What are the responsibilities and job description for the Staff Accountant position at Career Opportunities at Merz North America?
About Us
Founded in 1908, Merz is a successful, family-owned specialty healthcare company with a rich history. As a leading global aesthetics business, our award-winning portfolio of injectables, devices, and skincare products empowers healthcare professionals to enhance confidence through aesthetic medicine. Our purpose is to fuel confidence by helping people look better, feel better, and live better. We believe you do not have to choose between living life and making a living. Live your best life with Merz Aesthetics.
A Brief Overview
The Staff Accountant role supports the monthly, quarterly, and annual close through coordination of key accounting and reporting activities, including journal entries, reconciliations, account analysis, and financial reporting support. This role helps ensure the accuracy, integrity, and timely delivery of financial information while partnering across functions to resolve accounting matters, support audit and compliance requirements. Additionally, this role will support identifying opportunities to improve processes, controls, and efficiency. As knowledge and experience grow, the position will take on broader ownership and increasingly complex accounting responsibilities.
What You Will Do
- Month-End Close Prodedures
- Perform assigned accounting and reporting activities to support accurate, timely, and compliant financial reporting.
- Prepare journal entries, account reconciliations, account analyses, and supporting schedules.
- Review account activity, investigate variances, and identify unusual or unexpected items requiring further analysis.
- Complete assigned monthly, quarterly, and annual close activities in accordance with established reporting deadlines.
- Support legal entity, consolidation, and corporate reporting requirements, as assigned.
- Balance Sheet Controls
- Manage assigned balance sheet accounts, reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
- Review account activity, investigate variances, and resolve reconciling items in a timely manner.
- Monitor aged and outstanding items and coordinate with business partners to support resolution.
- Ensure assigned activities comply with company accounting policies, reporting requirements, and internal control standards.
- Identify potential errors, control gaps, or process risks and support the implementation of appropriate corrective actions.
- Accounting Analysis and Reporting Support
- Support monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting requirements by preparing assigned analyses, schedules, and supporting documentation.
- Analyze general ledger activity and supporting transactional data for assigned accounting areas.
- Investigate account fluctuations, unexpected trends, and differences between recorded activity and supporting information.
- Coordinate with process owners and business partners to obtain information necessary to complete assigned analysis and reporting requirements.
- Process Improvement & Operational Effectiveness
- Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of assigned accounting and reporting processes.
- Participate in process improvement initiatives that strengthen controls, reduce risk, and improve operational effectiveness.
- Leverage SAP, close management tools, and other business systems to improve reporting, process efficiency, and data integrity. •
- Develop and maintain process documentation, procedures, and supporting materials.
- Support system enhancements, testing, automation, and accounting process implementations, as assigned.
- Collaboration & Business Partnership
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with Finance and other cross-functional business partners
- Coordinate with stakeholders to obtain information and documentation needed to complete assigned accounting activities.
- Follow up proactively on outstanding information, reconciling items, and accounting questions.
- Communicate accounting issues, risks, and potential delays clearly and in a timely manner.
- Partner with senior accounting team members on transactions requiring additional analysis, technical guidance, or accounting judgment.
- Audit, Compliance & Special Projects
- Support internal and external audit activities for assigned accounts, processes, and reporting areas.
- Prepare recurring and ad hoc audit, compliance, and reporting support.
- Maintain complete and organized documentation supporting assigned accounting activities.
- Perform assigned responsibilities in accordance with company policies, accounting standards, and internal control requirements.
- Participate in special projects, system enhancements, process implementations, and other business initiatives, as assigned.
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field
- 1-2 years related experience in accounting with a company or from public accounting
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field
- Proficient in SAP or similar ERP (preferred)
- Certified Management Accountant (CMA)/CPA/CA/CFA
Technical & Functional Skills
- Ability to read and comprehend accounting literature such as IFRS, GAAP, etc.
- Proficient in MS Office Products (Word, Excel, Outlook)
- Understanding of Accounting principles and standards
- Ability to identify issues and opportunities, develop practical solutions, and improve accounting processes, controls, and efficiencies
- Ability to work effectively across functions, communicate accounting matters clearly, and proactively follow through on issues and deliverables