Summary
The Chief Accounting Officer (CAO) will be a key member of the finance team, reporting to the CFO and assuming a vital role in the management of the company. The CAO will be responsible for leading the company’s day-to-day accounting and reporting responsibilities. Primary responsibilities include maintaining accurate financial records, completing company consolidations, leading financial operations, and preparing financial reports. Additionally, the role will strengthen financial controls and implement improvements in accounting processes and policies. The CAO will supervise a team and be responsible for leading and developing accounting staff.
Duties and Responsibilities
Strategy, Planning and Management
- Lead in the planning and execution of accounting policy and process improvement efforts
- Support in the identification and implementation of financial systems and tools to improve and/or automate processes to drive more efficient finance operations
- Support business decision making by determining the financial impacts
- Collaborate with business stakeholders and other finance functions in business planning and forecasting activities
- Develop and monitor KPIs aligned with the company’s overall strategic initiatives
Accounting and Reporting
- Oversee and optimize processes to drive an effective, efficient and timely financial close
- Review and ensure appropriate internal controls and financial procedures are in place
- Lead in the preparation and communication of periodic financial reporting
- Review month-end close activities including general ledger accounts, account reconciliations and corporate allocations
- Ensure conformity with professional accounting standards and best practices aligned with GAAP
- Provide leadership to the accounting function to enable increased levels of employee job satisfaction and employee engagement
Financial Operations
- Oversee transactional processing including Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and General Accounting
- Benchmark and measure performance against best practices to drive continuous improvement
- Maintain relationships with vendors and ensure compliance with supplier agreements
Qualifications & Requirements
- 10+ years of controllership and/or senior accounting experience, prior experience as a CAO preferred
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in accounting or finance
- CPA certification
- Financial Services, Wealth Management, and/or Manufacturing experience preferred
- Previous experience working with offshore teams preferred (e.g., Payroll, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, etc.)
- Excellent technical accounting skills including a thorough knowledge of GAAP
- Tech-minded agent of change with a record of optimizing manual processes, driving efficiencies and deploying automation
- Demonstrated timely decision-making and communications on complex accounting issues
- Ability to analyze financial data and prepare financial reports, statements, and projections in accordance with GAAP
- Demonstrated ability to work as a business partner to a company’s leadership team and across the company to improve business processes and decision-making
- Ability to manage and lead the audit process and the external auditor relationship
- Knowledge of federal and state financial regulations