Accounting Manager

LightPath Technologies Inc.; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

LightPath Technologies Inc. is seeking an Accounting Manager to lead day-to-day accounting operations for a manufacturing environment.

This hands-on role oversees Staff Accountants, owns the monthly close, and partners with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Finance on inventory, manufacturing costs, and internal controls. You will develop the team, standardize procedures, and drive process improvements, ERP initiatives, and accurate financial reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of accounting experience, including manufacturing.
• At least 2 years of supervisory or team-lead experience.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP, month-end close, reconciliations, and internal controls.
• Ability to work onsite and provide support during month-end, audits, inventories, and major systems activities.
• Experience with inventory and manufacturing cost accounting, including standard costing and variance analysis.
• Experience with ERP and financial-reporting systems; advanced Excel proficiency.
• Ability to analyze complex information and communicate with financial and non-financial stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes with schedules, journal entries, reconciliations, accruals, allocations, and management review.
• Review work prepared by Staff Accountants for accuracy and policy compliance.
• Maintain the general ledger and chart of accounts; ensure proper period and entity recording.
• Prepare balance-sheet reconciliations, income-statement analysis, and financial reporting schedules.
• Support consolidation and intercompany accounting when applicable.
• Coordinate accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, prepaids, cash, and other accounting activities.
• Ensure accounting records and supporting documentation are accurate and retained per requirements.
• Assist with SOX documentation, testing, remediation, and control-owner responsibilities if applicable.
• Partner with tax and finance on sales/use tax, property tax, income tax provisions, and transfer-pricing support.

Job description

The Accounting Manager leads day-to-day accounting operations for a manufacturing organization and ensures accurate, timely, and compliant financial reporting. The position manages and develops the Staff Accountants, owns key elements of the monthly close, and partners with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Finance on inventory, manufacturing costs, internal controls, budgeting, and business performance. This is a hands-on role that combines technical accounting expertise with process improvement and team development.

Responsibilities:

Accounting Operations and Financial Close

• Lead the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process, including close schedules, journal entries, account reconciliations, accruals, allocations, and management review.
• Review work prepared by Staff Accountants for accuracy, completeness, appropriate support, and compliance with company policy and U.S. GAAP.
• Maintain the general ledger and chart of accounts and ensure transactions are recorded in the proper period, entity, department, and account.
• Prepare and review balance-sheet reconciliations, income-statement analysis, flux explanations, and financial reporting schedules.
• Support consolidation and intercompany accounting, including reconciliations, eliminations, and settlement activity, when applicable.
• Coordinate accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, prepaid expenses, cash, and other assigned accounting activities.
• Ensure accounting records and supporting documentation are accurate, complete, organized, and retained in accordance with company requirements.

Manufacturing and Cost Accounting

• Support the annual physical inventory and cycle-count program, including planning, controls, observation, reconciliation, and corrective actions.
• Review capital expenditures, fixed-asset additions, depreciation, construction-in-progress balances, and aseet disposals.
• Analyze manufacturing performance and provide clear explanations of cost, yield, labor, overhead, productivity and gross-margin results.

Financial Reporting, Planning, and Analysis

• Prepare recurring financial reports and provide timely, decision-useful analysis to Finance and operational leaders.
• Support annual budgets, periodic forecasts, cash-flow planning, and departmental expense reviews.
• Compare actual results to budget, forecast, and prior periods; investigate significant variances and communicate findings.
• Develop and monitor accounting and manufacturing-finance metrics, dashboards, and key performance indicators.

Internal Controls, Compliance, and Audit

• Maintain and improve internal controls over financial reporting, including appropriate review, approval, segregation-of-duties, and system-access controls.
• Ensure compliance with U.S. GAAP, company policies, applicable tax requirements, and regulatory reporting obligations.
• Support external and internal audits by preparing schedules, responding to requests, coordinating evidence, and resolving findings.
• Assist with SOX documentation, testing, remediation, and control-owner responsibilities if the company is publicly traded or otherwise subject to SOX requirements.
• Coordinate with tax and finance partners on sales and use tax, property tax, income-tax provisions, transfer-pricing support, and other required filings.

Leadership and Process Improvement

• Supervise, coach, and develop Staff Accountants; establish priorities, assign work, provide feedback, and evaluate performance.
• Crosstrain team members and maintain effective backup coverage for critical accounting responsibilities.
• Standardize accounting procedures, strengthen documentation, and identify opportunities to shorten the close and improve accuracy and efficiency.
• Lead or support ERP implementations, system upgrades, automation, reporting enhancements, and accounting integration activities.
• Partner cross-functionally to resolve accounting issues and promote financial accountability throughout the organization.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• At least five years of progressively responsible accounting experience, including experience in a manufacturing environment.
• At least two years of supervisory, team-lead, or substantive review experience.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP, month-end close, account reconciliations, accruals, financial reporting, and internal controls.
• Ability to work onsite as required and provide additional support during month-end, quarter-end, year-end, audits, physical inventories, and major systems activities.
• Working knowledge of inventory and manufacturing cost accounting, including standard costing and variance analysis.
• Experience with ERP and financial-reporting systems and advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex information, resolve discrepancies, meet deadlines, and communicate effectively with financial and nonfinancial stakeholders.
• High degree of accuracy, professional judgment, confidentiality, integrity, and attention to detail.
• Must be authorized to work and reside in the US and must be eligible for any required authorizations from the U.S. Government to confirm with, but not limited to, U.S. export control regulations (ITAR).