Sr. Director, Controllership

Company Overview:

NWN is the leading AI-powered technology solutions provider for North America’s most innovative public and private organizations. For more than 30 years, NWN has helped over 6,000 CIOs deliver technology modernization programs with its Intelligent Workplace, Customer Experience (CX), Managed Devices, Cybersecurity and Public Safety, Connectivity, and Intelligent Cloud solutions.

The company’s proprietary Experience Management Platform ensures seamless service delivery, real-time observability and improved efficiency for its clients’ most demanding technology needs. NWN is a high-performance, high-integrity team of 1,200+ experts committed to a customer-obsessed culture, earning an 80+ Customer Net Promoter Score. The company has been recognized with hundreds of industry awards and is proud to be a ‘Best Place to Work’ with an 80+ Employee Net Promoter Score. For more information, visit: NWN.ai.

Responsibilities: NWN is a ~$1.4B technology solutions and managed services business, and its controllership organization is scaling to match. The Senior Director owns the integrity, efficiency, and scalability of the company's accounting operations end to end. This is a builder's role for a technically excellent, process-driven leader who pairs deep accounting judgment with a systems-and-automation mindset. The role leads a large, multi-disciplinary organization, raises the technical and operational bar, and modernizes how the department works, including through practical, well-governed use of AI.

• Lead a large, multi-layered organization spanning revenue, corporate accounting, controllership excellence, accounts payable, and the order-to-cash team, *** including billing, collections, and cash applications.
• Build bench strength by developing managers, raising hiring and performance standards, and partnering with HR to hire, develop, and retain top talent.
• Own a deliberate workforce strategy across a blended team of employees and contractors, including the onshore and offshore model.
• Set a clear operating rhythm, hold the team accountable, and create a culture of ownership, rigor, and continuous improvement.
• Redesign and scale department processes so the business can grow without adding cost linearly; standardize and automate manual work across close, reconciliations, revenue, and order-to-cash.
• Lead the practical, well-controlled adoption of AI and automation to improve speed, accuracy, insight, and team capacity.
• Partner with Finance Systems and IT on the ERP and surrounding tooling roadmap, translating process needs into system requirements.
• Serve as the company’s senior technical accounting authority, including ASC 606 revenue recognition, consolidations, technical accounting memos, new standards, goodwill and intangible impairment, and equity transactions.
• Lead accounting for acquisitions, including purchase accounting under ASC 805, opening balance sheets, diligence support, and post-close integration.
• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close, balance-sheet integrity, reconciliations, annual GAAP financial statements, and accurate, timely, decision-useful reporting.
• Lead the annual external audit end to end and drive year-round audit readiness through proactive documentation, technical memos, control evidence, and early issue resolution.
• Own the internal control framework, accounting policy and governance, chart of accounts, delegation of authority, and audit committee and board reporting on significant accounting matters.
• Serve as a credible deputy to the SVP and represent controllership to the CFO, auditors, executive leadership, and board.
• Partner with FP&A, Operations, Sales, Legal, and Revenue Operations on results, variances, commercial decisions, and complex or non-standard contracts.
• Establish and execute a prioritized transformation and AI roadmap, including measurable progress toward shortening the monthly close from 8 days toward a 5-day close.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Complies with all policies and standards.
• Demonstrated comfort with adopting emerging AI tools and technologies to optimize processes, improve collaboration, and drive operational effectiveness.

  Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance.
• 10+ years of progressive accounting experience, including 5+ years leading managers and prior ownership of a full controllership or finance-operations function.
• Experience at a $1B+ multi-entity business in technology, telecom, managed services, or IT services, with recurring-revenue and billing complexity.
• Experience leading ERP or large-scale systems transformation and using AI and automation to deliver at least one specific, measurable finance or accounting result.
• Transaction and private-equity experience, including acquisitions, ASC 805 purchase accounting, sell-side diligence, quality of earnings, sponsor and lender reporting, covenant compliance, and board reporting.
• Proven experience leading a company through its annual external audit.
• Deep technical accounting knowledge, especially ASC 606 revenue recognition, consolidations, internal controls, ASC 805 purchase accounting, and GAAP financial reporting.
• Strong business-systems and process mindset, with the ability to design, standardize, automate, and scale accounting processes and systems.
• Demonstrated ability to apply AI and automation pragmatically, with appropriate governance and controls, to improve finance and accounting outcomes.
• Ability to lead a large, multi-layered organization, develop managers, build bench strength, and raise talent and performance standards.
• Ability to establish operating rhythms, accountability, clear ownership, and a culture of rigor and continuous improvement.
• Strong judgment on complex and judgmental accounting matters, with the ability to prepare clear, defensible technical positions.
• Ability to lead a clean, on-time external audit and maintain a strong, year-round control and audit-readiness environment.
• Strategic business-partnering skills, including connecting financial results to business decisions and influencing cross-functional leaders.
• Executive presence and the ability to communicate complex accounting matters clearly to the CFO, auditors, executive team, audit committee, and board.
• Ability to lead transformation, ERP or large-scale systems initiatives, and measurable improvements in close speed, accuracy, effort, and reporting quality.
• Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license.

Remote: Job duties are performed from the employee’s home home or another approved remote location. Remote employees are expected to maintain productivity, communication, and availability during agreed-upon working hours, in alignment with company policies.

 

Requires Travel - Yes

At NWN, we provide a comprehensive benefits package to support your well-being in and out of work. This includes medical, dental, and vision plans, Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), income protection through disability and life insurance, and a 401(k) with company match. Enjoy unlimited PTO, paid company holidays, hybrid/remote work, paid bonding leave for eligible employees, employee discounts, and access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Additional offerings include accident, critical illness, long-term care, and hospital indemnity coverages, legal and identity theft protection, pet insurance, supplemental life insurances, referral bonuses, charitable donation matching, and allowances for eligible roles. Join a team that values the health and wellbeing of all our employees!

All offers of employment at NWN are contingent upon the successful completion of a comprehensive background check. This process ensures a safe and secure work environment for all employees.

NWN is an Equal Opportunity Employer: NWN provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment free from unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation or any other status or condition protected by local, state or federal law.