Director, Financial Accounting & Reporting

Cars.com • Riverside, IL

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Cars Commerce is seeking a Director, Accounting and Reporting to lead the Accounting and SEC reporting teams. This role will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day external financial reporting and ensuring compliance with SEC regulations, US GAAP, and SOX requirements for a publicly traded company. This individual will lead a team of accounting and reporting professionals and serve as a key technical subject matter expert on complex accounting matters. They will partner with various internal stakeholders, including finance leadership, legal, and investor relations, to ensure consistent and accurate external disclosures. The ideal candidate must have a strong technical accounting background, excellent management skills and a proven track record in a public company setting. The position reports to the Assistant Controller. THIS ROLE IS BASED IN CHICAGO AND REQUIRES IN-OFFICE PRESENCE.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Accounting or Finance
• CPA required
• 10+ years of progressive financial leadership experience required, including 3+ years in SEC reporting with a US-listed company
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of US GAAP and Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) internal controls
• Proficient understanding of revenue recognition principles, coupled with experience in handling complex revenue transactions
• Proficiency in financial systems and experience with SEC reporting software like Workiva is preferred
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to lead large scale projects across the organization and effect change
• Ability to effectively research and compile data from financial reporting systems, databases, spreadsheets, and other data sources
• Ability to manage and balance multiple priorities and urgent requests effectively, with the ability to quickly adapt for changing business needs
• Focus on accuracy and high attention to detail
• Advanced skills in Excel and Google suite
• Positive, collaborative, and approachable work style to enable success in working cross functionally
• Self-starter with a strong sense of ownership and ability to prioritize work with the ability to adapt to the changing needs of the company
• Excellent, clear communication skills, written and oral

Nice To Haves

• Experience with a blend of Big 4 public accounting and corporate accounting is highly desirable

Responsibilities

• Maintain overall responsibility for day-to-day management of monthly, quarterly and annual close processes, ensuring timely and accurate financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP
• Oversee preparation and filing of all SEC reports, including Form 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, and other required regulatory filings
• Coordinate with internal and external auditors on quarterly reviews and the annual audit
• Serve as a primary technical accounting resource, researching and documenting complex accounting issues (e.g., revenue recognition, stock-based compensation, leases, business combinations)
• Monitor new accounting pronouncements from FASB and SEC, assessing their impact on the company's financial statements and developing action plan and implementation program
• Develop and maintain comprehensive accounting policies and procedures
• Provide guidance on structuring revenue streams and/or contracts to optimize revenue recognition and financial/operational efficiency
• Act as an escalation point for day-to-day issues by partnering with appropriate parties to reach compromises and resolutions with commercial and operational practicability, while mitigating risk
• M&A Due Diligence and Integration: Act as a primarily resource in due diligence process for accounting and reporting and lead integration of new business across Finance, such as developing integration plan and timeline for the OTC process
• ERP Integration : As supported by a Technology project manager and 3rd party service providers, participate as a key stakeholder in systems migration project from requirements gathering and system integration efforts
• Responsible for execution of certain internal controls over financial reporting that are integral to an effectively designed and operating internal control environment in compliance with SOX requirements
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with peers, stakeholders, leaders, and team members to continually develop and enhance the capabilities of the high-performing and dynamic environment
• Execute strategies to reduce functional and operational complexity through streamlined processes, optimized use of technology, and efficient use of resources to deliver cost effective, high quality services to all stakeholders

Benefits

• Medical, Dental & Vision Healthcare Plans
• New Hire Stipend for Home Office Set-Up
• Generous PTO
• Refuel - a service based recognition program where employees receive additional paid time away to learn grow and reset
• Paid Holidays, Floating Holiday, Volunteer Day, Recharge Day

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees