Chief Accounting Officer

Summary

Our Client is seeking a Chief Accounting Officer (CAO) to lead the enterprise’s global accounting, reporting, and controls functions. This executive will drive the integrity and accuracy of financial reporting, oversee SOX compliance and internal controls, and serve as a strategic finance partner to senior leadership on capital markets, transactions, and business growth initiatives. This is a highly visible public-company role reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with direct impact on corporate governance, financial transparency, and long-term value creation – accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy through disciplined financial leadership.

Our Client is a technology innovator that designs, develops and manufactures lithium-ion battery solutions. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Stafford, TX, this company is renowned for its cutting-edge cell technology and its vertical integration capabilities which extend from core battery chemistry (cathode, anode, electrolyte, and separator) to battery packs. By integrating the process from raw material to system assembly, this company has developed a family of products covering a broad breadth of market applications.

Key Responsibilities

This role will oversee and ensure the timely and accurate delivery of external reporting requirements, including monthly, quarterly, and annual financials consolidated and filing with the SEC and the company’s independent audit firm. This individual will also provide leadership in developing harmonized financial reporting and maintain an effective enterprise-wide system of internal controls to ensure the financial integrity of reported results for the business. The CAO will lead external financial reporting with the SEC, oversee subsidiary accounting and proper execution of the financial controls, and timely filing and completion statutory and tax functions. They will oversee the design and execution of financial reporting for all business activities, and corporate accounting functions and the development and implementation of related systems, controls, procedures, and policies. Additionally, this executive will lead accounting policy and ensure compliance with SOX, GAAP, IFRS and China Accounting Standards (CAS) and other applicable rules and laws.

This CAO will be a skilled leader, able to provide superior financial reporting and technical accounting oversight, while also contributing to cross-functional strategic initiatives as a true partner to the business. They will work closely with senior management, field business leaders, and peers across other functions. Collaboration with the leadership team will be key in shaping the accounting function's organizational structure, processes, and capabilities to support a rapidly expanding business.

The ideal candidate will reside in the greater Houston area and work on-site at our Stafford office.

Key responsibilities include:

• Direct and oversee all aspects of the accounting and control functions of the organization. Accountable for the development, deployment, and implementation of all company methods, procedures, and practices to safeguard the assets of the enterprise and to properly reflect its financial results. Accountable for the accurate and timely interpretation of GAAP accounting standards and the accurate incorporation of such interpretations into the company’s consolidated financial records. Oversee and control the business accounting activities for the enterprise-wide system of internal controls (SOX compliance).
• Set the strategic direction for the development and deployment of financial and reporting processes that ensure compliance with U.S. GAAP, any other local accounting standards, and the regulatory environment, thereby mitigating risk in the market.
• Accountable for the accurate and timely interpretation and incorporation of US GAAP and other local accounting standards into the Company’s financial record and policy. Including recording company transactions, classifications, and reconciliation of consolidated and subsidiary account balances in accordance with local accounting standards. Oversee and direct accounting questions and judgments for the enterprise.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CFO, CEO, President and other senior leaders, on financial accounting, financial reporting, and other key accounting and controls matters. Serve as a key partner to the CEO, President and CFO on strategic business initiative discussions by understanding and communicating the accounting and financial implications of various growth strategies and transactions.
• Participate in financial due diligence and integration activities, including accounting quality of earnings analysis, pre-close integration planning, post-close decentralized accounting activities, and post-acquisition business and systems integration.
• Support in all required company filings related to capital market activities.
• Provide robust, reliable data with consistent definitions such that the enterprise has a single view of the financial and business facts to support management decisions.
• Serve as key point of contact with the external audit firm to ensure timely and efficient completion of all reviews and audits.
• Maintain, upgrade, and/or support in implementation of the optimal ERP system and broader finance IT infrastructure necessary to record financial transactions and generate the company's financial statements.
• Help lead the implementation of new financial systems. Modernize and simplify the function with a focus on improving efficiency while lowering costs, across financial processes in both field and corporate operations.
• Oversee tax team responsible for strategic planning to minimize cash tax exposure, timely and accurate statutory reporting, tax-related accounting estimates, and close collaboration with business operations on all indirect tax matters.
• Attract, develop, motivate, and manage a high-performance and high-potential team.

Education and Qualifications:

• 15 years in progressive accounting leadership; minimum 10 years as CAO of a public traded company; Deep expertise in US GAAP, IFRS and CAS, SEC, SOX.
• Active U.S. CPA certification is required.
• Big 4 experience is strongly preferred.