Chief Accountant - M&O

Illinois Tollway; Downers Grove (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Illinois Tollway is seeking a Chief Accountant - M&O to lead the accounting for its Maintenance & Operations funds. This leadership position reports to the Controller and supervises five accounting staff, requiring strong GAAP expertise and collaboration with auditors and state offices.

You will ensure accurate monthly closes, prepare GAAP financial statements, and drive process improvements while maintaining GASB compliance, reporting, and financial integrity for Tollway operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance or 3 years of GAAP accounting experience.
• 3 years’ experience preparing GAAP-based financial statements.
• Excellent proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and Outlook.
• Three (3) years’ experience supervising professional accounting staff.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Prepare monthly and annual financial statements and quarterly reports required by the Tollway and State authorities.
• Direct General Accounting staff to ensure continuous, smooth processing of transactions and back‑ups.
• Review and approve journal entries and bank reconciliations with supporting workpapers.
• Assist auditors with information requests and respond to inquiries.
• Reconcile monthly and quarterly state reports for accuracy and GAAP compliance.
• Review new accounting processes for accuracy and productivity and adjust as needed.
• Ensure accounting records are maintained in GAAP and GAAP-based reporting.
• Evaluate business processes to improve efficiency and close time.
• Other duties and projects as assigned.

Skills

GAAP accounting

Financial statement preparation

Staff supervision

Interpersonal & communication

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Access

Outlook

Job description

The Illinois Tollway is dedicated to providing and promoting a safe and efficient system of highways while ensuring the highest possible level of service to our customers. Whether it's I-PASS, the Move Illinois Program, Bridging the Future, Driving Connections or keeping you safe with our H.E.L.P. trucks, we are committed to delivering great benefits and services to customers.

The Tollway is a user-fee system – no state or federal tax dollars are used to support maintenance and operations. Operations are funded by toll and concession revenues.

Under the leadership of the Board of Directors and Executive Staff, the Tollway is committed to achieving the following goals: increase collaboration with regional transportation and planning agencies, promote the regional economy, maintain financial integrity, foster environmental responsibility and sustainability, maintain the safety and efficiency of the Tollway system, further transparency and accountability, enhance customer service, and maintain public trust.

In support of this vision, the Chief Accountant M&O IS responsible for the timeliness and accuracy of all accounting in the Tollway's Maintenance & Operations (M&O) funds, an adequate system of internal control over all relevant accounting and processes, accuracy in and internal control over all treasury processes, supervise, mentor and develop staff to improve business processes and increase efficiency, with D&C fund peer, perform timely general ledger closes including the posting of journal entries and approval of reconciliations and/or work papers, along with D&C fund peer, oversee preparation of annual audited GAAP financial statements including compliance schedules and sections of the CAFR, respond and satisfy all internal and external auditor requests for information relating to his/her respective funds, and work with other departments to obtain necessary information required to complete statements and related schedules.

Essential Job Functions

This position reports to the Controller and works closely with the peer Chief Accountant - Debt & Capital, the Financial Reporting Manager, the Fiscal Operations Manager, Account Payable Managers, and Payroll Managers with regular interaction with the Budget and IT Departments to ensure the accuracy of accounting information and reporting of annual operating expenses. Five subordinates report to the Chief Accountant, three Senior Accountants and two Accountants. Frequent communication with the State Treasurer's Office, the State Comptroller's Office and various banks to obtain information necessary to complete required reports and statements including the State GAAP package, Fee imposition

The Chief Accountant - M&O must maintain a current understanding of the Comptroller's Statewide Accounting Management System (SAMS) and how it impacts the Tollway's reporting to the State.

The Chief Accountant - M&O works with staff and upper management to develop necessary processes and analyses to meet every changing GAAP requirements. This includes researching GASB pronouncements and understanding how they should be implemented in the Tollway's financial reporting process and developing processes for obtaining, recording and analyzing the necessary information from the Tollway's systems. Quality, accuracy and productivity are essential to ensure the integrity, accuracy and consistency of financial statement reporting.

Additional responsibilities include:

• With Chief Accountant peer, prepares monthly and annual financial statements and quarterly trust indenture-based reports required by the Tollway and the State of Illinois to account for the financial transactions of the organization.
• Directs General Accounting staff to provide for continuous, smooth processing of transactions. Allocates work, trains staff, ensures functional back‑up is in place, takes personnel actions as required.
• Reviews and approves journal entries assigned GL funds. Requires and approves bank reconciliations and detailed workpapers for each assigned account in assigned funds.
• Assists auditors with their requests.
• Reconciles monthly and quarterly state‑required reports for accuracy.
• Reviews new accounting processes to ensure accuracy in reporting as well as maximum productivity.
• Ensures accounting records are maintained in accordance with GAAP.
• Evaluates business processes to improve efficiency, productivity, and monthly time to close.
• Other duties and projects assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance is required or three (3) years’ experience in an organization with at least $50 million in revenue as the accountant responsible for the timely monthly closing process in GAAP accounting environment.
• Three (3) years’ experience in preparing GAAP basis financial statements is required.
• Excellent proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and Outlook is required.
• Three (3) years’ experience supervising professional accounting staff, including work allocation, training, problem resolution, performance evaluation, and staff motivation.
• Excellent interpersonal skills are required.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills are required.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail are required.

The Illinois Tollway is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin or ancestry, disability, unfavorable discharge from military services, age, order of protection status, military status, sex or sexual orientation.

All stated experience for each question listed within the Supplemental Question Section will need to be reflected in the "Work Experience" section of your application or in your resume. Failure to do so, or overstating experience, will result in receiving no credit for your answer, and may result in your disqualification from consideration.