Senior Accountant

Morningstar Credit Ratings, LLC; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k match

Stock ownership potential

Company-provided life insurance

Wellness programs

Job summary

Morningstar is seeking a Senior Accountant to join the Americas Accounting team in Chicago in a full-time, hybrid role. You will help ensure accurate, scalable financial reporting across the Americas and support global controllership initiatives.

You will partner with cross-functional teams, strengthen internal controls, and drive process improvements using data, automation, and AI to enhance close, reporting, and compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance required.
• CPA certification preferred or progress toward certification.
• 3-5 years of accounting experience in public or corporate settings.
• Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP and close processes.
• Experience with audits and Sarbanes‑Oxley compliance.
• Experience with regulatory or legal-entity reporting is preferred.
• Ability to leverage AI-enabled tools to improve processes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Research, analyze, and resolve day-to-day accounting matters to ensure compliance with U.S. GAAP and policies.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting activities including journal entries and reconciliations.
• Support complex processes such as internal-use software, commissions, and M&A.
• Prepare statutory financial statements and regulatory filings for multiple entities.
• Maintain internal controls and SOX compliance across jurisdictions.
• Collaborate with auditors, tax, treasury, FP&A, and business stakeholders.
• Develop analyses and reporting explaining drivers, risks, and opportunities.
• Drive continuous improvement through data analytics and automation.

Skills

CPA certification

U.S. GAAP expertise

Financial analysis

Excel skills

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance

CPA certification

Tools

Oracle

FCCS

Workiva

Tableau

Power BI

Microsoft Copilot

Job description

The Role

As a Senior Accountant on the Americas Accounting team, you will play a critical role in ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and scalability of Morningstar's financial reporting processes across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile, and Brazil, while supporting select global controllership initiatives. You will partner with accounting, tax, treasury, FP&A, legal, and business stakeholders to address complex accounting matters, strengthen internal controls, and continuously enhance processes that support a high-quality and efficient close environment. This role combines technical accounting expertise with a continuous improvement mindset. You will leverage data, technology, automation, and emerging AI capabilities to improve financial reporting, compliance, controls, and operational effectiveness while helping build a more scalable, proactive, and insight-driven Controllership organization. This position reports to the Americas Accounting Manager. This is a full-time position based in our Chicago office. We operate in a hybrid environment with team members working in the office four days per week.

Responsibilities

• Research, analyze, and resolve day-to-day accounting matters and complex transactions to ensure compliance with U.S. GAAP, regulatory requirements, and Morningstar accounting policies.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting activities, including journal entries, account reconciliations, balance sheet reviews, flux analyses, and supporting schedules.
• Support management and prepare journals and supporting schedules for more complex accounting processes, including internal-use software, commissions, M&A, etc.
• Prepare and review statutory financial statements, regulatory filings, and other legal-entity reporting requirements to ensure accuracy and timely submission.
• Manage a portfolio of regulatory and statutory compliance requirements across multiple legal entities and jurisdictions while maintaining adherence to reporting deadlines.
• Maintain and enhance internal controls in support of Sarbanes‑Oxley requirements by identifying opportunities to strengthen control effectiveness, improve documentation quality, and modernize control execution.
• Partner with business leaders, auditors, tax advisors, and cross-functional teams to support audits, regulatory examinations, financial reporting initiatives, and strategic finance projects.
• Develop insightful analyses and reporting for management that explain business drivers, accounting impacts, trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance the efficiency, quality, and scalability of accounting operations through process redesign, standardization, data analytics, workflow optimization, and intelligent technology solutions.
• Leverage AI-enabled tools, automation platforms, and advanced analytics to improve close activities, reconciliations, financial reporting, compliance monitoring, control documentation, and management reporting while reducing manual effort and operational risk.
• Collaborate with global controllership teams to identify opportunities to transform accounting processes through data-driven insights, predictive analytics, and emerging technologies that support a more efficient and proactive finance organization.
• Contribute to the development of accounting policies, procedures, and knowledge‑management resources, utilizing technology and AI capabilities to improve documentation, consistency, training, and organizational learning.
• Lead or participate in cross-functional projects and finance transformation initiatives, ensuring accounting, reporting, control, and operational considerations are effectively incorporated into solution design and implementation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• CPA certification or progress toward certification preferred.
• 3-5 years of experience in public accounting, corporate accounting, or a combination of both.
• Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP, financial statement preparation, account reconciliation, and financial close processes.
• Experience supporting audits, internal controls, and Sarbanes‑Oxley compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex accounting transactions, assess risks, and develop practical accounting solutions.
• Experience with regulatory, statutory, or legal‑entity reporting is preferred.
• Proven ability to identify process improvement opportunities and implement sustainable solutions that improve efficiency, accuracy, scalability, and control effectiveness.
• Demonstrated curiosity and willingness to leverage emerging technologies, including AI‑enabled solutions, to improve accounting processes, reporting quality, controls, and business insights.
• Experience using data analytics, visualization, workflow, or automation tools to solve business problems and drive process improvements is preferred.
• Ability to translate accounting and operational requirements into scalable, technology-enabled solutions that improve efficiency, control effectiveness, and decision-making.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem‑solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively partner with stakeholders across all levels of the organization.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment while maintaining a high standard of quality and accountability.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience with enterprise finance and reporting systems such as Oracle, FCCS, Workiva, ARCS, Tableau, Alteryx, Power BI, Microsoft Copilot, or similar platforms is preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

At Morningstar we believe people are at their best when they are at their healthiest. That’s why we champion your wellness through a wide range of programs that support all stages of your personal and professional life.

• Financial Health 100% 401k match up to 6% of salary
• Stock Ownership Potential
• Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission
• Physical Health Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company-provided HSA contributions (up to $500-$2,000 annually) for specific plans and coverages
• Additional medical Wellness Incentives - up to $300-$600 annual
• Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance
• Emotional Health Trust-Based Time Off
• 6-week Paid Sabbatical Program
• 6-Week Paid Family Caregiving Leave
• Competitive 8-24 Week Paid Parental Leave
• Adoption Assistance
• Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
• Annual Flex Stipend - $1000 annually to cover personal education & well-being expenses
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Social Health Charitable Matching Gifts program Dollars for Doers volunteer program
• Paid volunteering days 15+
• Employee Resource & Affinity Groups
• Total Cash Compensation Range $95,275.00-139,741.66 Inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive
• Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in-person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in-office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you'll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.

001_MstarInc Morningstar Inc. Legal Entity Morningstar is a global independent investment research and financial data company. Here, you'll help uncover what’s hidden, simplify what’s complex, and create insights that empower investor success. Company overview Morningstar Development Program Morningstar is strongly committed to creating and preserving equal opportunity for all employees and applicants.

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