Telecom Assistant Controller

Alaska Communications Systems Holdings, Inc.; Anchorage (AK); On-site; USD 117,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Alaska Communications Systems Holdings, Inc. seeks a Telecom Assistant Controller to support the Controller in overseeing accounting operations, financial reporting, internal controls, regulatory compliance, and analysis for a telecommunications provider.

This role ensures accurate telecom asset accounting, including IRUs, dark fiber, and leased facilities. The position focuses on GAAP compliance, SOX controls, and collaboration with audit teams, operations, and revenue teams to ensure accurate

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field; CPA or advanced degree preferred.
• Eight years of progressive accounting experience and three years in a supervisory role.
• Telecommunications industry experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience with SOX compliance, external audits, and financial reporting.
• Strong U.S. GAAP knowledge and ERP system experience (Workday).
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office including Excel, Word, Access, Outlook.

Responsibilities

• Manage monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close activities.
• Review journal entries, account reconciliations, and support schedules.
• Assist in preparation of GAAP financial statements and management reporting packages.
• Support external and regulatory audit requirements.
• Coordinate consolidation activities and intercompany accounting.
• Oversee accounting for fiber networks, IRUs, dark fiber, and network capital projects.
• Ensure proper capitalization and depreciation of network assets.
• Support ASC 606, ASC 842, ASC 805, ASC 360 and related telecom accounting analyses.
• Assist with design, implementation, and monitoring of SOX controls.
• Maintain accounting policies and procedures; support risk assessments and control documentation.
• Review revenue recognition for telecom services and ensure revenue accuracy.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Leadership

Communication

Financial Acumen

Telco Processes

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance

CPA or advanced degree preferred

Tools

Workday

Advanced Excel

Microsoft Access

Outlook

Job description

At Alaska Communications, we’re committed to putting our team first, always being customer focused, having a can-do attitude, owning our results and always acting with integrity. This is what we hire for and what our team members exhibit each day.

We are unable to support remote international applicants or routinely sponsor work visas. The compensation range for this job is: $117,046.00 - $160,007.00

POSITION SUMMARY

The Telecom Assistant Controller supports the Controller in overseeing accounting operations, financial reporting, internal controls, regulatory compliance, and financial analysis for a telecommunications organization. This role is responsible for ensuring accurate accounting for telecom‑specific transactions, including network assets, IRUs, dark fiber arrangements, leased facilities, revenue recognition, capital projects, and federal or state grant programs. The position assists in maintaining compliance with U.S. GAAP, SOX requirements, tax regulations, and telecommunications reporting obligations.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable Accommodations Statement: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions Statement(s):

Financial Reporting & Close Process

• Manage monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close activities.
• Review journal entries, account reconciliations, and support schedules.
• Assist in preparation of GAAP financial statements and management reporting packages.
• Support external audit and regulatory audit requirements.
• Coordinate consolidation activities and intercompany accounting.

Telecommunications Accounting

• Oversee accounting for: Fiber networks and telecommunications infrastructure.
• Indefeasible Rights of Use (IRUs).
• Dark fiber agreements and capacity swaps.
• Network construction and capital projects.
• Asset acquisitions and dispositions.
• Site leases and tower agreements.
• Ensure proper capitalization and depreciation of network assets.
• Support accounting analyses under ASC 606, ASC 842, ASC 805, ASC 360, and other applicable standards.

Internal Controls & SOX Compliance

• Assist with design, implementation, and monitoring of SOX controls.
• Maintain accounting policies and procedures.
• Coordinate management testing and remediation activities.
• Support risk assessments and control documentation.
• Ensure compliance with company accounting policies.

Revenue & Regulatory Support

• Review accounting for telecom services including: Enterprise services Wholesale services Broadband and transport services Carrier contracts Partner with operations and revenue assurance teams to ensure revenue accuracy.
• Support regulatory reporting requirements as applicable.

Budgeting & Financial Analysis

• Assist in annual budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Analyze financial results and identify variances.
• Provide financial support for strategic projects and capital investments.
• Develop management reporting and KPI dashboards.

Team Leadership

• Supervise accounting staff and senior accountants.
• Review workpapers and reconciliations.
• Provide coaching and professional development.
• Foster continuous process improvement initiatives.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Competency Statement(s)

• Analytical Skills - Ability to use thinking and reasoning in gathering raw data and processing that data into a meaningful form.
• Business and Process Leadership - (Strong expertise in telco service provider / carrier process and procedures).
• A keen understanding of key telco processes (retail/sales/service, ordering/service delivery, network management, customer support) and the ability to map processes and understand inter-linkages to each other and to the systems that support the processes.
• Strong ability to coordinate with sales, service, engineering, field operations, finance and other departments in the company.
• Communication Skills - Successful candidate must have excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Position will require frequent preparation and delivery of detailed plans and proposals.
• Strong communication/interpersonal skills with emphasis on decision‑making, conflict management, and team building and teamwork.
• Must have ability to develop work plans, work effectively as a member of a team, report on status of projects, and represent the team in meetings and/or with the client, and be able to coordinate issues identification and resolution between clients and the development team.
• Financial Management - Ability to work with complex ERP, billing, provisioning systems and switching records.
• Consistent budgetary adherence managing both capital and operating expense budget models.
• Management Skills - Ability to organize and direct oneself and effectively train and supervise others.
• Detail Oriented - Ability to pay attention to the minute details of a project or task while balancing multiple concurrent projects.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field (CPA or advanced degree preferred).
• Experience: Eight (8) years of progressive accounting experience.
• Three (3) years in a supervisory role.
• Telecommunications industry experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience with SOX compliance, external audits, and financial reporting.
• Other Requirements: Strong U.S. GAAP knowledge.
• Understanding of: ASC 606 Revenue Recognition ASC 842 Leases Fixed asset accounting Telecom network accounting ERP system experience (Workday)
• Computer Skills: Demonstrated proficiency using Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Advanced Excel, Access, and Outlook.

We hope you’ll join us as we change lives through technology. For more than 120 years, our team has served Alaskans with critical telecommunication services. As technology becomes increasingly woven into our lives, we’re focused on delivering world‑class connectivity solutions to our customers, from family homes to statewide enterprises. With career opportunities across the Last Frontier, our team takes pride in serving customers and giving back to our local communities. Exciting challenges are in front of us. We’re actively building Alaska’s fastest internet with fiber to the home. In rural Alaska, we’re building a state‑of‑the‑art network to bridge the digital divide for communities that have gone unserved for too long.