Operations General Manager, Ledger Reconciliation

CNA Insurance; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 72,000 - 141,000; Full time

Job summary

CNA Insurance seeks a senior leader to manage the enterprise Ledger Reconciliation function for insurance receivables and related accounting, including Surety. You will drive the monthly close, balance validation, and audit support, while guiding process improvement and offshore partnerships.

The role requires strong GAAP knowledge, leadership, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to maintain financial integrity and control standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, or equivalent.
• Extensive experience in accounting, finance, financial operations, account reconciliation, ledger reconciliation, and close.
• People leadership experience with coaching and accountability for team results.
• Experience supporting financial close, audits, SOX/control processes, and automation preferred.
• Insurance industry experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversees enterprise general ledger reconciliations for insurance receivables and related accounting, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Leads the monthly financial close process, reviewing reconciliations and balances and ensuring proper sign-off.
• Acts as primary liaison for auditors; coordinates evidence and supports control walkthroughs.
• Approves journal entries with material impact, evaluating documentation and financial effects.
• Leads strategic BPO/offshore partnerships for ledger reconciliation activities and reporting.
• Drives continuous improvement using data, automation, and AI-enabled tools.

Skills

GAAP knowledge

Leadership

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance/business

Tools

Microsoft Office

Reconciliation software

Job description

You have a clear vision of where your career can go. And we have the leadership to help you get there. At CNA, we strive to create a culture in which people know they matter and are part of something important, ensuring the abilities of all employees are used to their fullest potential.

Manages the enterprise Ledger Reconciliation function for insurance receivables and related accounting, including Surety. The role leads operational execution, financial close governance, journal entry approval, audit support, BPO partnership strategy, control discipline, and continuous improvement across a high-volume and increasingly complex receivables environment.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Oversees enterprise general ledger reconciliations for insurance receivables and related accounting, including Surety, ensuring reconciliations are accurate, supported, completed timely, and aligned with corporate accounting and reconciliation policies.
• Leads the monthly financial close process for the Ledger Reconciliation function, including review of automated and manual reconciliations, validation of general ledger and sub-ledger balances, review of reconciling items, aging, comments, resolution ownership, and management sign-off in applicable systems.
• Serves as the primary Operations representative for the financial close committee during each monthly close period; advises on and makes decisions impacting Operations accounting processes, close deliverables, and issue resolution priorities.
• Acts as primary approver for journal entries in the general ledger that may have material impact to CNA financial statements; evaluates supporting documentation, financial impact, compliance considerations, and appropriate resolution path before approval.
• Manages complex reconciliation issues, out-of-balance conditions, timing differences, remediations, and escalations across insurance receivables, customer-level sub-ledger activity, TPA balances, deductible recoveries, invoices, payment activity, and related accounting processes.
• Provides leadership over a high-volume receivables environment with an enterprise receivable base that has grown significantly in recent years; establishes priorities, governance routines, and problem-solving discipline to support continued business growth with a flat headcount model.
• Develops and implements strategies that leverage data, automation, and AI-enabled tools to improve reconciliation processes, strengthen financial integrity, enhance reporting and decision-making, improve documentation, and reduce operational risk, backlog, and manual effort.
• Leads strategic use of BPO/offshore support for Ledger Reconciliation activities, including work intake, quality expectations, service delivery oversight, issue escalation, performance monitoring, and sustainable capacity planning.
• Builds strong partnerships with Finance, Financial Control, Audit, Claims, Processing, IT, Billing, Underwriting, Reinsurance, Payment Management, business partners, and other stakeholders to resolve complex issues and maintain accountability across end-to-end processes.
• Serves as a primary liaison to internal and external auditors for Insurance Receivables and related accounts; coordinates evidence, explains reconciliation processes, addresses inquiries, supports control walkthroughs, and ensures timely remediation of audit or control findings.
• Prepares, reviews, and distributes management reporting related to production, quality, close status, backlog, aged reconciling items, service levels, audit readiness, BPO performance, and process health; uses metrics, technology, and information analysis to make decisions and influence priorities.
• Maintains a strong control environment by identifying compliance, SOX, accounting, tax, system, policy, and operational risks; partners with appropriate internal resources to resolve issues and reinforce standard practices.
• Leads and supports Billing & Collections projects by providing subject matter expertise, requirements, testing, change management input, process design guidance, and deployment support for tools, automation, reconciliation workflows, and reporting enhancements.
• Assigns, distributes, and coordinates work across the team and with partner teams to ensure consistent, efficient, and timely service delivery; validates staffing levels, anticipates workforce demand, manages overtime considerations, and supports annual budget input as needed.
• Oversees recruitment, onboarding, performance management, training, development, coaching, and motivation of subordinate staff in alignment with corporate strategic direction; sets appropriate stretch goals aligned with CNA strategy, customer commitment, financial discipline, and operational excellence.
• Generates and implements approved improvement ideas across teams; promotes continuous improvement, appropriate risk-taking, experimentation, and cross-functional collaboration to increase responsiveness and raise the quality of work.
• May perform additional duties as assigned.

Reporting Relationship

• Typically reports to Director or above.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Strong knowledge of corporate accounting, finance, insurance receivables, financial close, account reconciliation practices, GAAP and statutory accounting principles, and related operational controls.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex operational processes with financial statement, audit, compliance, customer, and business partner impact.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and talent development skills with the ability to attract, manage, develop, motivate, and retain talent needed to win.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with ability to prioritize multiple projects, resolve complex issues, and make sound decisions under close deadlines.
• Ability to exercise professional judgment and assume responsibility for decisions impacting people, costs, compliance, financial integrity, quality of service, and operational outcomes.
• Strong customer focus and continuous improvement mindset; value driven to provide superior solutions to internal and/or external customers and business partners.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with ability to convey accounting, reconciliation, system, audit, and operational issues in a clear, concise, and effective manner.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills with ability to influence across organizational boundaries and collaborate effectively with senior leaders, cross-functional partners, auditors, technology teams, and offshore partners.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office suite and business-related software systems; ability to use metrics, reporting tools, reconciliation technology, and information analysis to drive decisions.
• Acts with urgency to advance organizational priorities, thinks creatively, uses diverse ideas to solve problems, and focuses on objectives to set direction and drive superior results.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, or equivalent work experience; completion of applicable insurance, accounting, finance, or leadership coursework preferred.
• Extensive experience in accounting, finance, financial operations, account reconciliation, ledger reconciliation, receivables, financial close, audit support, or related operational leadership environment.
• People leadership experience, including coaching, performance management, development, workload management, and accountability for team results.
• Experience supporting financial close, internal/external audit requests, SOX or control processes, reconciliation systems, process improvement, automation, reporting, or BPO/offshore partnerships preferred.
• Insurance industry experience preferred.

In certain jurisdictions, CNA is legally required to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. In District of Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Washington, the national base pay range for this job level is $72,000 to $141,000 annually. Salary determinations are based on various factors, including but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and location. CNA offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to help our employees – and their family members – achieve their physical, financial, emotional and social wellbeing goals. For a detailed look at CNA’s benefits, please visit cnabenefits.com.

CNA utilizes AI-enabled technology during the recruiting process. For more information, please visit our careers page.

CNA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the recruitment process. To request an accommodation, please contact [e-mail]