AVP, Accounting Strategy & Execution - Investment Accounting

At American Equity we offer leading annuity products that help empower our clients to fulfill their needs and wants in retirement. Our success comes from hiring high-energy individuals who embody the beliefs that drive our unique culture. We currently fund over half a million retirements nationwide, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, for over thirty years with satellite offices in Charlotte, NC and New York, NY.

General Purpose Of The Job

The AVP, Accounting Strategy & Execution leads strategic, operational, and technology‑enabled change across the Investment Accounting organization. This role leads the function that ensures that the department is operating efficiently, leveraging modern tools and processes, and continuously improving to meet the needs of the business, regulators, and stakeholders. The function partners closely with Accounting, Investment Operations, Technology, Data, and key business leaders to design, implement, and sustain long‑term transformation initiatives.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Defines and owns the multi‑year transformation roadmap for the Investment Accounting function, aligning with Finance and ANGI priorities.
• Identifies opportunities to modernize processes, automate workflows, and enhance data integrity and reporting capabilities.
• Leads cross‑functional transformation projects from planning through execution, ensuring clear scope, timelines, and business outcomes.
• Establishes governance routines, project documentation, and success metrics for all initiatives.
• Evaluates existing end‑to‑end accounting workflows to streamline manual processes, reduce operational risk, and improve control effectiveness.
• Drives standardization across entities, asset classes, and reporting processes.
• Acts as a champion for continuous improvement and a culture of innovation.
• Shapes vendor strategy and investment decisions in partnership with Finance and IT leadership.
• Leads large-scale organizational change efforts across ANGI, ensuring smooth adoption of new processes, systems, and operating models
• Performs additional related duties as required.
  
  

Supervisory Responsibilities

Direct Reports:

1-3 leaders and/or senior professionals.

General Description Of Indirect Reports (2 And 3-downs)

None

Education And/Or Experience

• Bachelor’s degree from a four-year credited college or university in accounting, finance or related field of study; plus ten (10) years of progressively responsible related experience in Investment Accounting, Insurance, Financial Services or related transformation roles.
• Prior experience and proficiency with SAP, PAM, BlackRock Aladdin, Clearwater analytics, WINGS, MS Excel.
  
  

Certificates, Licenses, Professional Designations

CPA, MBA, PMP preferred.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Strong Statutory and GAAP accounting knowledge for invested assets.
• Ability to act independently, take ownership of functions and tasks, manage time effectively to meet deadlines and prioritize amongst a wide array of tasks.
• Knowledge of the investment industry, including financial data management and reporting.
• Ability to prioritize, manage time well, meet critical deadlines, and work well under pressure.
• Knowledge of applicable laws, rules and regulations.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships with internal and external parties at all levels.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Strong attention to numeric and other detail; ability to work with mathematical concepts and apply to practical situations.
• Strong organizational and planning skills.
• Strong systems aptitude.
• Ability to identify process improvements that create efficiencies and improve work product.
  
  

Location considerations are onsite in Des Moines, IA.

This description covers the major purpose and essential functions of the job. It is not intended to give all details or a step-by-step account of the way each task is to be performed. Employees may receive other job related instructions and be required to perform other job related work requested by their manager. All requirements are subject to possible modification to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities.

At American Equity, our core values—Empowered, Passion, Integrity, and Caring—are more than words. They guide how we support one another and how we serve our clients every day. To learn more about American Equity, our culture, and our values, visit the Careers site.

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