Sr. Director, Global Revenue Accounting

Xylem•Charlotte, NC

19h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Global Revenue Accounting leads the company’s Revenue Center of Excellence—also known as the Global Revenue Deals Desk (GRDD) —and is responsible for setting strategy while overseeing the day-to-day execution of contract review, deal structuring, technical accounting, controls, and enablement activities. This is a high-impact, highly visible leadership role that sits at the intersection of Finance and the business. The position combines deep expertise in revenue recognition (ASC 606) with strong commercial acumen, cross-functional partnership, and people leadership.

Requirements

Active CPA required.
12+ years of progressive accounting experience, preferably including Big 4/public accounting and/or corporate or industry experience with a focus on revenue recognition
Deep, hands-on expertise applying ASC 606 (and familiarity with ASC 842) to complex, judgmental commercial arrangements.
Demonstrated experience leading and developing teams, including people-management responsibility.
Proven ability to partner across Sales, Legal, and Finance and to influence senior stakeholders without direct authority.
Experience with revenue-related internal controls (SOX), audit support, and documentation of technical accounting positions.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical accounting into clear business guidance.

Responsibilities

Lead deal structuring. Partner with Sales and Legal during negotiations to structure contracts that achieve commercial goals while delivering the intended revenue outcomes.
Oversee review of high-value and non-standard arrangements—evaluating payment terms, acceptance criteria, performance obligations, variable consideration, and other clauses that drive the timing and amount of revenue recognized.
Embed the GRDD early in the deal lifecycle so revenue risks and opportunities are identified before contracts are signed, not explained after the fact.
Ensure deals are structured to optimize margin realization, forecast accuracy, and predictable revenue recognition.
Serve as the company’s subject-matter authority on revenue recognition under ASC 606 (and related ASC 842 lease considerations), resolving complex technical questions and documenting positions.
Maintain revenue recognition policy, accounting positions, and practical guidance, ensuring consistency across business units and regions.
Deliver clear, well-documented accounting conclusions on judgmental arrangements that withstand internal and external audit scrutiny.
Foster real-time collaboration among Sales, Legal, Finance, and Operations—breaking down silos that historically caused accounting surprises.
Act as a trusted advisor to segment finance and commercial leaders, translating accounting implications into actionable business guidance.
Build ongoing relationships (not just one-off reviews) so the GRDD is engaged proactively on strategic deals.
Operate and continuously improve the GRDD’s key revenue controls, including independent review of in-scope contracts and the associated Revenue Recognition Checklist.
Confirm appropriate, independent Finance Approver sign-off consistent with the Delegation of Authority (DOA) matrix, and that documentation packages are complete and consistent with accounting conclusions.
Partner with internal audit and external auditors, providing clear documentation and standing behind technical positions; track and resolve exceptions to closure.
Oversee the contract log and metrics dashboards that report portfolio TCV, revenue-recognition profile, and review status to leadership.
Manage, coach, and develop a global team of managers and senior analysts; set goals, calibrate performance, and build bench strength and technical capability.
Standardize processes and review procedures across business units and regions to ensure consistency, quality, and timeliness.
Balance workload across the team to meet quarterly close and deal-flow demands.
Sponsor and guide revenue lifecycle management, billing, and automation initiatives (e.g., Zuora) and ERP enhancements that streamline revenue processes and improve data accuracy.
Partner with Legal and IT on contract lifecycle management (CLM) and contract-language standards that reduce downstream revenue risk.
Identify and implement process efficiencies that increase the desk’s scalability as deal volume and complexity grow.
Build and deliver training that helps Sales, Legal, and Finance understand how commercial decisions affect revenue recognition.
Maintain intake processes (e.g., the GRDD intake form) and guidance so stakeholders can easily engage the desk at the right time.