Senior Staff Accountant

Coviance•West Des Moines, IA

About The Position

Coviance is seeking a Senior Accountant to combine strong accounting fundamentals with initiative in making accounting faster, more efficient, and more accurate. The role owns key financial close activities, supports daily accounting operations, and turns process-improvement ideas into reliable, repeatable processes. It is suited to a high-performing public accounting professional moving into industry who wants to take ownership of financial results and help build an efficient accounting function that supports growth through smarter systems, automation, and strong controls. Reporting to the Controller, the position has significant exposure to senior leadership, including the Head of Finance (VP of Finance). The role offers meaningful ownership, broader experience, and the opportunity to shape how accounting supports Coviance’s growth. The successful candidate will champion innovation by improving workflows, empower others through clear financial information and shared knowledge, and support teammates. The role includes opportunities to contribute ideas, work directly with finance leadership, and broaden responsibilities over time.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or a related field with a strong accounting foundation.
3–5 years of relevant accounting experience.
Strong working knowledge of U.S. GAAP.
Experience preparing or auditing financial statements, journal entries, and account reconciliations.
Strong Excel skills, including pivot tables and lookup formulas, and proficiency with accounting software.
Demonstrated ability to improve accounting processes, reduce manual effort, and maintain accuracy.
Sound judgment, strong attention to detail, and the ability to manage assigned responsibilities independently, meet deadlines, and communicate issues early.
Clear communication, a collaborative approach, and discretion with confidential information.

Nice To Haves

Public accounting experience.
Active CPA license; candidates actively pursuing CPA licensure are also encouraged to apply.
Experience in a technology or SaaS business.
Exposure to accounting automation.

Responsibilities

Prepare journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and applicable schedules for month-end and year-end close, delivering accurate work within established deadlines.
Partner with the Controller to identify close bottlenecks, streamline the close calendar, standardize workpapers, and automate repetitive tasks while maintaining strong controls.
Reconcile bank, credit card, and balance sheet accounts; investigate discrepancies, resolve outstanding items, and address recurring issues at their source.
Own and execute accounts payable, accounts receivable, monthly client billing, and employee expense reimbursements with accurate coding, appropriate approvals, and complete documentation.
Prepare monthly financial statements and variance analyses for Controller review, explaining material variances and their underlying drivers.
Prepare assigned state sales-tax filings and payment support for external tax preparers.
Maintain accounting procedures and provide supporting documentation for audits.