Senior Manager, Accounting Operations

Commonwealth Fusion Systems•Devens, MA

9d•Onsite

About The Position

Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) is seeking a transformational leader to own and optimize its operational accounting functions. This role requires broad accounting knowledge and experience in developing and scaling a talented team. The Senior Manager, Accounting Operations will act as a liaison between the Accounting function and other departments such as Payroll, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing. The ideal candidate will be anticipatory, able to foresee the impact of accounting decisions across the organization, and will create a clear owner for currently fragmented operational accounting tasks. This role is crucial for reducing operational bottlenecks and enabling the Accounting organization to scale with CFS's growth. The position involves leading optimization efforts, implementing best practices and systems, and being hands-on when necessary, offering significant growth opportunities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or Accounting or similar field preferred.
Minimum of 7 years of relevant accounting, accounting operations, or finance operations experience.
Minimum of 5 years of supervisory, team lead, or process-owner experience in a finance/accounting environment.
Hands-on experience with AP, payroll coordination, expense reporting, state filing compliance, or related operational accounting workflows.
Demonstrated experience improving processes, resolving operational bottlenecks, documenting procedures, and driving accountability across functions.
Experience working cross-functionally with teams such as Supply Chain, FP&A, People Ops/HR, ERP/IT, operations, or procurement.
Strong process ownership, issue triage, prioritization, and root-cause problem-solving skills.
Ability to manage ambiguity, create structure, and operate effectively in a fast-paced environment.
Strong communication skills and ability to partner with non-accounting stakeholders while maintaining compliance and control discipline.
People leadership, coaching, staff development, and accountability management.
Strong Excel and ERP fluency; ability to use data to identify exceptions, trends, and process gaps.
Perform extended activities such as typing, standing, sitting, walking, etc.
Occasional nights/weekends/on-call may be required during payroll processing, month-end close, audit, compliance deadlines, system issues, or urgent operational escalations.
Work in a facility that contains industrial hazards including heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead (Pb), high voltage, high current, pressure systems, and cryogenics.
Must comply with U.S. laws concerning the export of controlled or protected technologies or information.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a high-growth, manufacturing, R&D, project-based, or operationally complex environment.
Experience with Odoo or similar ERP systems.
Experience managing external providers for state filings, compliance, payroll support, or related services.
Experience with corporate card programs, travel and expense systems, procure-to-pay workflows, or payroll systems.
CPA, CPP, or other relevant professional certification.
Experience building SOPs, training materials, controls documentation, and audit-ready support.

Responsibilities

Evaluate, recommend, and implement process improvements for accounting operations, including analyzing potential system enhancements and developing SOPs.
Own collaboration with Supply Chain, FP&A, People Ops, IT, etc. to ensure optimized processes and cross-functional communication.
Manage and develop the AP, payroll, expense reporting, and state filing compliance team and operations; build role clarity, cross-training, backup coverage, and accountability.
Serve as the first-line manager-level owner for operational accounting issue triage, escalation handling, root-cause follow-up, and process discipline.
Document key operating procedures, create scalable SOPs and training materials, and ensure process changes are communicated and adopted across impacted functions.
Monitor operational accounting metrics and recurring issues to identify trends, reduce rework, and improve processing accuracy and cycle time.