Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer

CarMax • Richmond, VA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

CarMax seeks an experienced, strategic accounting leader to serve as Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. This is the company’s senior-most accounting executive, responsible for the full scope of the enterprise’s accounting operations, financial reporting integrity, and multi-year accounting transformation agenda. This role includes leadership of Corporate Accounting, Financial Reporting, Accounting Policy, Financial Controls & Compliance and Tax. In addition, Accounting Transformation (systems, process automation, and intelligent automation/robotics), Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Payroll. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the VP/CAO will be a member of the senior finance leadership team and a trusted partner to the Board of Directors, Audit Committee, and executive leadership. This is a highly visible, enterprise-shaping role for a leader who combines deep technical accounting expertise with the transformational mindset and operational scale required to lead a complex, growing public company.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Business Administration; CPA required.
• Twenty or more years of progressively responsible accounting leadership experience, including significant experience in Big 4 public accounting (audit of public companies) and/or senior corporate accounting roles at large public companies.
• Demonstrated experience leading external financial reporting (SEC filings), accounting policy, general ledger and controllership functions, and internal controls/SOX.
• Experience with inventory and cost accounting at a high-volume, multi-location business.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-entity consolidations and complex financial close processes.
• Proven ability to partner with Internal Audit, Audit Committee, and external auditors; track record of building and sustaining strong governance and control environments.
• Deep technical accounting knowledge including GAAP, SEC reporting requirements, and SOX 404 compliance.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and inspire large, diverse accounting organizations and build cultures of excellence and accountability.
• Exceptional executive communication skills; proven ability to present complex accounting and financial topics clearly and persuasively to Boards of Directors, Audit Committees, and executive leadership.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis; sponsorship is not available for this role.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in multi-site retail, consumer finance, or automotive sectors; familiarity with specialty finance accounting (e.g., auto receivables, securitization) is a plus.
• Graduate degree (MBA or Master’s in Accounting) preferred.
• Experience supporting investor relations, earnings preparation, and non-GAAP financial measure governance.
• Experience owning Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and/or Payroll functions at scale, including controls, operational performance management, and technology modernization.
• Exposure to M&A due diligence, purchase accounting, and integration accounting.
• Familiarity with modern ERP platforms (e.g., Oracle, SAP, Workday Financials) and intelligent automation tools (UiPath, Automation Anywhere, or similar).
• Proven track record leading large-scale accounting or finance transformation initiatives, including ERP implementations, RPA/automation deployments, or significant process reengineering.

Responsibilities

• Own the accuracy, compliance, and timeliness of all external financial reporting, including quarterly and annual SEC filings (10-Q, 10-K, proxy, and other required reports) in compliance with GAAP and SEC regulations.
• Serve as the company’s foremost technical accounting authority; ensure accounting policies are established, executed, documented, and disclosed to minimize financial reporting risk.
• Proactively monitor and operationalize new FASB standards, SEC rules, and emerging regulatory requirements, advising executive leadership and the Audit Committee on potential impacts.
• Serve as primary liaison to the company’s external auditors; lead all aspects of the annual audit and quarterly review process, including resolution of complex or non-routine accounting matters.
• Present financial reporting updates, accounting policy matters, and controls status to the Board of Directors and Audit Committee, as required.
• Direct day-to-day accounting operations to ensure the integrity, accuracy, and timeliness of financial statements and the monthly/quarterly close cycle.
• Oversee all Corporate Accounting functions including general ledger, intercompany, multi-entity consolidations, fixed assets, lease accounting, inventory and cost accounting, and balance sheet management.
• Lead Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Payroll functions, ensuring operational excellence, policy compliance, and a strong control environment across high-volume, high-stakes transactional processes.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls over financial reporting and Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 requirements; own the design and operating effectiveness of the company’s internal control framework.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate financial reporting risks; maintain comprehensive accounting policies, procedures, and documentation across all functions.
• Partner closely with Internal Audit to strengthen the overall control environment, remediate deficiencies, and ensure alignment on risk priorities and audit findings.
• Provide critical data, analysis, and accounting insight to support budgeting, forecasting, and reporting to senior management.
• Lead the Accounting Transformation function, driving the multi-year roadmap for ERP modernization, process automation, intelligent automation (RPA/AI), and data infrastructure that underpin the accounting organization.
• Serve as the senior accounting executive and key decision-maker in ERP and financial systems initiatives, partnering with IT, FP&A, and other stakeholders to ensure accounting requirements are met and business value is realized.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement; identify and implement process redesigns that reduce close cycle time, increase accuracy, and scale the function efficiently.
• Evaluate emerging technologies—including AI-assisted close processes, robotic process automation, and advanced analytics—and build a forward-looking technology strategy for the accounting function.
• Define and track key performance metrics for the accounting function (close cycle time, error rates, automation penetration, audit findings) to drive accountability and continuous improvement.
• Serve as a strategic business partner to Financial Planning & Analysis, Investor Relations, CarMax Auto Finance Accounting, Legal, Treasury, Strategic Sourcing, and HR.
• Provide proactive accounting guidance and risk advisory services to executive leadership and the CFO on transactions, strategic initiatives, and enterprise decisions with financial reporting implications.
• Partner with Investor Relations on earnings release preparation, investor communications, and non-GAAP financial measure governance.
• Support M&A due diligence, purchase accounting, and integration accounting activities as CarMax evaluates strategic opportunities.
• Lead, inspire, and develop a high-performing, multi-functional accounting organization of significant scale (300+ professionals), spanning Corporate Accounting, Financial Reporting, Accounting Policy, Financial Controls & Compliance, Accounting Transformation, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Payroll.
• Establish a culture of accountability, intellectual rigor, continuous learning, and associate development across all reporting teams.
• Build and maintain robust succession plans for all critical accounting and reporting roles to ensure organizational resilience and depth.
• Attract, recruit, and retain top accounting talent; create meaningful individual development plans aligned to associate career aspirations and organizational needs.
• Model CarMax’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging in all hiring, development, and leadership decisions.

Benefits

• Paid sick time
• Vacation time
• Paid holidays
• Floating holiday
• Holiday Premium Pay
• Paid time away with no specified limit as needed for sick, bereavement, jury duty, etc. subject to manager approval (for salaried associates)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive