Controller

W. R. Berkley Corporation; Westbrook (ME); On-site; USD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Acadia Insurance, a regional property casualty insurer and member of W.R. Berkley Corporation, seeks an experienced Controller to lead financial reporting and accounting operations.

You will oversee GAAP and statutory reporting, manage the general ledger, and prepare executive-level analyses. The role requires significant data mining, ERP experience, and collaboration with various stakeholders, including internal departments and the parent company.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 8–10 years of related experience.
• In-depth knowledge of insurance industry accounting and GL experience.
• CPA and/or CPCU is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and analyze the Company’s financial statements on GAAP and Statutory bases.
• Manage the General Ledger, posting entries and closing books monthly/quarterly.
• Aggregate data from multiple sources and develop meaningful analyses and reports.
• Present financial analyses and results to senior management and parent company.
• Oversee SOX narratives and internal controls; lead SOX testing and audits.
• Coordinate financial planning, audit processes, and external auditor relationships.

Skills

Financial reporting

Leadership

Communication

SOX compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree

CPA or CPCU preferred

Tools

Essbase

OBIEE

VENA Solutions

PeopleSoft

PowerBI

Job description

Company Details

Acadia Insurance is a regional property casualty insurer with offices throughout the Northeast. As a member of W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB), one of the largest property casualty insurance holding companies in the United States, our financial strength and integrity are two of the main reasons why Independent Agents place business with us. Acadia is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best, with an A+ claim paying ability rating by Standard & Poor’s.

At Acadia, we value our employees, our customers and our communities. Employees at Acadia are part of a progressive company where everyone can make a difference. We promote an inclusive environment which encourages continuous learning and the chance to grow and develop.

Company URL: https://www.acadiainsurance.com/

Responsibilities

The Controller is an experienced financial professional who provides insurance accounting technical expertise, strategic leadership and direction, and ensures the timely and accurate reporting of the monthly and quarterly financial statements and corresponding reports. The position oversees the financial operations of the company and manages the financial accounting and financial operations teams. The position requires direct General Ledger and ERP (enterprise resource planning) experience; significant skill in leveraging technology for financial analysis and reporting; a strong ability to mine and analyze data (from the company’s data warehouse and various source systems) and synthesize large quantities of data and make it useable and useful to a broad variety of audiences; and experience developing various levels of financial reports for different audiences (e.g., for internal departments, management teams, leadership teams, and for our parent-company). In addition to a high degree of accounting expertise, the Controller has the ability to engage in emerging technology and innovation initiatives and to work collaboratively across the organization and to successfully lead a team. The Controller should be comfortable preparing and presenting executive level presentations to a broad variety of audiences. The Controller supports the strategic vision of the CFO and of the Company’s leadership teams.

• Prepare and analyze the Company’s financial statements. These include quarterly and annual statements prepared and presented on a GAAP and Statutory basis.
• Manage the General ledger including posting GL entries, preparing the trial balance, reviewing and approving the journal entries of staff, and closing the books monthly and quarterly on a four-day schedule. Ensure timely and accurate monthly and quarterly financial statements.
• Aggregate data from various source systems (including the company’s data warehouse) and develop meaningful analysis and useful reports.
• Present financial analysis, findings, and results to a broad set of audiences.
• Prepare internal monthly management reports and analyze actual results to plan and vs year-over-year results.
• Assist in the preparation of the Company’s annual financial and operating plans.
• Verification of ledger data to source systems.
• Manage daily functions of the finance department, oversee all accounts receivable and cash receipts processes.
• Work in coordination with departments to write and update SOX narratives. Ensure appropriate internal controls are in place and are adhered to so as to ensure the integrity of financial information and the safeguarding of the Company’s assets.
• Direct quarterly SOX testing and auditing and recommend process improvements.
• Present process improvement recommendations and supporting analysis to senior staff.
• Establish and communicate the Company’s accounting and reporting policies and procedures.
• Determine the impact of new accounting developments on the Company, and develop and execute a plan to adopt new standards.
• Maintain the Company’s general ledger, assessing technology utilization in the financial processes and developing annual plans for developments on key application systems.
• Manage the external financial audit process with our independent auditor and work with our internal auditors. Assess audit issues, communicating appropriately with senior management, and resolve key recommendations.
• Direct staff including training, career development, performance objectives and evaluation, recruitment and staff retention.
• Liaise with parent company finance staff. Assist in coordination of strategic projects and provide suggestions for improvements in finance operations.
• Development of new products and initiatives including interfaces with Finance and the creation of financial models for use in evaluating potential new initiatives.
• Provide critical financial analyses to the CFO and management.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree (B. A.) from four-year college or university and eight to ten years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. In depth knowledge of insurance industry accounting and direct General ledger experience. A CPA and/or a CPCU is a plus.

• Minimum of 10 years of finance/accounting experience
• Minimum of 5 years of experience leading and engaging financial reporting & operations teams in fast-paced results driven organizations
• Preferred Work Experiences: minimum 2 years public accounting experience; Property & Casualty insurance industry experience
• Experience with the following technologies preferred: Essbase, OBIEE, VENA Solutions, PeopleSoft and PowerBI.
• Must demonstrate attention to detail in a fast-paced work environment and the ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously to drive results.
• Communicates effectively with teammates and others, leading meetings and interacting with increasingly higher levels of management to gather information and effectively present results and recommendations.
• Consistently demonstrate positive innovation behaviors that support new ideas to keep the department and company moving forward.
• Proactively demonstrate assessment of risks within internal controls, processes and financials, and demonstrates monitoring and risk assessment.

The Company is an equal employment opportunity employer.

Additional Company Details

The company offers a competitive compensation plan and robust benefits package for full time regular employees which for this role include: Base Salary Range: $130,000 – $150,000 We do not accept unsolicited resumes from third party recruiting agencies or firms.

Sponsorship Details

Sponsorship not Offered for this Role