Sr. Accounting Operations Analyst, Payment Operations

Education - It's in Our DNA

At Barnes & Noble Education ("BNED") we are dedicated to making tomorrow a better, more inclusive, and smarter world by servicing all who work in education. As a leading solutions provider for the education industry, we are committed to driving affordability, accessibility, and achievement at hundreds of academic institutions nationwide by ensuring millions of students are equipped for success in the classroom and beyond.

Together, our teams work to elevate lives through education.

To support this mission, we are seeking a Sr. Accounting Operations Analyst to provide analytical and operational oversight across key payment operations and recovery programs. This role focuses on exception-based activities that require strong analysis, cross-functional coordination, and effective financial controls. The analyst will oversee recurring and ad hoc reporting, KPI governance, reconciliations, variance analysis, and performance insights across rental recovery, bad debt collections, non-return fees, chargebacks, and other tender-related activities.

The role partners closely with Accounting, Financial Reporting, Sales Audit, and operational stakeholders, while coordinating with external collection agencies and service providers to ensure accurate financial tracking, receipt allocation, and month-end close support. The position will also help identify opportunities to strengthen controls, improve processes, and drive greater operational efficiency.

• Own the preparation, validation, and distribution of recurring and ad hoc reporting related to rental activity, recovery performance, payment processing, chargebacks, fees, and other tender-related activity; ensure reporting definitions and schedules are maintained and consistently applied.
• Perform reconciliation and variance analysis for payment operations-related balances and activity; partner with General Accounting and Financial Reporting to resolve discrepancies and support financial accuracy for month-end close and reporting.
• Support administration of the rental and collections lifecycle by monitoring rental activity and account status, ensuring accurate and timely transmission of records to and from external collection agencies, and maintaining appropriate documentation and controls.
• Coordinate with collection agencies and internal business partners to support recovery activity, resolution of outstanding accounts, and accurate application and allocation of receipts; support periodic performance reviews and action planning.
• Analyze non-return fees, chargebacks, and other exception-based activity to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities for operational improvement and control enhancement.
• Maintain and enhance chargeback reporting, analytics, and performance monitoring to support visibility into fraud trends, high-risk activity, recovery rates, and operational effectiveness; escalate emerging risks and recommended mitigations to leadership.
• Review and validate third-party invoices related to payment operations programs (e.g., agency fees and service providers) and support month-end close activities, including accrual preparation and reconciliation support.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis for payment operations-related programs and expenses; provide insights to inform planning and decision-making.
• Facilitate recurring business reviews with internal stakeholders and external partners focused on key metrics, operational trends, performance results, and action plans; document outcomes and follow-up actions.
• Lead or support initiatives focused on process improvement, reporting automation, operational controls, implementation and testing of new workflows or system enhancements; maintain process materials and KPI documentation.
• Additional responsibilities as required.

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in business analysis, financial operations, accounting operations, payment operations, or a related analytical role.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and work cross-functionally in a deadline-driven environment.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and strong technical aptitude; experience with reporting and analysis tools and databases (e.g., Access, SQL) preferred.
• Experience with financial and retail systems preferred (e.g., People Soft General Ledger and operational retail systems).
• Detail-oriented with strong financial and analytical aptitude; experience supporting reconciliations, reporting, variance analysis, KPI development, and operational decision-making.

Please Note:

This is a hybrid role requiring in-office attendance three (3) days per week at our Florham Park, NJ headquarters. Applicants must be within a commutable distance, as relocation assistance will not be provided.

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