Assistant Controller

Want to work for a company that is reimagining distribution? Join Univar Solutions, the premier global distributor of chemicals and ingredients. Our goal is to function as a direct extension of our customers’ teams; to serve as an ally in their quest of business success.
At Univar Solutions, we’re building on our more than 90 years of experience and drawing on deep resources – inventory and logistics experts, scientists, PhDs, procurement, customer service, sales and marketers-to deliver consultative services and an unmatched portfolio to solve customers’ formulation and operational challenges. When you work for Univar Solutions, you’ll play an important role in shaping how we deliver more than chemical and ingredients.
Primary Purpose:
The Assistant Controller is a highly visible position and will be responsible for leading the accounting, reporting and controls function, building and overseeing financial infrastructure, and preparing financial reports in compliance with overall SEC reporting requirements and corporate accounting matters. The Assistant Controller leads in establishing and maintaining the organization's accounting principles, practices and procedures. This position is called upon to make accounting policy decisions that directly impact the company’s financial results and its financial reporting integrity.
The Assistant Controller will have strong verbal and written communication skills and be capable of explaining accounting issues to finance and non-financial leaders. The desired theme is one of steady and sustainable continuous improvement, not disruptive and wrenching change. This leader will have the ability to drive change confidently, rapidly and effectively by influencing behavior, even in the absence of clear formal authority and across reporting lines.
Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the monthly and quarterly consolidation and internal financial reporting processes, as well as timely and accurate analysis of financial results.
• Responsible for the oversight of the preparation of SEC filings, ensuring compliance with all reporting requirements.
• Act as the main liaison to the external auditors to assist in the completion of an efficient audit.
• Understand new accounting technical guidance (SEC and US GAAP), assess the implications, if any, to the company, and execute adoption/implementation as appropriate.
• Serve as controller group lead for the establishment of a centralized contract review process, responsible for reviewing cross-functional contracts for accounting and reporting matters, and overseeing the conclusions documented in white papers.
• Lead quarterly accounting and disclosure governance committee meetings, including the development of the agendas, identification of presenters, and oversight and counsel on content development
• Serve as a key member and contributor in the disclosure committee meeting.
• Oversee compliance for international statutory audits.
• Complete ad hoc projects assigned by senior management, including analysis of business operations, proposed accounting treatment of significant or unusual transactions, or other accounting and finance-related matters.

Corporate Accounting and Consolidations

• Collaborates on local pension assumption setting, responsible for consolidated actuarial reporting.
• Oversees goodwill and intangible asset impairment testing and accounting for share based accounting.

Manage external financial reporting activities:

• Oversight of the record to report process, including the accurate and timely consolidation of all group entities on a monthly basis. Actively work to improve accuracy and timeliness through process improvement.
• Stay abreast of the features available in upgrades to the financial reporting and control systems (HFM and Blackline) and manage upgrades to cost effectively keep system capabilities in line with the Company’s needs.
• Collaborate with Company’s decentralized finance and accounting management to ensure that accounting practices and policies are in compliance with current GAAP requirements and local statutory requirements. Provide leadership and resources to assist with the development and implementation of improved practices and processes where required.
• Participate in the SOX-404 compliance process and manage information requirements and agendas for the Company’s SEC disclosure committee.

Interaction with Investor Relations

• Responsible for review of quarterly earnings releases, investor decks and management communications for consistency with reported results.
• Evaluate and conclude on appropriateness of non-GAAP measures selected and presented.

Interaction with Finance

• Work closely with accounting teams to identify transactions and communicate the impact to assist with the analysis of financial results.
• Lead monthly meetings to communicate transactions that will impact plan and monthly forecasts.
• Provide accounting insight during the annual and long-range plan development processes.

Team Leadership:

• Develops staff to ensure smooth transfer of knowledge for key positions; hire, train and coach to provide for appropriate succession planning.
• Serve as key leader over the integrity and timely completion of the monthly, quarter and annual consolidated close process and financial statements for the global controllership function.
• Develop staff to ensure smooth transfer of knowledge for key positions and hire and train to provide for appropriate succession planning.
• Build strong network of internal and external accounting & reporting resources to include key customers around the company, third-party service providers and other external information sources to ensure best practices are identified.

Specialized Knowledge/Skills:

• Experience with the consolidation process, including international entities, and systems such as Hyperion HFM or similar ERP based system
• Ability to work in a fast paced, changing environment while serving the needs of multiple stakeholders
• Must possess a deep technical knowledge of US GAAP and SEC rules and regulations and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.

Education/Training:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting; advanced degree a plus
• CPA required
• 10+ years in a public accounting, financial reporting or controllership role, with international and consolidations experience with a multi-national company
• Public accounting experience preferred
• Prior public company experience preferred

Physical Demands/Environmental Conditions:
Office environmentTravel up to 15%
Univar Solutions is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected classification.
We offer comprehensive benefits to employees including medical, dental, STD, LTD and life insurance, 401k, generous PTO and much more.
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