Accounting Director

Connect Search, LLC; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Connect Search, LLC is seeking a North American Director of Accounting for a global industrial equipment and technology manufacturer. This strategic leader will oversee accounting operations across North America, collaborating with global counterparts to standardize processes and drive efficiencies.

The role ensures GAAP reporting integrity, regulatory compliance, timely closes, and implements best practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.
• CPA or equivalent certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of ~20 accounting managers, supervisors, seniors, and staff across sites.
• Ensure timely and accurate close and financial reporting.
• Manage consolidation system submissions and ensure accuracy of ledgers.
• Oversee accounting for revenue contracts across North America including new equipment, aftermarket, and leases.
• Drive SOX compliance and implement key controls across GL and related processes.
• Lead integration of legacy acquisitions into the CoE model and define SSC roles.
• Drive standardization and automation of accounting processes across NA entities.

Skills

US GAAP

SOX compliance

Leadership

Analytics

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

CPA preferred

Tools

ERP systems

Accounting software

Job description

The North American Director of Accounting is a critical leader at a global industrial equipment and technology manufacturer. This is a strategic leadership role responsible for overseeing and optimizing the company’s accounting operations across the North American locations, and in collaboration with their global counterparts to drive global standardization and synergies. This position will ensure the integrity of financial reporting, compliance with regulatory standards, the timely submission of results and balances for each close period, and the implementation of best practices in accounting processes. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in accounting, including revenue recognition standards (ASC 606), strong leadership skills, and a proven track record of driving operational excellence and innovation within a multinational corporation.

Responsibilitie

• pLead, mentor, and develop a team of approximately 20 Accounting managers, supervisors/seniors and accountants, across multiple sites and locations, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture
• .Develop and mentor team members, providing opportunities for growth and professional development
• .Conduct performance evaluations, set goals, and provide ongoing feedback and coaching
• .Plan and manage team workload to ensure timely and accurate completion of tasks
• .Identify training needs and create development plans for team members
• .Facilitate knowledge sharing and cross-training within the team
• .Collaborate with other CoE leadership to drive standardization and process enhancements across the organization

.Close Effectivene

• ssPerform regular balance sheet reviews of the NA entity ledgers to ensure compliance with US GAAP and company standards, review aged items, identify potential errors, and to understand trends and variances by ent
• y.Manage the consolidation system submission process, ensuring completeness and accuracy of the ledgers within the consolidation system as well as the supplementary informatio
• n.Ensure the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of financial reporting for the consolidation system and GL/ERPs for all North American entitie
• s.Manage the accounting for all revenue contracts across the North American entities – including new equipment, aftermarket and lease
• s.Implement and maintain standard processes for evaluating contracts (contract management, revenue recognition accounting assessment
• ).Oversee accuracy and timeliness of journal entries and relevant account reconciliations for customer related balances within the revenue accounting proces
• s.Lead the integration of legacy acquired organizations and their affiliated business units. This includes building the Accounting CoE teams within each organization, overseeing the transition into this model working directly with the BU’s to carve out what is BU finance vs. CoE vs. SSC. Within the team moving to CoE, defining which roles have SSC duties and collaborate with the Global SSC lead on defining the strategy and plan for this piece of the transition and integratio
• n.Lead the SOX implementation for the newly acquired NA sites, ensuring sufficient efforts to perform the gap assessment are performed across the team, as well as be responsible for ensuring the identified gaps are remediated. This includes overseeing the implementation of key controls across the GL within these entities (financial reporting, revenue recognition, COGS/inventory, SG&A, payroll, etc.), and implementing best practices and tools (e.g., account reconciliation software and standardized JE processes) across these site
• s.Ensure compliance with all relevant accounting standards, regulations, and internal policie
• s.Work with SOX team to ensure compliance across accounting processes and financial record
• s.Identify, assess, and mitigate financial risks within the organizatio
• n.Support BU finance teams with compliance checklist (consolidates results and checks work to ensure compliance steps are being taken

).Process Improvement & Strat

• egyPartner with cross-functional teams to support strategic financial planning and analys
• is.Provide insights and recommendations to senior leadership on financial performance and opportunities for improveme
• nt.Lead special projects and initiatives related to accounting and finan
• ce.Oversee the implementation of best practices in accounting processes, policies, and procedures within the North American entiti
• es.Drive the standardization and automation of accounting processes to enhance efficiency and reduce erro

rs.Qualificat

ionsEduca

• tionBachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field requi
• red.CPA or equivalent certification prefer

red.Experi

• enceMinimum of 12 years of progressive accounting experience, with at least 7 years in a managerial r

ole.Sk

• illsStrong knowledge of US GAAP and financial reporting standa
• rds.Proficiency in accounting software and major ERP syst
• ems.Strong experience ensuring Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) compliance requi
• red.Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational ski
• lls.Exceptional communication and interpersonal ski
• lls.Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environm
• ent.Strong change management skills and ability to lead and drive cha
• nge.Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and PowerPo