Director, Financial Accounting & Reporting

Be essential at Cars Commerce

At Cars Commerce, we’re fanatical about simplifying everything about car buying and selling. We do right by our customers and consumers to better connect the industry with simplified and tierless technology to enhance, measure and drive local automotive retail. Whether through our No.1 most recognized marketplace, Cars.com, our industry-leading digital experience, Dealer Inspire, our trade and appraisal technology, AccuTrade, our reputation-based digital wholesale auction marketplace, Dealerclub, or our new Cars Commerce Media Network, Cars Commerce is essential for success in the automotive industry.

No one ever travels alone here: at its core, Cars Commerce is collaboration. In fact, it’s built into the very fabric of our shared values. We like to say we Rise Together – putting people at the center of what we do, from consumer to customer to community. Life at Cars Commerce makes it easy when we share the ethos to be Open to All, encouraging open-minded communication because we know diverse thinking yields better outcomes. But critical to our success is Caring to Challengeand Taking Ownership, fueling a competitive spirit in a respectful environment where we think about tomorrow but act today. At our foundation, we have integrity, Doing the Right Thing, even when it’s hard. It’s our shared commitment to these values that makes Cars Commerce a place where growth becomes not only possible, but downright unavoidable.

But don’t take our word for it. As a U.S. News & World Report Best Company to Work For in 2024, we're obsessive about the employee experience. We are among the top 20% being declared “Best” of our industry based on six critical factors that are important to employee wellbeing, like quality of pay, benefits, work life balance and more.

Location: Chicago, IL (hybrid)

ABOUT THE ROLE: 
Cars Commerce is seeking a Director, Accounting and Reporting to lead the Accounting and SEC reporting teams. This role will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day external financial reporting and ensuring compliance with SEC regulations, US GAAP, and SOX requirements for a publicly traded company. This individual will lead a team of accounting and reporting professionals and serve as a key technical subject matter expert on complex accounting matters.  They will partner with various internal stakeholders, including finance leadership, legal, and investor relations, to ensure consistent and accurate external disclosures. The ideal candidate must have a strong technical accounting background, excellent management skills and a proven track record in a public company setting. The position reports to the Assistant Controller.

THIS ROLE IS BASED IN CHICAGO AND REQUIRES IN-OFFICE PRESENCE.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Accounting and SEC Reporting

• Maintain overall responsibility for day-to-day management of monthly, quarterly and annual close processes, ensuring timely and accurate financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP

• Oversee preparation and filing of all SEC reports, including Form 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, and other required regulatory filings

• Coordinate with internal and external auditors on quarterly reviews and the annual audit

Technical Accounting

• Serve as a primary technical accounting resource, researching and documenting complex accounting issues (e.g., revenue recognition, stock-based compensation, leases, business combinations)

• Monitor new accounting pronouncements from FASB and SEC, assessing their impact on the company's financial statements and developing action plan and implementation program

• Develop and maintain comprehensive accounting policies and procedures

• Provide guidance on structuring revenue streams and/or contracts to optimize revenue recognition and financial/operational efficiency

• Act as an escalation point for day-to-day issues by partnering with appropriate parties to reach compromises and resolutions with commercial and operational practicability, while mitigating risk

Special Projects

• M&A Due Diligence and Integration: Act as a primarily resource in due diligence process for accounting and reporting and lead integration of new business across Finance, such as developing integration plan and timeline for the OTC process 

• ERP Integration: As supported by a Technology project manager and 3rd party service providers, participate as a key stakeholder in systems migration project from requirements gathering and system integration efforts 

Other

• Responsible for execution of certain internal controls over financial reporting that are integral to an effectively designed and operating internal control environment in compliance with SOX requirements

• Establish and maintain strong relationships with peers, stakeholders, leaders, and team members to continually develop and enhance the capabilities of the high-performing and dynamic environment

• Execute strategies to reduce functional and operational complexity through streamlined processes, optimized use of technology, and efficient use of resources to deliver cost effective, high quality services to all stakeholders

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Accounting or Finance

• CPA required

• 10+ years of progressive financial leadership experience required, including 3+ years in SEC reporting with a US-listed company

• Experience with a blend of Big 4 public accounting and corporate accounting is highly desirable

• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of US GAAP and Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) internal controls

• Proficient understanding of revenue recognition principles, coupled with experience in handling complex revenue transactions

• Proficiency in financial systems and experience with SEC reporting software like Workiva is preferred

• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities

• Ability to lead large scale projects across the organization and effect change

• Ability to effectively research and compile data from financial reporting systems, databases, spreadsheets, and other data sources

• Ability to manage and balance multiple priorities and urgent requests effectively, with the ability to quickly adapt for changing business needs

• Focus on accuracy and high attention to detail

• Advanced skills in Excel and Google suite

• Positive, collaborative, and approachable work style to enable success in working cross functionally

• Self-starter with a strong sense of ownership and ability to prioritize work with the ability to adapt to the changing needs of the company

• Excellent, clear communication skills, written and oral

 

 

In the spirit of pay transparency, we are excited to share the base salary range for this position. In addition to base salary, some roles are eligible for our bonus and/or equity programs, depending on level and role. Regular full-time positions are eligible for our comprehensive benefits package. If you are hired at Cars Commerce, your final base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills and/or experience. If the salary range is close to what you're seeking, then we encourage you to apply and learn more about the total compensation package for this position.

Salary Range

$154,200.00-192,750.00

Our Comprehensive Benefits Package includes:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Healthcare Plans

• New Hire Stipend for Home Office Set-Up

• Generous PTO

• Refuel - a service based recognition program where employees receive additional paid time away to learn grow and reset

• Paid Holidays, Floating Holiday, Volunteer Day, Recharge Day

Learn more about our Benefits, Perks, & Culture on our LinkedIn Life Pages!

For US-based Positions: Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. Please note that we are unable to sponsor employment visas at this time.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Applicants: Click here to review our Privacy Policy for Applicants. For current employees, please click here to review our California Privacy Policy for Employees.