Principal Accountant - External Reporting

Lowe's Companies, Inc.•Mooresville, NC

4d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is based at our headquarters in Mooresville, North Carolina. Our corporate office is a space where you can collaborate and do your best work. Take a walk, grab a bite (or a cup of coffee), work out or get a check-up – we invest in you so you can find your inspiration. The primary purpose of this role is to capture complex transactions in accounting records and resolve issues to enable accurate reporting on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. This includes responsibility for conducting effective research, managing, tracking, and reporting for accounting transactions to ensure accurate recording in accounting records. In addition, this role executes and designs continuous improvement of internal controls over financial reporting, by working independently to apply experienced accounting judgment and advanced knowledge of GAAP and regulatory requirements in daily activity. The Principal Accountant – External Reporting is responsible for preparing monthly financial statements and initiating monthly close activities including the accounting for share-based payment expense and the preparation of monthly journal entries. This individual will also have responsibility for preparing key disclosures within the Company’s quarterly and annual filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which includes, but is not limited to, filings on Form 10-Q, Form 10-K and Form 11-K.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree Business, Finance, Economics, Accounting or related field or equivalent years of experience in lieu of education requirement, if applicable
5 years experience in accounting, tax, finance (public or private) or relevant experience
Demonstrated understanding of advanced GAAP concepts and financial controls (to apply this knowledge to the design and execution of activities within the respective area)
Advanced skills in MS office programs (Excel, Word, Access)

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree Business, Finance, Economics, Accounting or related field
Lowe's finance or accounting experience
Experience in public accounting and/or SEC reporting
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) CPA or CPA Candidate

Responsibilities

Executes complex financial activities in a timely and efficient manner, applying advanced accounting knowledge, judgment, and understanding of complex systems, business processes, and applicable accounting, tax, and regulatory requirements.
Performs complex analysis (i.e. historical, forecasting, impact, etc.) and reconciliations to support monthly, quarterly and annual closing cycles according to prescribed rates, laws, and regulations, with a focus on areas that require understanding of complex GAAP and/or tax rules
Research and resolve complex financial transactions independently.
Ensure appropriate supporting documents, provisions, and other details for financial activities and entries are maintained and provided to appropriate stakeholders
Communicate effectively within the team, across other functions with leaders, and directly with external auditors to resolve audit questions and issues
Partner with team and the business in order to identify transaction issues and procedure improvement opportunities to more effectively support the needs of the Finance organization
Lead and execute specials projects and resolution of non-reoccurring complex accounting issues within the respective area to deliver optimal solutions to financial issues
Work with external (regulatory and third party) and independent auditors for transactions to provide required data and information to ensure accuracy
Design and oversee testing around financial controls to support SOX compliance for respective financial area
Prepares the monthly accounting for share-based payment expense and calculation of diluted and basic earnings per share, and related journal entries
Assists in preparing monthly financial reporting analysis packages for Executive Management, the Board of Directors, and the Audit Committee
Prepares monthly and quarterly financial statements, including Statement of Current and Retained Earnings, Statement of Comprehensive Income, Balance Sheet, and Statement of Shareholders’ Equity
Prepares supporting documentation for financial statement disclosures included in the company’s SEC filings
Reviews and evaluate financial disclosures made by other retailers in their quarterly and annual SEC filings to identify best practices and opportunities for improvement