What are the responsibilities and job description for the Chief Accounting Officer position at Northbound Executive Search?
Chief Accounting Officer
Our client is seeking a CAO to join their growing finance team. We are ideally seeking someone with corporate accounting and managerial experience that is commutable full-time in office, 5days onsite, to La Grange, Illinois. The compensation is $150K-$175K base bonus.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the main liaison for external auditors and other regulatory reviews, overseeing all audit-related activities from start to finish.
- Support the development and implementation of accounting policies, financial reporting standards, general ledger oversight, and system controls within a mortgage banking environment.
- Participate in monthly, quarterly, and annual close cycles, including preparing financial statements in accordance with GAAP, submitting data to the parent company, and completing quarterly NMLS Mortgage Call Reports.
- Monitor updates to accounting standards and regulatory requirements, ensuring timely adoption and organizational compliance.
- Carry out designated Treasury functions to strengthen internal controls and help maintain a comprehensive SOX 404 control environment.
- Coordinate quarterly engagements with third-party valuation providers.
- Contribute to the leadership, development, and mentorship of the accounting team.
- Maintain and organize the company’s Permanent File Data Room.
- Review and verify periodic remittance reports from third-party loan servicers.
- Ensure loan sales accurately recover escrow balances and corporate advances reported in servicer remittances.
- Conduct GAAP and tax-related research, including support for year-end reporting such as 1099, 1098, W-2, and W-3 filings.
- Partner with the CFO and senior leadership on financial strategy, variance analysis, and board-level reporting.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, Finance, or Accounting) preferred
- 10 years of progressive experience in accounting
- At least 5 years within mortgage banking or financial services
- Strong knowledge of GAAP, SEC reporting requirements, and SOX compliance
- Experience with mortgage banking revenue recognition principles