Chief Accounting Officer
1 day ago
Jersey City
Our client, a scaling fintech bank, is preparing to enter the public markets and is seeking a Chief Accounting Officer to serve as its principal accounting officer. The CAO will be accountable for the integrity of the company's financial statements, the readiness of the accounting function for an initial public offering, and the long-term design of a finance organization that meets the standards expected of a public, regulated financial institution. This executive will operate as the CFO's most trusted partner and second-in-command across finance. The role combines hands-on technical accounting leadership with enterprise strategy, Board engagement, and organizational build-out. The successful candidate will be both a steward of reporting quality and a builder of people, processes, and systems. Reporting Structure Reports to Chief Financial Officer Team 9 direct and indirect reports across accounting, financial reporting, and FP&A Hiring authority Full authority to recruit and appoint the Corporate Controller Key stakeholders Board of Directors and Audit Committee, executive leadership team, external auditors, legal counsel, underwriters, and banking regulators Equity Equity participation included Key Responsibilities Public Offering Preparation • Set the accounting and disclosure strategy for the company's path to the public markets, including the timeline, sequencing, and resourcing of all pre-offering filings, • Direct preparation of the registration statement's financial content, including multi-year audited financial statements, interim financials, selected financial data, segment disclosures, and the Management's Discussion and Analysis, • Lead the response process for SEC staff comments, drafting technical positions and coordinating with counsel and auditors, • Coordinate with investment banks, securities counsel, and auditors on due diligence, comfort letters, and offering timelines, • Run a public-company readiness assessment covering close timing, reporting capacity, controls, and staffing, and close the gaps before listing, • Advise the CFO and executive team on accounting effects of pre-IPO capital, equity, and compensation decisions SEC and External Financial Reporting • Own the full SEC reporting cycle, including annual and quarterly reports, current reports, proxy statement financial content, and registration statements, • Ensure all filings comply with US GAAP, Regulation S-X, and Regulation S-K, • Build a disciplined quarterly reporting calendar, disclosure committee process, and sub-certification framework, • Partner with Investor Relations on earnings releases, supplemental materials, and non-GAAP measures, ensuring consistency with filed results, • Track new SEC and FASB requirements and assess their effect on the company's reporting Accounting Policy and Technical Accounting • Serve as the company's final authority on accounting policy and the interpretation of US GAAP, • Maintain a comprehensive accounting policy manual covering the bank's products and transactions, • Lead the accounting for areas typical of a fintech bank, including the CECL allowance for credit losses, loan origination and servicing, loan sales and securitizations, deposits, interchange and fee income, investment securities, derivatives and hedging, fair value measurements, and share-based compensation, • Prepare or approve technical accounting memos for new products, partnerships, acquisitions, and other significant transactions, • Evaluate the accounting impact of new product launches and banking-as-a-service or partner arrangements Financial Close, Controls, and Audit • Oversee the monthly, quarterly, and annual close, with a goal of a faster, more reliable close that can support public-company deadlines, • Design and maintain a SOX-compliant internal control environment and prepare the company for management's assessment and, when required, auditor attestation, • Serve as the primary executive contact for the external audit firm, managing audit scope, timelines, and the resolution of findings, • Partner with Internal Audit and Risk on control testing, remediation, and the overall control framework, • Ensure alignment between GAAP reporting and regulatory filings, including Call Reports, and support bank examinations Financial Planning and Analysis • Lead the FP&A function, including the annual operating plan, rolling forecasts, multi-year strategic plan, and variance analysis, • Develop KPI and management reporting that gives executives and the Board a clear view of growth, margin, credit, and capital performance, • Support capital planning, liquidity analysis, and stress testing in partnership with Treasury and Risk, • Build forecasting discipline that can support public-market guidance after the IPO Finance Systems and Transformation • Own the finance technology roadmap, setting priorities for the general ledger and ERP, consolidation, close management, reporting, and planning tools, • Lead selection, implementation, and integration of new systems, managing vendors, timelines, and budgets, • Improve data quality and automation across the record-to-report process to reduce manual work and reporting risk Executive and Board Partnership • Act as the CFO's right hand, representing finance in executive decision-making and stepping in for the CFO as needed, • Present regularly to the Board of Directors and Audit Committee on financial results, accounting judgments, control matters, and offering readiness, • Build strong working relationships with the CEO, business leaders, and the heads of Risk, Compliance, Treasury, and Legal Team Leadership and Development • Lead and develop a team of 9 professionals across accounting, financial reporting, and FP&A, • Recruit and appoint the Corporate Controller and shape the leadership structure beneath the CAO, • Plan headcount and organizational design to support public-company requirements and continued growth, • Build a culture of accountability, technical excellence, and continuous improvement, with clear career paths and succession plans Required • Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field, • 15+ years of progressive accounting and financial reporting experience, primarily within financial services, • Significant leadership experience managing multi-disciplinary accounting and finance teams, including managers and senior professionals
