Sr. Accounting Manager

Conexus; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Conexus in Detroit, MI seeks an experienced accounting professional to own the month-end close process, oversee journal entries and reconciliations, and coordinate with auditors. You will drive intercompany eliminations, closing schedules, and consolidation activities across multiple entities.

This role demands strong GAAP knowledge, advanced Excel skills, and a track record of improving close efficiency. The candidate will collaborate with corporate staff, plant accounting, and shared services

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of progressive operational accounting experience at a publicly traded, pre-IPO, or enterprise-level company.
• Manufacturing industry experience including plant-level accounting such as inventory, cost accounting, and fixed assets.
• Experience leading or supporting large accounting projects (close acceleration, reconciliation cleanup, consolidations, or complex financial reporting).
• Hands-on experience preparing and reviewing balance sheet reconciliations and managing month-end close activities.
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. GAAP and internal controls over financial reporting.
• Forensic, detail-oriented mindset with the ability to trace transactions and balances to their source.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present findings to executive leadership.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with large ERP environments.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage key components of the month-end close, including the close calendar, task assignments, and completion tracking.
• Prepare and review journal entries, accruals, prepaids, reserves, and allocations to ensure accurate and timely recording of transactions.
• Review balance sheet reconciliations prepared by corporate staff, plant controllers, and the shared services team for accuracy, completeness, and adequate support.
• Oversee intercompany accounting, including reconciliation and elimination of intercompany balances across entities.
• Support consolidation of plant and entity results and the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements.
• Perform balance sheet and income statement flux analysis, investigating significant variances and providing clear explanations to leadership.
• Coordinate with external auditors during quarterly reviews and the annual audit, preparing schedules and responding to requests.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve close efficiency, accuracy, and automation, including in SAP and reconciliation tools.

Skills

Close management

GAAP knowledge

Excel advanced

Communication

Audit coordination

Reconciliations

Financial analysis

ERP systems

Tools

SAP

Reconciliation tools

Job description

• Own and manage key components of the month-end close, including the close calendar, task assignments, and completion tracking.
• Prepare and review journal entries, accruals, prepaids, reserves, and allocations to ensure accurate and timely recording of transactions.
• Review balance sheet reconciliations prepared by corporate staff, plant controllers, and the shared services team for accuracy, completeness, and adequate support.
• Oversee intercompany accounting, including reconciliation and elimination of intercompany balances across entities.
• Support consolidation of plant and entity results and the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements.
• Perform balance sheet and income statement flux analysis, investigating significant variances and providing clear explanations to leadership.
• Coordinate with external auditors during quarterly reviews and the annual audit, preparing schedules and responding to requests.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve close efficiency, accuracy, and automation, including in SAP and reconciliation tools.

Reconciliation Assessment and Remediation

• Perform a rapid, risk-based assessment of balance sheet account reconciliations across corporate and plant entities to pinpoint where quality, support, and timeliness are weakest.
• Develop a prioritized remediation plan based on account materiality, risk, aging of reconciling items, and audit exposure.
• Personally execute cleanup of reconciliations and balances, including researching aged and unsupported reconciling items, proposing correcting entries, and resolving variances between subledgers and the general ledger.
• "Challenge the balance sheet" by ensuring every material balance is supported, accurate, properly classified, and reconciled on a timely basis.
• Apply a forensic approach to trace the root cause of recurring errors and unsupported balances, and recommend lasting fixes to prevent recurrence.

Process Documentation and Controls

• Partner with the corporate accounting team to create and maintain process documentation for the accounting function, including desktop procedures, reconciliation standards, and close checklists.
• Establish reconciliation policies covering preparer and reviewer responsibilities, required supporting documentation, materiality thresholds, and timelines for clearing reconciling items.
• Define clear handoffs and quality expectations for work performed by the offshore shared services team and plant accounting staff.

Required Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of progressive operational accounting experience at a publicly traded, pre-IPO, or enterprise-level company.
• Manufacturing industry experience, including familiarity with plant-level accounting such as inventory, cost accounting, and fixed assets.
• Demonstrated experience leading or supporting large accounting projects, such as close acceleration, reconciliation cleanup, consolidations, or complex financial reporting.
• Hands-on experience preparing and reviewing balance sheet reconciliations and managing month-end close activities.
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. GAAP and internal controls over financial reporting.
• Forensic, detail-oriented mindset with the ability to trace transactions and balances to their source.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present findings clearly to executive leadership.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience working within large ERP environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
• SAP experience
• Experience working with and directing an offshore shared services team.
• Experience with account reconciliation or close management tools.
• Public accounting (Big 4 or national firm) background combined with industry experience.