Senior Accountant

Avant, LLC; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Avant, LLC is seeking a Senior Accountant to own complex operational accounting processes end to end and drive automation across reconciliations, exception review, and variance analysis. You will serve as the go-to expert for your areas, collaborating with Finance, IT and business partners to strengthen internal controls and data accuracy.

The role emphasizes SOX control development, process documentation, and mentoring junior staff, with opportunities to participate in system implementations

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance is required or strongly preferred.
• 4-7 years of progressive accounting experience, with ownership of complex accounting processes and month-end close.
• Public accounting, FinTech, lending, financial services, or high-growth company experience is preferred.
• Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP and financial reporting requirements.
• Ability to independently analyze accounting issues and implement solutions.

Responsibilities

• Own complex operational accounting processes and month-end close activities with journal entries, reconciliations, and variance analysis.
• Serve as SME for assigned areas, understanding end-to-end processes and data flows across systems.
• Identify and resolve accounting issues, exceptions, and control gaps in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Support SOX process documentation, control testing, evidence retention, and remediation activities.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration to improve data quality, ownership clarity, and process efficiency.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance

Tools

NetSuite

FloQast

Workiva (Wdesk)

Job description

Behind every loan, card, and transaction at Avant is an accounting team dedicated to accuracy, supporting millions of middle-income Americans in accessing credit. We're looking for a Senior Accountant who wants to do more than close the books. You'll own complex operational accounting processes end to end, become the go-to expert for the areas you run, and lead the push to automate the manual work that slows accounting down, bringing AI and emerging technology into reconciliations, exception review, and variance analysis with the controls and auditability to back it up. If you're the kind of accountant who spots the broken process before it becomes an audit finding and would rather rebuild it than work around it, you'll fit here.

What you'll do at Avant:

Own complex operational accounting processes and month-end close activities, including preparation and review of journal entries, account reconciliations, variance analysis, and supporting documentation, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely execution

Serve as the subject matter expert for assigned operational accounting areas, developing a strong understanding of end-to-end processes, systems, data flows, and upstream and downstream dependencies.

Identify, investigate, and resolve accounting issues, unusual transactions, reconciliation differences, control exceptions, and process breakdowns, partnering with relevant stakeholders to drive timely and sustainable resolution.

Support the continued development and execution of the company's SOX control environment, including process documentation, control execution, evidence retention, testing support, and remediation activities.

Partner with Accounting, Finance, IT, and business stakeholders to strengthen internal controls over financial processes and embed effective, scalable controls into evolving workflows and systems.

Lead cross-functional collaboration with business partners to improve data quality, clarify process ownership, resolve operational issues, and strengthen the accuracy and reliability of accounting processes.

Drive continuous improvement across accounting workflows by identifying opportunities for automation, standardization, simplification and operational efficiency, with a focus on reducing manual effort and increasing scalability.

Identify and implement appropriate uses of AI and emerging technologies within accounting workflows, including reconciliations, transaction review, exception identification, variance analysis, and other repetitive or data-intensive activities.

Partner with Finance Systems, IT, and other stakeholders to ensure new systems, automation, and AI-enabled processes incorporate appropriate controls, governance, validation, and auditability by design.

Develop and maintain accounting process documentation, standard operating procedures, desktop procedures, and control documentation to promote consistency, knowledge transfer, and operational resilience.

Review and approve selected journal entries, reconciliations, controls and workpapers prepared by junior team members, ensuring quality, consistency, and adherence to established accounting and documentation standards.

Mentor, coach, and develop staff accountants through knowledge sharing, feedback, and training, including strengthening capabilities in operational accounting, internal controls, systems, and process improvement.

Lead or participate in strategic projects, system implementations, and process transformation initiatives impacting accounting operations, with an emphasis on scalability, control maturity, automation, and operational efficiency.

Support internal and external audits through timely preparation of schedules, process documentation, control evidence and responses to auditor inquiries; proactively address findings and identified process improvements.

Promote a culture of ownership, strong controls, continuous improvement, and thoughtful adoption of technology across accounting operations.

Why you're a fit for Avant:

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance; CPA preferred.
• 4-7 years of progressive accounting experience, including experience owning complex accounting processes and month-end close responsibilities.
• Public accounting, FinTech, lending, financial services, or high-growth company experience are strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of the U.S. GAAP and financial reporting requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to independently analyze accounting issues, recommend solutions, and execute with limited supervision.
• Proven experience leading process improvement initiatives and leveraging technology to increase efficiency and accuracy.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with ERP and close-management systems such as NetSuite, FloQast, or Workiva (Wdesk).
• Strong project management, organizational, and prioritization skills in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across departments and levels of the organiza