Investment Operations Accountant

Protective • Birmingham, AL

5d • $70,000 - $90,000

About The Position

The work we do has an impact on millions of lives, and you can be a part of it.
We help protect our customers against life’s uncertainties. Regardless of where you work within the company, you’ll be helping provide protection and peace of mind when our customers need it most.

Protective Life is seeking an Investment Operations Accountant to support our Managed Separate Accounts team. In this role, you will work closely with third party resources on daily operational processes, securities accounting, custody activities, and issue resolution. You will also support internal line of business teams, external investment managers, and Protective’s Accounting and SAP teams.

This position plays a key role in daily trade and cash operations, general ledger activity, reconciliations, quarter-end close processes, and providing audit and regulatory support. The ideal candidate brings strong analytical skills, advanced Excel capabilities, a solid accounting foundation, and the ability to work accurately and efficiently in a deadline-driven environment.

Requirements

• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and critical‑thinking skills.
• High sense of urgency and ability to manage multiple priorities under strict deadlines.
• Self‑motivated, dependable, and capable of working independently or as part of a team.
• Strong leadership qualities, sound judgment, and professionalism under pressure.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to explain complex accounting and operational issues clearly.
• Solid understanding of general ledger accounting and reconciliation processes.
• Familiarity with investment accounting principles and custody operations is preferred.
• Experience with SAP general ledger systems is a plus.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting or Finance is required.
• Minimum of two years of relevant accounting or finance experience, ideally in public accounting or corporate accounting.

Nice To Haves

• Master of Accountancy, Master of Business Administration, or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation is preferred.
• Experience with investment accounting systems, SAP general ledger, or financial services operations is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with business units, administrative system teams, third party resources, and investment managers to launch new business, including portfolio setup and changes.
• Reconcile general ledger accounts related to trading activity and cash movement across multiple entities.
• Review and investigate differences in daily holdings reconciliations, unit reconciliations, general ledger reconciliations, and other daily accounting reports from a third party resource.
• Review daily cash and custody reconciliations, resolving breaks or discrepancies as needed.
• Prepare general ledger entries and quarter‑end financial reporting to support the close process.
• Communicate with Executive Benefits administrative systems teams and internal partners regarding operational and accounting issues.
• Coordinate with third party resources and investment managers on voluntary corporate actions related to portfolio securities.
• Maintain and update procedures related to third party resource services and internal processes.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and quality across operational workflows.
• Lead process improvements in collaboration with teams across Protective Life and third party resources.
• Support seamless integration of new acquisitions into established processes.
• Respond to requests for information from auditors and regulatory bodies.

Benefits

• We aim to protect the wellbeing of our employees and their families with a broad benefits offering.
• In addition to offering comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance, we support emotional wellbeing through mental health benefits and an employee assistance program.
• Work/life balance is important and Protective offers a variety of paid time away benefits (e.g., paid time off, paid parental leave, short-term disability, and a cultural observance day).
• The financial health of our employees is just as important as physical and emotional health.
• Some of the financial wellbeing benefits include contributions to healthcare accounts, a pension plan, and a 401(k) plan with Company matching.
• All employees are encouraged to protect their overall wellbeing by engaging in ProHealth Rewards, Protective’s platform to improve wellbeing while earning cash rewards.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level