Chief Accounting Officer (CAO)
About The Position
Our client, a rapidly growing organization in the specialized financial services sector, is seeking a strategic Chief Accounting Officer (CAO). Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, the CAO is a senior executive responsible for accounting policies, internal controls, financial reporting, and audit activities. The role partners with executive leadership to scale accounting infrastructure, lead financial system transformations, and build a high-performing accounting team in support of the company’s long-term expansion. The CAO oversees corporate financial statements and close activities, establishes enterprise-wide accounting policies, and serves as the internal authority on complex U.S. GAAP matters. The role also designs and monitors internal controls, manages audits and regulatory relationships, sponsors technology and process improvements, and partners with the CFO on liquidity reporting, capital management, and debt covenant compliance.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting is required.
- Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license is required.
- 12 to 15+ years of progressive accounting experience.
- At least 5 years in an executive or senior accounting leadership capacity.
- Experience in specialized financial services, banking, corporate leasing, or commercial lending.
- Demonstrated success leading enterprise-wide ERP implementations and managing complex lender reporting frameworks.
Nice To Haves
- Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or an MBA.
- Prior experience as a Corporate Controller, Assistant Controller, VP of Accounting, or Chief Accounting Officer.
- Public accounting background with a Big Four or premier regional firm.
Responsibilities
- Lead the preparation and delivery of corporate financial statements, including income statements, balance sheets, cash flow reporting, and executive management packages.
- Review and approve high-level journal entries, complex reconciliations, and period-end adjustments for alignment with U.S. GAAP and internal corporate benchmarks.
- Establish, implement, and maintain enterprise-wide accounting policies and standard operating procedures.
- Provide authoritative internal guidance on complex U.S. GAAP matters, including lending and lease accounting (ASC 842), credit loss methodologies (ASC 326/CECL), revenue recognition, business combinations, and fair value measurements.
- Author and evaluate technical accounting memoranda for complex, high-value corporate transactions.
- Design, implement, and monitor the internal control and compliance framework.
- Manage control documentation, testing, and remediation, including segregation of duties and reconciliation governance across business lines.
- Serve as the primary liaison for external auditors, tax advisors, internal audit teams, regulatory examiners, and parent-company financial leadership.
- Orchestrate annual financial statement audits, tax provisions, and financial due diligence requests, and address audit findings.
- Provide strategic leadership and deployment oversight for ERP and general ledger upgrades, chart-of-accounts redesigns, data warehousing, and financial reporting automation.
- Reduce reliance on manual processes and disconnected spreadsheets by championing workflow automation.
- Partner with the CFO on corporate liquidity reporting, capital management strategies, and debt covenant compliance.
- Lead and develop a high-performing accounting team to support company growth.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
