Chief Accounting Officer

Job description

Ascension Search Partners has been engaged to hire a Chief Accounting Officer for a pre-IPO, rapidly scaling flagship PE-backed, manufacturing company at a transformational point in its evolution. The incoming executive will play a foundational role in building the accounting infrastructure, leadership capability, and public company readiness necessary to support continued acquisition-driven growth and a potential future liquidity event.

The high-impact, hands-on, Chief Accounting Officer will build and lead a scalable accounting infrastructure capable of supporting a rapidly growing, acquisition-driven enterprise and eventual IPO readiness initiatives. This is a newly created executive leadership role reporting directly to the CFO and will serve as a critical partner in driving enterprise-wide financial discipline, standardization, controls enhancement, and accounting transformation across a complex multi-entity environment.

Key Responsibilities

Oversight of all accounting, internal and external reporting, tax and treasury functions across a complex multi-entity structure

Driving consistency and standardization of accounting policies, procedures, and reporting practices across all business units.

Lead SOX readiness initiatives

Build scalable accounting processes and reporting structures

Partner closely with executive leadership and external advisors on IPO preparedness initiatives.

Serve as primary executive liaison to external auditors

Oversee technical accounting matters, regulatory compliance, and accounting policy governance.

Ensure compliance with all applicable US GAAP and regulatory reporting requirements.

Develop and institutionalize accounting integration playbooks for acquired businesses.

Lead finance and accounting integration efforts for newly acquired operating companies.

Drive post-acquisition standardization initiatives while balancing decentralized operational needs.

Lead and mentor decentralized team

Establish scalable organizational structures capable of supporting continued acquisition-driven growth.

Drive process improvement initiatives focused on scalability, visibility, operational efficiency, and internal controls enhancement.

Serve as a trusted advisor to the CFO and executive leadership team

Support board-level and sponsor-level reporting requirements as needed.

Required Experience & Qualifications

8+ years of progressive accounting and finance leadership experience within a public multi-entity organizations exceeding $600M+ in revenue

Public company accounting leadership experience, including SEC reporting, SOX compliance, and deep US GAAP expertise

Engineered products, industrial manufacturing, or highly engineered component manufacturing experience

Experience preparing organizations for IPO or public company readiness initiatives

Demonstrated experience scaling through M&A driven growth environments

Strong ERP and financial systems transformation experience

Prior Big 4 public accounting background required

Prior experience within a PE backed company

Strong inventory accounting and cost accounting experience

A highly hands-on, roll-up-sleeves leadership style

Strong executive presence, and ability to influence

Ability to lead through complexity, ambiguity, and rapid organizational change

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Who can apply

Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.