Director, External Reporting

Sherwin-Williams•Cleveland, OH

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The External Reporting team, which includes the technical accounting function, is responsible for providing clear, complete, accurate and consistent financial information to meet the requirements of both internal and external stakeholders. The Director, External Reporting will lead this mission by leveraging a strong leadership, project management and technical accounting background as well as an ability to collaborate with various teams across the broader organization. The Director, External Reporting will primarily focus on leading the preparation and presentation of financial information in compliance with US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP) or local GAAP, regulatory requirements (e.g., SEC Forms 10-Q, 10-K, 11-K and Proxy), statutory requirements and company policies globally. Additionally, the Director, External Reporting will be responsible for leading the understanding of complex transactions and how they apply to the accounting standards under US GAAP and interpretive guidance, including communicating with management and applying new accounting pronouncements to the Company. This leadership position plays an important role in ensuring complete, accurate and timely accounting records and external financial reporting. This position is not hybrid/remote and will be located at our Global Headquarters in Cleveland, OH. Because this role involves access to confidential financial information, the Company has determined that a review of criminal history is necessary to protect the business and its operations and reputation and to provide similar protections for its clients and potential investments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with a major in accounting
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
10+ years of experience in: Accounting and Reporting Regulation Knowledge – Ability to apply knowledge of rules and regulations to maintain financial records, review financial statements, and comply with legal and regulatory requirements, as well as apply the rules and regulations governing financial accounting in accordance with US GAAP to support financial reporting for the industry/division/enterprise.
Internal Controls Background – Ability to marry the practices and procedures that are in place at the Company with the financial reporting requirements under SOX to ensure the completeness and accuracy of financial information and transactions presented.
Strong Project Management Skills – Proven history of managing a team of individuals on large-scale projects that have timely deadlines, while delivering exceptional results.
Financial Statement Analysis – Ability to interpret financial data, such as financial statements, performance metrics and other ad hoc data, and identify trends and patterns in financial data, and translate them into meaningful insights.
Financial Systems & Digital Literacy – Stay current on continually transforming financial and cross-functional systems/platforms to support the IT projects, gain insights and drive innovative, timely, and prudent recommendations.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship now or in the future for employment visa status
Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age

Nice To Haves

Big Four public accounting experience
SEC reporting experience
Technical accounting experience
Employee benefit plan experience
Experience with Oracle financial systems, OneStream and/or Workiva

Responsibilities

Lead the SEC Reporting team’s preparation of the Company’s 10-Q and 10-K filings in accordance with US GAAP and SEC regulatory requirements as well as the Proxy in partnership with the legal department
Establish a timeline for completion of tasks to ensure internal and external deadlines are met
Oversee preparation of financial statements and footnotes
Guide and review various tie-outs to company records (financial statements, footnotes, MD&A, earnings release, etc.) for completeness and accuracy
Utilize Workiva reporting platform for review of the 10-Q, 10-K, earnings release documents, and Audit Committee/Board materials
Oversee completion of the US GAAP disclosure checklist and other checklists as needed
Manage the Quarterly Earnings Binder and other stakeholder deliverables
Lead, along with legal, the preparation of the Proxy in Workiva. Review of information presented for completeness and accuracy including the tie out of certain financial and non-financial information
Perform month-end and quarter-end close procedures
Lead the monthly share reconciliation process
Review of stock-based compensation entries and forecast
Review of the quarterly and annual pension and OPEB entries
Review the monthly balance sheet, equity, and cash flow statements
Act as the liaison with external audit
Lead the technical accounting process, including but not limited to: Evaluation and final review of accounting matters and how they relate to US GAAP and interpretative guidance
Evaluation and final review of global matters governed under local GAAP (for example, IFRS) as well as US GAAP to other GAAP differences
Lead consultations with external third-party accounting firms on technical accounting matters as needed
Finalize accounting conclusions for unique transactions by researching applicable accounting guidance and reviewing documentation
Review and help guide accounting memo preparation that uses clear and concise writing to satisfy external and internal audit as well as senior finance leadership
Communicate technical accounting conclusions in an easy-to-understand manner to internal stakeholders that may have non-accounting or non-finance backgrounds
Review new accounting pronouncements as they are issued; assess, review documentation and communicate impact to the Company
Lead the implementation process associated with the adoption of new accounting standards, including leading the adoption of the DISE standard
Act as the liaison with external audit for these matters
Lead the statutory reporting process, including but not limited to: Oversee and lead the statutory reporting process for the global enterprise
Lead the coordination of statutory reporting compliance with enterprise-wide and local accounting teams, as well as audit firms as needed and determine strategies to enhance consistency in statutory policies and practices
Proactively solution concerns and issues across the global organization as a trusted and reliable business partner
Lead the implementation and maintenance of statutory reporting on the Workiva Global Statutory Reporting solution
Lead the process for certain domestic statutory reports such as the Puerto Rico Branch and Sherwin-Williams Insurance Company as well as benefit plan financial statements, including an 11-K filing with the SEC
Collaborate with various business partners on quarterly releases and filings including, but not limited to, the following materials: Investor relations presentations and slide decks
Investor relations earnings call scripts
Partner with tax, treasury, legal and other business partners to meet disclosure requirements
Contribute to team success
Provide thought leadership on best practices to advance automation and the use of artificial intelligence to unlock value in the reporting process
Provide continuous coaching and mentoring to team members, including giving timely, constructive feedback and participating in formal appraisal process
Lead weekly team meetings
Participate and lead projects and non-routine transactions, as needed