VP, Operational Accounting Leader

Fortitude Re; Jersey City (NJ); On-site; USD 200,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Fortitude Reinsurance Company Ltd. invites applications for the Vice President, Operational Accounting Lead. This leadership role ensures accuracy and timeliness of cash, debt, and expense ledgers across all entities, guiding strategic implementations and AI-enabled process improvements.

The position reports to the Insurance & Group Controller and leads a team of accountants. Responsibilities include maintaining GL structure, consolidations, intercompany processes, and robust internal controls,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA/CA preferred.
• 10+ years financial management experience with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Thorough knowledge of Life & Annuity insurance accounting principles, financial reporting standards, and regulatory compliance.
• Strong knowledge of US GAAP/STAT/SFS and EBS accounting rules.
• Proficiency in ERP systems (SAP, Workday) and AI tools.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and refine the general ledger structure and chart of accounts.
• Lead legal entity accounting, consolidation, and intercompany processes under GAAP/STAT/SFS.
• Oversee FX translations, cash flow statements, and related-party accounting.
• Develop and maintain account hierarchy and journal entry controls.
• Prepare SAB 99 support in coordination with Financial Reporting and Controls.
• Drive robust reconciliations and related controls across entries.
• Deliver timely, high-quality financial reports for evolving business needs.
• Oversee R2R, A/P, A/R, T&E, debt, and cash across entities.
• Manage quarterly ledger feeds and new account setups.
• Lead development of Sidecar accounting packages and ensure policy alignment.
• Coordinate with Treasury to settle intercompany balances monthly.
• Identify opportunities to streamline and automate processes.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Interpersonal skills

ERP systems

SAP/Workday

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance

CPA or CA preferred

Tools

SAP

Workday

Foundry

Claude

Excel

Job description

Fortitude Reinsurance Company Ltd. (Fortitude Re) is one of the world’s leading providers of legacy reinsurance solutions. They work with the world’s leading insurance companies to help them execute comprehensive, transformational solutions for legacy Life & Annuity and P&C lines. Fortitude Re manages a general account of approximately $111 billion across life, annuity, and property & casualty insurance products. The company takes a long-term view on growth and is proud to be backed by a consortium of sophisticated institutional investors led by The Carlyle Group and T&D Insurance Group. Incorporated under the laws of Bermuda on January 1, 2017, Fortitude Re’s roots in the insurance industry and the experience of their leadership go back many decades. Fortitude Re’s leadership team has an average industry tenure of over 20 years, and an impressive track record of successfully managing the most complex legacy liabilities. Their deep insurance experience and proprietary risk modeling capabilities allow them to structure bespoke transactions that benefit both insurance companies and their policyholders. Fortitude Re continues to strengthen its ability to pursue further growth and provide innovative solutions for the global insurance industry.

The Vice President, Operational Accounting Lead, plays a key leadership role in ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of the cash, debt and expense general ledger balances and related accounting across all legal entities and reporting bases within the organization. The position involves strategic implementations, other AI enabled process improvements, internal control design and maintenance, and leading a team of accountants across the organization. The position reports to the Insurance & Group Controller.

What You Will Do:

• Maintain and/or refine the general ledger structure and chart of accounts in collaboration with Strategic Projects
• Lead legal entity accounting, consolidation, and intercompany processes, ensuring adherence to GAAP, STAT, SFS, EBS and internal methodologies.
• Oversee FX translations, cash flow statement, and related-party accounting
• Oversee the development and maintenance of the account hierarchy and ensure internal policy-aligned journal entry execution
• Prepare SUM and support the SAB 99 process in coordination with Financial Reporting and Financial Controls
• Develop and maintain robust control procedures, including reconciliations and drive execution of reconciliations and related controls
• Support evolving business needs (e.g., new transactions, debt issuances, etc.) with timely, accurate and high-quality financial reports
• Oversee all operational accounting activities including R2R, A/P, A/R, T&E, TPA (incl. communication of results), corporate expenses, debt, and cash across all legal entities and reporting bases
• Manage quarterly ledger feeds, new account setups, and ensure accurate legal entity allocations
• Lead the development and submission of relevant Sidecar accounting packages
• Monitor and ensure alignment with accounting policies across all operational entries
• Drive robust execution of reconciliations (incl. suspense) and other related controls over cash, vendors, and intercompany processes
• Coordinate related approvals and work with Treasury to settle intercompany balances monthly
• Identify opportunities to streamline, automate, and standardize operational processes across all legal entities and reporting bases.
• Monitor Prudential and Heritage ledger feed execution and new account setup processes.
• Partnering with other internal stakeholders, evaluate and implement financial systems and technologies incl. AI to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Drive standardization and documentation of processes to ensure consistency and compliance
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to ensure transparency and audit readiness.
• Lead and mentor a team of accounting professionals, providing guidance, mentorship, and fostering a collaborative, results-oriented culture.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, automation, and accountability.

What You Will Have:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; CPA or CA preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive financial management (public accounting preferred) experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Thorough knowledge of Life & Annuity (re)insurance industry accounting principles, financial reporting standards, and regulatory compliance.
• Strong knowledge of US GAAP/US STAT/SFS and EBS accounting rules and requirements
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in financial software, ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Workday) and AI tools (e.g., Foundry, Claude)
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• High level of integrity and dependability.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex financial data and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence senior leadership.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong process and control orientation, with experience in audits, walkthroughs, and control enhancement.
• External vendor oversight.
• Proven change agent with automation, AI and systems implementation experience preferred.

#LI-Hybrid

The base salary range for this role is listed below and will be commensurate with candidate experience. Pay ranges for candidates may differ based on the cost of labor in that location. In addition to base salary, all employees are eligible for an annual bonus based on company and individual performance as well as a generous benefits package.

Base Salary Range

$200,000-$220,000 USD

At Fortitude Re, our strength has always come from our people. Our success is deeply rooted in our ability to embrace the unique attributes, perspectives and experiences of every individual within our company. Fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging where everyone—regardless of background, race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity- feels valued and respected is a foundation of our culture.

We are committed to being an equal opportunity employer and evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, diversity of thought and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.