The Senior Accountant is part of the North America accounting team, responsible for supporting various North America accounting tasks associated with lease accounting. Tasks include month-end close duties, reconciliations, journal entries, maintaining strong internal controls, delivering timely, accurate, & relevant financial information to internal customers and being an active, collaborative business partner. Responsibilities include assisting with the preparation of internal/external financial reports, and other ad-hoc accounting support tasks.
Essential Functions/Responsibilities:
This role is focused on lease accounting, to ensure Columbia records accurate balance sheet and income statement activity in accordance with ASC 842. This includes the right of use asset and lease liability, tenant improvement allowances, nonlease components, rent accruals and the recognition of lease associated expenses. Types of leases at Columbia are primarily related to B&M stores but also include sales offices and corporate facilities and others.
Review and analyze landlord billings for CAM, marketing, taxes, insurance, etc. Correspond with landlord representatives and Columbia’s Real Estate team on variances and reconciliations.
Deliver financial planning estimates of associated lease expenses and review/coordinate with regional finance teams for forecast, budget, and long-range planning purposes. Support other ad-hoc requests from the regional finance or Real Estate teams, including review of new leases or lease renewals.
Job consists of recurring work situations with occasional variations from the norm. Incumbent completes tasks and functions of a moderately complex nature. The incumbent operates from some established policies and procedures, occasionally creating new ones with the Manager’s review and approval. Duties are performed with minimal supervision and direction. Because of the exactness required in an accounting function, work is checked by Managers. Decisions are made within general department guidelines. Errors in judgment can adversely affect financial statements resulting in the dissemination of incorrect information used to make strategic/planning decisions.
Contacts are normally made with others inside the organization, including the Real Estate team, the Financial Planning & Analysis team, and the Technical Accounting team. Internal contacts include the Chief Accounting Officer, Regional Controllers, Managers and various company executives. Interactions tend to focus on information exchange and problem solving. Contacts frequently contain confidential/sensitive information. Incumbent frequently initiates contacts on their own with 10% - 15% being by phone and the remainder via face-to-face interaction.
Supervisory Responsibility:
This job is not supervisory in nature.
Possess thorough knowledge of accounting practices and procedures. Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail. Flexibility to adapt to changing needs of the department and to various changes in priorities. Ability to gather and analyze data and form relevant conclusions. Ability to express ideas and opinions to all levels of personnel, including management in various business units, while effectively soliciting cooperation to accomplish tasks and challenge ideas and the status quo. Effective written and verbal communication skills. Ability to solve problems, function independently and with discretion, and work effectively under pressure. Team player with strong interpersonal skills
Proficiency in Microsoft applications including Excel and Word. Well-developed ability to read, write and speak English.
Bachelor’s degree specializing in accounting or equivalent required. CPA Preferred.
6-8 years of progressive accounting experience, with strong preference for ASC 842 knowledge. Experience with SAP, Dynamics 365, PowerBI reporting and TM1 reporting a plus.
Ability to follow through, analyze problems, make informed decisions and complete tasks accurately in an atmosphere that necessitates multi-tasking is required. Job requires flexibility during peak seasonal times when hours often exceed 8 hours per day and/or 40 hours per week to complete priority projects and meet deadlines. Exposure to a computer CRT and sitting for extended periods of time.
This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function in the company.