Vice President, Operational & Technical Accounting Advisory

Company Overview

There’s a better way to work in finance—and more specifically, a better way to unlock value potential in private equity-backed portfolio companies. Working at the intersection of sponsors and management teams across every stage of the investment lifecycle, our team provides hands-on, execution-oriented support to elevate the office of the CFO.

So, what does it mean to work at Accordion? It means joining 1,400+ finance & technology experts in a high-growth, collaborative, and agile environment while changing the way portfolio companies drive value. It also means making your mark on Accordion’s future.

With the London office launching our European footprint, London-based Accordionites will have a unique opportunity to flex their entrepreneurial muscles and drive our business forward in the European market.

Accordion is headquartered in New York City with 10 offices around the globe. Come join us as we build something great, together.

Operational & Technical Accounting Advisory Practice

With the increase in complexity of the business environment and transactions, CFOs of private equity-backed companies are increasingly being looked towards to drive strategic insights for their business. Finance organizations are no longer simply result reporters, but rather, they couple these results with forward-looking data to provide strategic insights which are leveraged to make business decisions. Efficiency of process and meaningful control environments allows for speed of financial reporting with increasingly accurate measures, leaving more time for the finance team to add future enterprise value, rather than look backwards.

Accordion’s Operational & Technical Accounting Advisory (O&T) Practice is comprised of a dedicated team providing accounting and financial advice to support PE-backed portfolio companies on a wide range of transactions and events, including Accounting Policies & Procedures, ERP/Financial System Execution, Financial Statement Close Process, Process & Controls Implementation, Technical Accounting, Finance/Accounting Assessment & Design and Finance & Accounting Organization Standup from a Carve-Out or Merger.  We are doers and problem solvers – making sense of complexity and bolstering sponsors’ value creation theses.

This role can be based in our London office. Ideal candidates should be local to the desired location, with the flexibility to work remotely 1-2 days a week, blending the best of both worlds for efficiency and collaboration.

What You’ll Do:

As part of a lean, cross-functional team, the O&T Vice President will play a vital role in identifying and rectifying issues across a broad range of scenarios. This role will require regular and extensive travel across Europe to work with clients in the relevant jurisdictions.

The following representative engagements are emblematic of the type of work you’ll do as an O&T Vice President at Accordion:

A rapidly growing company with a global footprint routinely takes 45 days to close its books and produce financial statements. You and the team are brought in to:

• Perform deep-dives and gain an understanding of current state processes, people, and systems (both on paper and in reality)
• Identify root causes and provide recommendations on how to improve broken processes, bridge control gaps, and better align roles and responsibilities with best practices
• Implement tools and creative solutions that the accounting function can use to streamline their close process (e.g. introduce materiality limits, close checklists, and calendars)

The team is advising a cash-basis company going through their first-year audit. You will assist the team with the following initiatives:

• Cash to UK GAAP conversion, adopting key accounting standards such as revenue recognition and lease accounting
• The timely and accurate preparation of financial statements, account reconciliations, and supporting schedules 
• Project managing the audit timeline throughout the engagement   

Following the acquisition of three similar, stand-alone businesses, a PE Sponsor has identified the need to consolidate operations in order to realize the synergies identified in their investment thesis. Get ready to:

• Design a singular finance function that can serve all three businesses; you’ll put together intuitive processes and controls and realign roles and responsibilities to suit the strengths of the individuals
• Draft a unified set of policies and procedures that speak to all three businesses and encourages them to operate with consistency
• Design a standard chart of accounts for a consolidated business
• Select, implement, and champion a robust ERP solution which meets the needs of the combined business
• Conduct purchase accounting analyses and establish UK GAAP-compliant opening balance sheets for each transaction
• Consolidate their existing financial reporting from disparate systems, including aligning with UK GAAP and adjusting for deviations in accounting policies and procedures, to produce a single source of numerical truth

In order to keep pace with its competitors, a technology company is looking to move away from a traditional subscription-based model to a SaaS model, and requires guidance in dealing with the key finance and accounting implications which will ensue. You are part of a team that will:

• Address changes in revenue recognition requirements and draft accounting policies that affirm the new normal
• Challenge existing assumptions in underlying revenue forecasts and associated cost-drivers
• Evolve the invoicing process to reflect new business processes

You Have:

• Minimum 5-9 years of experience working in financial accounting or operations at a top-tier public accounting or financial advisory firm, and/or private company
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or related field; Chartered Accountant designation is a plus
• A strong and up-to date knowledge of UK GAAP (exposure to IFRS is a plus), with deep technical understanding of topics such as ASC 606 revenue recognition, lease transactions, purchase accounting, etc.
• Experience in the following areas: technical accounting advisory, audit readiness, and functional accounting / controllership support
• Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills
• Strong client service mindset and communication skills

You Are:

• Excited to be part of a growing team, with a focus on driving future growth
• Experienced in advising clients on financial accounting issues
• Knowledgeable of complex financial accounting and operations issues
• Passionate about delivering exceptional client service
• Experienced in advising clients on financial and transformation initiatives
• Knowledgeable about the relationship between Private Equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, particularly within the office of the CFO
• Willing to get your hands dirty in the details of a project while simultaneously seeing the whole picture
• Comfortable managing projects with multiple complex workstreams while also focused on your single workstream (you are managing and doing)
• A self-starter with a strong work ethic
• Full of entrepreneurial spirit and comfortable in a fluid, flat organization
• Able to effectively communicate complex issues and solutions, and raise issues to senior team members when necessary
• A team player, able to work with team members across all levels
• Someone who enjoys mentoring others and doing meaningful work
• A leader of others; you lead by example

Accordion is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.  We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical​​​ condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or ​expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under law.

Please note that as per Accordion policy, we do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters unless such recruiters are engaged to provide candidates for a specified opening and in alignment with our inclusive diversity values. Any employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume does so with the understanding that Accordion will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion without any fee owed to the submitting employment agency, person or entity.

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