Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Avalara is hiring a Commissions Accountant Lead to ensure accurate accounting for sales and partner commissions under ASC 606. The role reviews commission agreements, supports controls and financial reporting, and builds automated and AI-enabled processes to improve accuracy and efficiency.
Responsibilities
- Perform detailed, accurate accounting for commission accruals, expense, capitalization, and amortization under ASC 606, maintaining schedules across products and contract types
- Review and evaluate complex sales and partner agreements to determine proper accounting treatment and identify the correct cost classification consistent with GAAP
- Identify manual or error-prone processes, develop and implement automated workflows and AI-enabled tools to support agreement review, anomaly detection, reconciliation, and data quality monitoring
- Prepare and review account reconciliations for commission-related balance sheet and P&L accounts, investigating variances, unusual trends, and outliers
- Support the design, execution, and documentation of SOX-compliant controls over commission accounting
- Prepare journal entries, supporting schedules, and documentation to support quarterly audits, technical memos, and financial reporting requirements
- Partner with Legal, Financial Operations, Revenue Operations, Partner Operations, Global Analytics, and IT to understand deal structures and implement system improvements
- Be a detail-level technical resource on commission accounting questions and help evaluate new or amended commission plans before launch
Skills
- 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, with meaningful exposure to commission accounting and/or ASC 606 cost capitalization
- Working knowledge of ASC 606, including incremental costs of obtaining a contract, and experience identifying and classifying costs following GAAP
- Experience in a SaaS or subscription-based business, with comfort working through complex, non-standard agreements
- Hands-on experience designing and building automation—not just using existing pre-built tools—with experience redesigning inefficient processes to measurably improve accuracy and cycle time
- An AI bar-raising mindset with demonstrated proficiency using AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot) to support accounting analysis, agreement review, or process automation, with specific examples of impact
- Proficiency with ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Workday) and advanced Excel skills
- You have experience explaining technical accounting conclusions to non-accounting partners
- You'll bring experience using AI and AI-related technologies, ready to thrive here
Benefits
- Paid time off
- Paid parental leave
- Many Avalara employees are eligible for bonuses.
- Benefits vary by location but generally include private medical, life, and disability insurance.
- A total of 8 employee-run resource groups, each with senior leadership and exec sponsorship.
- This is a remote position in the United States.
Company Overview
Company H1B Sponsorship