What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Accounting position at Buckingham Search?
Director of Accounting – North America
📍 Chicago, IL | Hybrid
A large, publicly traded global organization is seeking a Director of Accounting to lead North American accounting operations within a centralized corporate finance structure.
This is a senior executive role for a seasoned accounting leader who thrives in complex, multi-entity environments and wants genuine ownership over people, processes, integration, and transformation at scale.
What You'll Own:
- Build, lead, and develop a team of approximately 20 accounting professionals spread across multiple locations — setting vision, managing performance, and creating a high-accountability culture
- Ensure accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of financial close and reporting across all North American entities
- Own revenue accounting processes across the region including contract evaluation, recognition, and compliance with current standards
- Drive the integration of recently acquired business units into the centralized accounting model — building teams, defining scope, and managing transition
- Lead SOX implementation across legacy sites including gap assessments, control design, and remediation across all major accounting cycles
- Review balance sheets regularly to ensure compliance, surface trends, and resolve aged or unusual items
- Champion standardization and automation across accounting workflows — reducing manual effort and improving quality
- Partner with senior leadership and cross-functional teams on financial strategy, risk identification, and process improvement
What We're Looking For:
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA preferred
- 12 years of progressive accounting experience including 7 years leading teams
- Strong command of US GAAP and revenue recognition standards
- Demonstrated SOX compliance leadership experience
- ERP proficiency (SAP, JDE, or similar)
- Proven ability to lead change, manage complexity, and influence across a matrixed organization
- Strong communicator with executive presence and sharp organizational instincts
Why This Role Stands Out:
✅ Genuine enterprise leadership — own accounting across an entire continent
✅ Central role in post-merger integration and accounting transformation
✅ Real authority over people, systems, strategy, and process design
✅ Hybrid flexibility in downtown Chicago
✅ High visibility to global leadership in a growing, acquisitive organization