Lead Accounting Analyst

Duke Energy • Charlotte, NC

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Accounting Analyst will report to the Finance Governance Manager and support the Finance Governance team, ensuring governance of transactional and information technology Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) controls across the Company. This role offers significant professional development through extensive interaction with cross-functional business partners, internal and external auditors, and leaders at all levels, including senior management and executives. Employees at this level are expected to solve complex structured and unstructured problems, interpret business issues, and recommend solutions. Incumbents provide leadership, advise, and direct others in financial areas of specialization, and may coordinate daily work or review the work of other teammates. The employee may also regularly lead projects or represent SOX Finance Governance on other project teams, working independently with guidance only in the most complex situations. The incumbent possesses specialized depth and/or breadth of expertise.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with major in Accounting/Finance or related discipline
• Five (5) plus years of increasingly diverse or complex experience in related field in addition to degree
• Possesses and applies fundamental accounting and finance concepts, practices, and procedures
• Experience with financial applications (i.e., PeopleSoft, OneStream, PowerPlan, etc.) and query tools (WebI, PowerBI, cubes)
• Experience using Microsoft products such as Excel, Word and Power Point

Nice To Haves

• CPA or working toward CPA
• Advanced degree, preferably in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration
• Eight (8) years or more of professional work-related experience
• Prior experience working as an internal or external auditor or experience leading discussions with business partners and auditors that require explaining, defending, and influencing outcomes through well-reasoned analysis
• Advanced analytical and critical thinking skills – including data analytics
• Demonstrated ability to apply sound professional judgement when assessing risk and determining appropriate conclusions in ambiguous or complex situations
• Ability to challenge assumptions, legacy practices, and control designs using data, logic, and risk-based reasoning
• Comfort making recommendations without clear precedent and defending conclusions
• Self-motivated and able to work independently with proactive recommendations and limited supervision
• Demonstrated project management skills (planning, timelines, dependencies)
• Demonstrated experience providing leadership through oversight, review, and guidance of other accounting or audit professionals.
• Experience with SOX and internal control compliance within the COSO Framework
• Understanding of IT General Controls or experience with evaluating IT applications for SOX scope and impact to financials
• Ability to communicate clearly, concisely and accurately with various levels of management using oral and written communications
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment and foster good relationships with teammates and business partners
• Ability to assess and determine risk impacts
• Previous experience in utility, utility asset or regulatory accounting environment
• Possesses and applies fundamental accounting and finance concepts, practices, and procedures
• Proficient with using Microsoft products such as Excel, Word and Power Point
• Experience with financial applications (i.e., PeopleSoft FMIS, Power Plant, etc.) and query tool (Business Objects)
• Masters in Accounting or MBA
• CPA, CIA, MBA, CFA or CMA is strongly encouraged for achieving the Lead Analyst or higher position.

Responsibilities

• Ensure governance for the company’s internal control compliance program through various methods including reviews of internal processes, systems and policies
• Foster and maintain business partner relationships with business units and corporate areas and consult on the internal control environment and identify and address risk exposures
• Partner with project teams for SOX considerations and recommendations, serving as the SOX SME
• Leading and executing the company’s annual internal control planning process, risk assessment and selection of internal controls for testing
• Independently assess financial statement risks, evaluate downstream implications, and apply an inquisitive mindset to ask difficult questions, influence outcomes, and execute well-reasoned recommendations to advance the SOX program based on materiality and exposure
• Maintain a comprehensive knowledge of financial related company policies and assist with policy interpretations where guidance is not explicit and support conclusions to advise business partners
• Cycle Lead for assigned SOX control areas, including process improvement suggestions, quality review of documentation and testing evidence, and partnership for issue resolution
• Interact with external auditors to communicate the company’s assessment of identified or potential internal control issues or weaknesses
• Consult with business units and corporate areas to lead completion of root cause analysis and remediation efforts of deficiencies/issues
• Maintain general knowledge of IT Controls, SOX regulatory matters, policies, Risk Assessment and IT systems and applications
• Review and support annual financial statement filings including signature coordination, certifications, year-end assertions and internal and external representation letters along with Appendix A preparation
• Support and implement a continuous improvement discipline that promotes long term sustainable solutions that provide efficiencies and value
• Coordinate with Corporate Audit Services on audit scopes and audit results

What This Job Offers

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