be conditional upon successful completion of a background check in accordance with local legislation and our candidate privacy notice. Your current employer will not be contacted without your permission.

You can apply for this role through the Circana careers website or Intranet site for internal candidates. This role is subject to AI-assisted screening. Circana uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assess resumes for alignment with job requirements by helping locate details in resumes that relate to the job description.

This position is expected to remain open for approximately 30 days and may close earlier if sufficient qualified candidates are identified.