Accountant I

Job Title: Accountant I

Location: Waukegan Rd North Chicago, IL 60064 (Hybrid Required: Monday/Friday Remote, Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday Onsite) – Local candidates only

Duration: 9 Months (Extension or conversion based on performance and business needs)

Working Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Position Summary

The Accountant I plays a critical role within the Financial Shared Services (FSS) organization, providing dedicated accounting support to the Commercial finance team. This position is primarily responsible for preparing and reviewing journal entries (JEs) during the month-end close cycle, ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting in compliance with internal controls and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) requirements.

This is an excellent entry-to-mid-level opportunity for an accounting professional to gain exposure to a large corporate environment. The role involves working closely with a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) team and serving as a key liaison to streamline and transition accounting processes into the FSS model.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education

• Mandatory: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
• Recent Master's graduates in Accounting/Finance are also welcome.
• International degrees are accepted if equivalent to a U.S. degree and the candidate demonstrates a strong grasp of U.S. GAAP.

Experience

• Ideal Range: 3 to 4 years of progressive accounting experience is preferred. Candidates with 1 to 2 years of experience or exceptional recent graduates will also be considered.
• Note: Candidates with more than 5–6 years of experience may be considered overqualified if their background aligns more with supervisory roles.

Preferred Technical & Certifications

• Systems: Prior exposure to SAP ERP and BlackLine is highly preferred (but not mandatory; training will be provided).
• Certifications: CPA certification is preferred and highly beneficial (candidates with a CPA will not be considered overqualified).
• Environment: Previous experience working within a large corporate environment with exposure to SOX controls, financial consolidation, and entity accounting concepts is highly preferred.

Top Skills Required

• Core Accounting Knowledge: Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP, general ledger mechanics, assets, and liabilities.
• Journal Entry & Reconciliation: Experience in preparing/reviewing journal entries, supporting documentation, and account reconciliations.
• Intermediate MS Excel: Proficiency with Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs/XLOOKUPs, and data reconciliation.
• Effective Communication: Strong verbal and written skills to collaborate across cross-functional teams and external BPO partners.
• Detail-Oriented: Exceptional accuracy in financial data entry and audit-ready documentation review.

Key Responsibilities & Task

Month-End Close & Compliance

• Journal Entry Management: Prepare, post, and review journal entries for the Commercial team, including accruals, prepaids, reclassifications, allocations, and adjustments.
• BPO Collaboration: Partner with the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) team to review their month-end reconciliations and ensure entries are complete and accurate.
• SOX & Internal Controls: Review journal entry support packages to validate compliance with established SOX documentation requirements and internal accounting policies before posting.
• Systems Utilization: Leverage SAP and BlackLine systems to execute daily accounting tasks, manage workflows, and maintain a robust audit trail.

Stakeholder Engagement & Process Transition

• Cross-Functional Communication: Conduct regular meetings with Commercial business units to discuss close activities, outstanding items, and resolve queries.
• Process Improvement: Identify and document accounting processes within business units that are ideal candidates to transition into the FSS team; help develop transition plans and timelines.
• Documentation: Maintain and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and process documentation for all supported activities.
• Deliverable Tracking: Monitor the status of open items during close periods and proactively communicate risks or delays to leadership.

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