Senior Manager, Technical Accounting POST NUMBER: 309609
Position Overview
We are seeking a hands-on technical accounting leader to support complex accounting matters across a large, evolving corporate environment. This individual will serve as a key U.S. GAAP resource, researching technical issues, documenting accounting conclusions, strengthening processes, and partnering with internal stakeholders and external auditors.
The role requires someone who can operate at both a strategic and tactical level. The Senior Manager will provide technical guidance while also stepping into the details when accounting processes, system challenges, or organizational changes require additional support. The ideal candidate is proactive, comfortable working through ambiguity, and willing to take ownership of issues from initial research through implementation.
Experience with employee benefits, payroll, pension, other post-employment benefits, debt, incentive compensation, or insurance arrangements would be valuable, but deep expertise in each area is not required.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Accounting and U.S. GAAP
- Serve as a technical accounting resource for complex and judgmental accounting matters
- Research U.S. GAAP guidance and evaluate the accounting impact of new transactions, programs, and organizational changes
- Prepare clear, well-supported technical accounting memoranda
- Develop practical accounting positions that align with applicable guidance and the company’s operational environment
- Advise accounting and business partners on appropriate accounting treatment and financial reporting implications
- Monitor new accounting standards and support implementation as needed
Accounting Ownership and Execution
- Take ownership of complex accounting issues and drive them through resolution
- Provide hands-on support when accounting processes or system limitations create operational challenges
- Review journal entries, account reconciliations, estimates, and supporting schedules for assigned accounting areas
- Support monthly, quarterly, and annual close activities
- Evaluate account activity, investigate unusual items, and explain significant financial results
- Help establish sustainable accounting processes where responsibilities, documentation, or controls require improvement
Specialized Accounting Areas
- Support accounting for employee-related and other complex programs, which may include:
- Payroll and incentive compensation
- Pension and retirement plans
- Other post-employment benefits
- Healthcare and employee benefit programs
- Long-term incentive plans
- Debt arrangements
- Insurance and captive insurance programs
- Review information provided by third-party administrators, actuaries, consultants, and plan advisors
- Translate third-party calculations into accurate accounting entries and financial statement support
Audit and External Advisor Partnership
- Partner effectively with external auditors on complex accounting matters and significant estimates
- Coordinate with third-party specialists and advisors to obtain necessary calculations and supporting information
- Prepare audit-ready documentation and clearly communicate the rationale behind accounting conclusions
- Respond to auditor questions and manage technical accounting matters through resolution
Systems, Processes, and Controls
- Evaluate the accounting impact of system implementations, integrations, and data-flow issues
- Partner with HR, Payroll, Finance, Treasury, and other teams to resolve accounting and reporting challenges
- Strengthen reconciliations, documentation, and internal controls for complex or higher-risk accounting areas
- Support SOX compliance and ensure controls are appropriately designed and documented
- Identify opportunities to improve accuracy, accountability, and efficiency
- Help develop scalable processes that can support future organizational changes
Leadership and Business Partnership
- Act as a trusted accounting partner to Finance, HR, Payroll, Treasury, and other business functions
- Provide technical guidance and coaching to accounting team members
- Bring energy, urgency, and accountability to projects and unresolved accounting matters
- Work independently while communicating risks, decisions, and recommended actions clearly
- Balance technical precision with practical business considerations
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
- Approximately 7 years of progressive accounting or financial reporting experience
- Strong technical knowledge of U.S. GAAP
- Demonstrated ability to research complex accounting matters and prepare technical accounting memoranda
- Experience working in a large, complex, or publicly traded company environment
- Strong understanding of financial reporting, general ledger accounting, and the close process
- Experience with SOX compliance, internal controls, and external audit support
- Ability to work through complex accounting issues with limited direction
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and cross-functional communication skills
- Willingness to operate as a hands-on individual contributor while providing leadership and technical direction
Preferred
- CPA
- Public accounting experience
- Senior Manager-level experience within technical accounting, corporate accounting, or financial reporting
- Experience with payroll or employee benefits accounting
- Exposure to pension plans, OPEB, incentive compensation, debt, derivatives, insurance captives, or long-term incentive plans
- Experience interpreting calculations prepared by actuaries, plan administrators, or other third-party advisors
- Experience partnering with a large external audit firm
- Experience supporting an ERP, payroll, or HR system implementation
- Familiarity with Oracle HCM, SAP, or another large enterprise system
Ideal Candidate Profile
The strongest candidate will be a technical accounting leader with broad U.S. GAAP expertise, rather than someone whose background is limited to processing payroll or benefits transactions.
This individual should be able to:
- Independently research an accounting issue and develop a defensible conclusion
- Draft a clear technical accounting memo
- Work effectively with external auditors and third-party specialists
- Understand complex calculations and translate them into appropriate accounting entries
- Step into operational details when a process or system is not working properly
- Bring structure and accountability to areas that lack clear ownership
- Partner effectively with HR, Payroll, Treasury, Finance, and other non-accounting teams
- Learn specialized accounting areas such as pension, OPEB, payroll, or benefits when provided with the underlying data and technical resources
- Take initiative and move issues forward without waiting for detailed direction
Why Consider the Opportunity?
- High-visibility role with meaningful ownership of complex accounting matters
- Broad exposure beyond a single accounting specialty
- Opportunity to work across technical accounting, financial reporting, controls, systems, and process improvement
- Direct interaction with senior finance leaders, external auditors, and specialized advisors
- Ability to shape accounting processes during a period of organizational and operational change
- Opportunity to provide technical leadership while remaining close to the actual work
By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions.
EEO Notice
Vaco by Highspring is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by federal, state or local law.
Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact HR@vaco.com.
Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.
Representation Notice
By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. You also agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.
For residents of Ontario, Canada: Based on Highspring’s discussions with its Client, Highspring’s understanding is that this position for employment is a current vacancy (either through Highspring as a contractor or with the client directly).
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- California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
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Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring’s use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client’s use of AI products in hiring.
Pay Transparency Notice
Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:
- the individual’s skill sets, experience and training;
- licensure and certification requirements;
- office location and other geographic considerations;
- other business and organizational needs.
With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.