Sr. Director, Controllership in Boston, Massachusetts at NWN

• Lead a large, multi-layered organization spanning revenue, corporate accounting, controllership excellence, accounts payable, and the order-to-cash team, *** including billing, collections, and cash applications.
• Build bench strength by developing managers, raising hiring and performance standards, and partnering with HR to hire, develop, and retain top talent.
• Own a deliberate workforce strategy across a blended team of employees and contractors, including the onshore and offshore model.
• Set a clear operating rhythm, hold the team accountable, and create a culture of ownership, rigor, and continuous improvement.
• Redesign and scale department processes so the business can grow without adding cost linearly; standardize and automate manual work across close, reconciliations, revenue, and order-to-cash.
• Lead the practical, well-controlled adoption of AI and automation to improve speed, accuracy, insight, and team capacity.
• Partner with Finance Systems and IT on the ERP and surrounding tooling roadmap, translating process needs into system requirements.
• Serve as the company’s senior technical accounting authority, including ASC 606 revenue recognition, consolidations, technical accounting memos, new standards, goodwill and intangible impairment, and equity transactions.
• Lead accounting for acquisitions, including purchase accounting under ASC 805, opening balance sheets, diligence support, and post-close integration.
• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close, balance-sheet integrity, reconciliations, annual GAAP financial statements, and accurate, timely, decision-useful reporting.
• Lead the annual external audit end to end and drive year-round audit readiness through proactive 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 credible 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 shortening the monthly close from 8 days toward a 5-day close.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Complies with all policies and standards.
• Demonstrated comfort with adopting emerging AI tools and technologies to optimize processes, improve collaboration, and drive operational effectiveness.

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance.
• 10+ years of progressive accounting experience, including 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, with 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.
• Proven 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, with the ability to design, standardize, automate, and scale accounting processes and systems.
• Demonstrated 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 and judgmental accounting matters, with the 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 the 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.

Remote: Job duties are performed from the employee’s home 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.

Requires Travel - Yes