Manager, Community Accounting

Covenant Living Communities and Services•Skokie, IL

7d•$95,438 - $143,156•Onsite

About The Position

The Manager, Community Accounting is a finance leadership role reporting to the Director, Finance. This position is responsible for ownership and execution of the community accounting function, including the monthly and annual general ledger close and financial reporting for Covenant Living’s continuing care retirement centers. This role manages a team of Senior Accountants and is accountable for establishing the operating cadence of the team, including staffing, workflow management, and consistent execution of accounting processes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
4-7 years of experience
Strong understanding of financial statements, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting principles.
Demonstrated ability to manage and develop high-performing teams, including senior individual contributors.
Proven ability to establish operating cadence, manage workflows, and ensure consistent execution of processes.
Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.
Strong business acumen and ability to influence decisions across functional areas.
Solid understanding of internal controls, audit processes, and compliance requirements.
Commitment to continuous improvement, process optimization, and leveraging automation.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook

Nice To Haves

Preferred Degree: N/A
Preferred Certificate(s): N/A

Responsibilities

Own the end-to-end monthly and annual general ledger close and financial reporting process for assigned communities, ensuring adherence to corporate accounting policies and established timelines.
Establish and manage the operating cadence of the close process, including timelines, deliverables, and workload distribution across the team.
Maintain direct responsibility for financial reporting and close activities for approximately one to two assigned communities.
Review and approve journal entries, financial statements, and supporting schedules prepared by Senior Accountants to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency.
Ensure standardized execution of accounting processes and reporting quality across the communities.
Manage, coach, and develop a team of approximately four Senior Accountants, providing clear direction, ongoing feedback, and performance management.
Develop senior individual contributors by strengthening technical expertise, analytical capabilities, and business partnership skills.
Oversee staffing alignment, workload balancing, and prioritization to ensure efficient and effective team performance.
Create and maintain training materials, standard operating procedures, and documentation to support onboarding and continuous development.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Establish and enforce standards for reconciliation quality and supporting documentation.
Identify trends, risks, and systemic issues; implement corrective actions to strengthen processes and controls.
Ensure consistent execution and discipline in reconciliation processes across the team.
Oversee and perform detailed reviews of balance sheet reconciliations prepared by Senior Accountants to ensure accuracy, completeness, and timely resolution.
Lead audit readiness efforts for assigned communities, including coordination of audit deliverables, schedules, and supporting documentation.
Ensure compliance with corporate accounting policies, internal controls, and regulatory requirements across the team’s scope.
Proactively identify control gaps and drive improvements in the control environment.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives across the community accounting function, focusing on efficiency, scalability, and quality.
Identify and remove barriers to team performance, including process bottlenecks, system limitations, and workflow inefficiencies.
Champion the adoption of automation and system enhancements to streamline accounting processes and reduce manual effort.
Train and mentor team members on new tools, technologies, and optimized workflows.
Lead the accounting integration of newly acquired or affiliated communities into Covenant Living’s financial systems and processes.
Assist in executing transition plans to ensure timely and accurate onboarding of accounting operations.
Ensure alignment with corporate accounting policies, reporting standards, and internal controls.
Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure a smooth and consistent integration experience.
Serve as a key finance partner to operations, FP&A, and community leadership.
Support financial review processes, providing insights into financial performance, trends, and operational drivers.
Influence process and resource decisions by identifying opportunities for efficiencies and improved outcomes.
Communicate financial results clearly and effectively to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
Build strong relationships across functions to ensure alignment and consistency in execution.