Sr. Director, Controllership

NWN Carousel•Exeter, CA

1d•Remote

About The Position

NWN is seeking a Senior Director to lead the integrity, efficiency, and scalability of its accounting operations. This builder’s role leads a large, multi-disciplinary controllership organization and combines deep accounting expertise with a process, systems, and automation mindset. The Senior Director will strengthen the organization, modernize its operations, and guide the practical, well-governed adoption of AI. The role reports to the SVP and serves as a senior representative of controllership to the CFO, auditors, executive leadership, and the board. The position oversees revenue and corporate accounting, controllership excellence, accounts payable, and order-to-cash functions, including billing, collections, and cash applications. It owns accounting operations, technical accounting, financial reporting, close and audit readiness, internal controls, and accounting governance. The Senior Director also partners across Finance, Systems, IT, Operations, Sales, Legal, and Revenue Operations, and leads transformation efforts intended to improve scalability and move the monthly close from 8 days toward 5 days. The role is remote. Duties are performed from the employee’s home or another approved remote location. Remote employees are expected to maintain productivity, communication, and availability during agreed-upon working hours in alignment with company policies. Travel is required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance.
10+ years of progressive accounting experience.
5+ years leading managers and prior ownership of a full controllership or finance-operations function.
Experience at a $1B+ multi-entity business in technology, telecom, managed services, or IT services, including recurring-revenue and billing complexity.
Experience leading ERP or large-scale systems transformation and using AI and automation to deliver at least one specific, measurable finance or accounting result.
Transaction and private-equity experience, including acquisitions, ASC 805 purchase accounting, sell-side diligence, quality of earnings, sponsor and lender reporting, covenant compliance, and board reporting.
Experience leading a company through its annual external audit.
Deep technical accounting knowledge, especially ASC 606 revenue recognition, consolidations, internal controls, ASC 805 purchase accounting, and GAAP financial reporting.
Strong business-systems and process mindset, including the ability to design, standardize, automate, and scale accounting processes and systems.
Ability to apply AI and automation pragmatically, with appropriate governance and controls, to improve finance and accounting outcomes.
Ability to lead a large, multi-layered organization, develop managers, build bench strength, and raise talent and performance standards.
Ability to establish operating rhythms, accountability, clear ownership, and a culture of rigor and continuous improvement.
Strong judgment on complex accounting matters and ability to prepare clear, defensible technical positions.
Ability to lead a clean, on-time external audit and maintain a strong year-round control and audit-readiness environment.
Strategic business-partnering skills, including connecting financial results to business decisions and influencing cross-functional leaders.
Executive presence and ability to communicate complex accounting matters clearly to the CFO, auditors, executive team, audit committee, and board.
Ability to lead transformation, ERP or large-scale systems initiatives, and measurable improvements in close speed, accuracy, effort, and reporting quality.
Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license.

Responsibilities

Lead a large, multi-layered organization spanning revenue, corporate accounting, controllership excellence, accounts payable, and order-to-cash, including billing, collections, and cash applications.
Develop managers, strengthen the talent bench, raise hiring and performance standards, and partner with HR to hire, develop, and retain talent.
Set and own a workforce strategy for a blended employee and contractor team, including its onshore and offshore model.
Establish operating rhythms, accountability, ownership, rigor, and continuous improvement across the team.
Redesign and scale accounting processes to support business growth without linear cost increases; standardize and automate work across close, reconciliations, revenue, and order-to-cash.
Lead practical, controlled adoption of AI and automation to improve speed, accuracy, insight, and team capacity.
Partner with Finance Systems and IT on the ERP and related tooling roadmap, translating process needs into system requirements.
Serve as the company’s senior technical accounting authority for matters including ASC 606 revenue recognition, consolidations, technical accounting memos, new standards, goodwill and intangible impairment, and equity transactions.
Lead acquisition accounting, including ASC 805 purchase accounting, opening balance sheets, diligence support, and post-close integration.
Own monthly, quarterly, and annual close; balance-sheet integrity; reconciliations; annual GAAP financial statements; and accurate, timely, decision-useful reporting.
Lead the annual external audit and maintain year-round audit readiness through documentation, technical memos, control evidence, and early issue resolution.
Own the internal control framework, accounting policy and governance, chart of accounts, delegation of authority, and audit committee and board reporting on significant accounting matters.
Serve as a deputy to the SVP and represent controllership to the CFO, auditors, executive leadership, and board.
Partner with FP&A, Operations, Sales, Legal, and Revenue Operations on results, variances, commercial decisions, and complex or non-standard contracts.
Establish and execute a prioritized transformation and AI roadmap, including measurable progress toward reducing the monthly close from 8 days toward 5 days.
Perform other duties as assigned and comply with company policies and standards.
Adopt emerging AI tools and technologies to optimize processes, improve collaboration, and drive operational effectiveness.