Accountant, Consultant

Blue Shield of CA; Oakland (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Shield of California seeks an Accountant Consultant who will partner with the Accounting Manager to lead day-to-day accounting and reporting activities. You will resolve complex technical issues, review guidance, and oversee the team to ensure high-quality close, reporting, and disclosure work.

You will coach staff, strengthen controls, and support continuous improvement across the function with strong accounting judgment and independence.

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics or a related field.
• Requires at least 8 years of accounting or public accounting experience.
• Comprehensive and current understanding of U.S. GAAP with ability to apply judgement.
• Ability to prepare financial statements and disclosures, audit-ready documentation.
• CPA license or public accounting experience preferred; Oracle or Workday experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day accounting and reporting activities with strong ownership.
• Resolve complex technical accounting matters and provide guidance to the team.
• Document conclusions and communicate recommendations to leadership, auditors and partners.
• Coach team members and support continuous improvement across the accounting function.
• Assist close, reporting, audit and accounting policy activities with independence.

Skills

U.S. GAAP knowledge

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics or related field

Tools

Oracle ERP

Workday ERP

Job description

Your Role

The Corporate Financial Accounting and Reporting team is responsible for the accurate recording, analysis, and reporting of financial information for Blue Shield of California. The Accountant Consultant will report to the Accounting Manager and serve as a trusted extension of the manager, helping translate priorities into execution, lead day-to-day accounting and reporting activities, resolve complex technical accounting matters, and provide review, guidance, and oversight to the team. This role carries expanded responsibilities and requires strong technical accounting expertise, sound judgment, and the ability to operate with greater independence than a Senior Accountant role.

In this role, you will operate with a high degree of ownership and accountability, partnering with the Accounting Manager to manage priorities, identify and elevate risks, coordinate deliverables, and ensure high-quality execution across close, reporting, audit, and accounting policy activities. You will use strong analytical and problem-solving skills to evaluate complex accounting issues, apply accounting standards to facts and circumstances, document conclusions, and communicate recommendations to leadership, auditors, and business partners. You will also help strengthen processes and controls, coach team members, and support continuous improvement across the accounting function.

Our leadership model is about developing great leaders at all levels and creating opportunities for our people to grow - personally, professionally, and financially. We are looking for leaders that are energized by creative and critical thinking, building and sustaining high-performing teams, getting results the right way, and fostering continuous learning.

Your Knowledge and Experience

• Requires a bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics or a related field


• Requires at least 8 years of experience in accounting or public accounting


• Requires comprehensive and current understanding of U.S. GAAP, including the ability to interpret authoritative guidance and apply judgment to complex or non-routine accounting matters


• Demonstrated ability to research and apply accounting standards to specific facts and circumstances and document the analysis, alternatives considered, rationale, and conclusion in a clear, concise, and well-supported accounting memorandum


• Ability to support the preparation of financial statements, including gathering support, coordinating inputs, reviewing schedules, and drafting audited financial statement disclosures that are accurate, complete, and aligned with applicable accounting standard requirements


• Possesses excellent collaboration and oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical accounting matters clearly to leadership, auditors, and cross-functional business partners


• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to prepare and review documentation that is accurate, complete, well-supported, and audit-ready


• Ability to prioritize work to meet internal and external deadlines


• Experience supporting audits, financial statement preparation, disclosure drafting, controls, or accounting policy implementation preferred


• CPA license or public accounting experience preferred


• Oracle or Workday ERP experience preferred

Hybrid

This role requires employees to be in-office based on our hybrid workplace model, balancing purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility. For most teams, this means coming into the office two days each week. Employees living more than 50 miles from an office location will work with their manager to determine in-office time based on business need.