Chief Accountant Jobs
Chief Accountant jobs are open across manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and the public sector, at every level from staff accountant to controller, with specializations in financial reporting, cost accounting, and audit management. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Showing 5 of 12+ Chief Accountant jobs
Job Overview
Responsibilities
- Serve as a strategic advisor to the CFO and executive team, shaping decisions on capital allocation, product economics, balance sheet strategy, and growth investments.
- Translate the three-year strategic plan into accounting, reporting, and control frameworks that scale with the organization.
- Lead accounting due diligence for business combinations and loan portfolio purchases, and integration for credit union mergers, acquisitions, and new business ventures.
- Partner with Treasury, FP&A, Risk, and Lending on member- and product-level profitability, funds transfer pricing, and performance measurement.
- Anticipate and monitor emerging accounting, regulatory, and industry developments and position PenFed ahead of them.
- Define and execute a multi-year accounting strategic roadmap covering close, consolidation, reconciliation, reporting, transformation, and the alignment of accounting personnel.
- Drive automation and AI adoption across accounting operations, targeting close optimization and a sharp reduction in manual journal entries and reconciliation points.
- Co-lead the finance data strategy: a single, governed general ledger and subledger architecture, certified data products, and clear data ownership.
- Champion and lead the strategic ERP platform modernization in partnership with Technology, Human Resources, and Procurement.
- Align the accounting operating model, including shared services, centers of excellence, and talent mix, to support growth without proportional cost.
- Own the general ledger governance including the financial statement close process, ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of all internal and external financial reporting.
- Deliver annual audited financial statements and oversee the quarterly NCUA 5300 Call Report preparation and submission.
- Establish and maintain accounting policy, including technical positions on transfers of financial assets, CECL, derivatives and hedge accounting, loan servicing, leases, and fair value.
- Produce Board and Audit Committee reporting that is clear, decision-useful, and forward-looking.
- Maintain a robust internal control framework over financial reporting aligned to COSO, with an emphasis on automated and preventive controls.
- Serve as primary liaison to the external auditor and Supervisory Committee, and partner with Internal Audit on control effectiveness.
- Serve as a finance lead who engages with NCUA examinators and responds to regulatory findings with durable remediation.
- Support capital adequacy reporting that relies on the accuracy of net worth as a governing metric..
- Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing team of 40 accounting professionals.
- Build modern skill sets in data, automation, AI and analytics alongside technical accounting depth.
- Create a culture of ownership, continuous improvement, and service to PenFed's members and mission.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Accounting or a related field is required.
- Master’s Degree in Business Administration is preferred.
- CPA certification required.
- Minimum of fifteen (15) years’ of experience, ten (10) years in a senior management role with financial audit and/or in-house financial management experience gained in a large organization environment- all of which provides a level of skill and knowledge necessary to satisfactorily perform the essential job functions detailed herein is required.
- Proven track record of success facilitating progressive organizational change and development within a growing organization.
- Experience using AI tools, preferred.
The anticipated starting salary range for this role is $237,800.00 - $438,800.00
This position is eligible for an organizational performance based annual bonus, subject to board discretion and approval.
This position is eligible for an individual performance based annual bonus.
Benefits
At PenFed, we offer a robust benefits package designed to support you both personally and professionally. You’ll have access to comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans; paid time off; and family-friendly benefits like paid parental leave, care support, and fitness center access. Financial wellness is encouraged through features like a 401(k) match, employee loan discounts, and fully paid life and disability coverage. We also support growth via education assistance, community involvement, and volunteer opportunities.
Our Purpose
Helping members achieve their dreams since 1935.
Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) is one of America's largest federal credit unions, serving 2.8 million members worldwide with $29 billion in assets. PenFed offers market-leading certificates, checking and savings, credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, auto loans, and a wide range of other financial services, always with members' interests in mind. PenFed is federally insured by the NCUA and is an Equal Housing Lender.
Equal Employment Opportunity
PenFed management will maintain and observe personnel policies which will not discriminate or permit harassment or retaliation against a person because of race, color, creed, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital status, military or veteran status or obligation, the presence of a physical and/or mental disability or medical condition, genetic information, sexual orientation, and all statuses protected by applicable state or local law in all recruiting, hiring, training, compensation, overtime, position classifications, work assignments, facilities, promotions, transfers, employee treatment, and in all other terms and conditions of employment. PenFed will also prohibit retaliation against individuals for raising a complaint of discrimination or harassment or participating in an investigation of same.
PenFed will also reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can apply for a job or perform the essential functions of a job unless doing so causes a direct threat to these individuals or others in the workplace and the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation or if the accommodation creates an undue hardship to PenFed. Contact human resources (HR) with any questions or requests for accommodation at Careers@PenFed.org.
Job Overview
Responsibilities
- Serve as a strategic advisor to the CFO and executive team, shaping decisions on capital allocation, product economics, balance sheet strategy, and growth investments.
- Translate the three-year strategic plan into accounting, reporting, and control frameworks that scale with the organization.
- Lead accounting due diligence for business combinations and loan portfolio purchases, and integration for credit union mergers, acquisitions, and new business ventures.
- Partner with Treasury, FP&A, Risk, and Lending on member- and product-level profitability, funds transfer pricing, and performance measurement.
- Anticipate and monitor emerging accounting, regulatory, and industry developments and position PenFed ahead of them.
- Define and execute a multi-year accounting strategic roadmap covering close, consolidation, reconciliation, reporting, transformation, and the alignment of accounting personnel.
- Drive automation and AI adoption across accounting operations, targeting close optimization and a sharp reduction in manual journal entries and reconciliation points.
- Co-lead the finance data strategy: a single, governed general ledger and subledger architecture, certified data products, and clear data ownership.
- Champion and lead the strategic ERP platform modernization in partnership with Technology, Human Resources, and Procurement.
- Align the accounting operating model, including shared services, centers of excellence, and talent mix, to support growth without proportional cost.
- Own the general ledger governance including the financial statement close process, ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of all internal and external financial reporting.
- Deliver annual audited financial statements and oversee the quarterly NCUA 5300 Call Report preparation and submission.
- Establish and maintain accounting policy, including technical positions on transfers of financial assets, CECL, derivatives and hedge accounting, loan servicing, leases, and fair value.
- Produce Board and Audit Committee reporting that is clear, decision-useful, and forward-looking.
- Maintain a robust internal control framework over financial reporting aligned to COSO, with an emphasis on automated and preventive controls.
- Serve as primary liaison to the external auditor and Supervisory Committee, and partner with Internal Audit on control effectiveness.
- Serve as a finance lead who engages with NCUA examinators and responds to regulatory findings with durable remediation.
- Support capital adequacy reporting that relies on the accuracy of net worth as a governing metric..
- Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing team of 40 accounting professionals.
- Build modern skill sets in data, automation, AI and analytics alongside technical accounting depth.
- Create a culture of ownership, continuous improvement, and service to PenFed's members and mission.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Accounting or a related field is required.
- Master’s Degree in Business Administration is preferred.
- CPA certification required.
- Minimum of fifteen (15) years’ of experience, ten (10) years in a senior management role with financial audit and/or in-house financial management experience gained in a large organization environment- all of which provides a level of skill and knowledge necessary to satisfactorily perform the essential job functions detailed herein is required.
- Proven track record of success facilitating progressive organizational change and development within a growing organization.
- Experience using AI tools, preferred.
The anticipated starting salary range for this role is $237,800.00 - $438,800.00
This position is eligible for an organizational performance based annual bonus, subject to board discretion and approval.
This position is eligible for an individual performance based annual bonus.
Benefits
At PenFed, we offer a robust benefits package designed to support you both personally and professionally. You’ll have access to comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans; paid time off; and family-friendly benefits like paid parental leave, care support, and fitness center access. Financial wellness is encouraged through features like a 401(k) match, employee loan discounts, and fully paid life and disability coverage. We also support growth via education assistance, community involvement, and volunteer opportunities.
Our Purpose
Helping members achieve their dreams since 1935.
Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) is one of America's largest federal credit unions, serving 2.8 million members worldwide with $29 billion in assets. PenFed offers market-leading certificates, checking and savings, credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, auto loans, and a wide range of other financial services, always with members' interests in mind. PenFed is federally insured by the NCUA and is an Equal Housing Lender.
Equal Employment Opportunity
PenFed management will maintain and observe personnel policies which will not discriminate or permit harassment or retaliation against a person because of race, color, creed, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital status, military or veteran status or obligation, the presence of a physical and/or mental disability or medical condition, genetic information, sexual orientation, and all statuses protected by applicable state or local law in all recruiting, hiring, training, compensation, overtime, position classifications, work assignments, facilities, promotions, transfers, employee treatment, and in all other terms and conditions of employment. PenFed will also prohibit retaliation against individuals for raising a complaint of discrimination or harassment or participating in an investigation of same.
PenFed will also reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can apply for a job or perform the essential functions of a job unless doing so causes a direct threat to these individuals or others in the workplace and the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation or if the accommodation creates an undue hardship to PenFed. Contact human resources (HR) with any questions or requests for accommodation at Careers@PenFed.org.
See All 12 Chief Accountant Jobs
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Find Chief Accountant JobsChief Accountant Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in chief accountant jobs.
- CPA license or active CPA candidacy required or strongly preferred
- Proficiency in ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, or NetSuite
- Five or more years of progressive accounting or financial reporting experience
- Deep knowledge of GAAP and financial statement preparation
- Experience managing or mentoring an accounting team
- Strong Excel skills including pivot tables and financial modeling
Tips for Your Chief Accountant Job Search
Align your resume to GAAP deliverables
Chief accountant roles screen heavily for GAAP compliance experience. Lead each bullet with a concrete output, month-end close cycle times, number of entities consolidated, or restatements corrected, rather than listing duties you performed.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists chief accountant openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Target industry-specific accounting standards
Manufacturers post cost accounting requirements, nonprofits need fund accounting fluency, and healthcare employers want revenue cycle knowledge. Filter your search by industry and tailor your resume's summary line to match the sector's dominant accounting framework.
Get your CPA before you apply broadly
Many chief accountant postings list CPA licensure as required, not preferred. If yours is pending, note the expected completion date in your resume header so recruiters don't screen you out before reading further.
Prepare for a technical accounting interview round
Expect at least one interview stage where you're asked to walk through a journal entry, explain a deferred tax asset, or describe how you'd handle a revenue recognition issue. Practice narrating your reasoning aloud, not just arriving at the right answer.
Negotiate total comp beyond base salary
Chief accountant offers frequently include performance bonuses tied to close accuracy or audit outcomes. During negotiations, ask how the bonus target is calculated and what percentage of incumbents have hit it in the past two years.
Chief Accountant Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most chief accountants?
AXA, Adobe, and Hilton are hiring the most chief accountants right now, with openings concentrated in Connecticut, Texas, and Hawaii, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Industries with the highest volume of postings include manufacturing, healthcare systems, and regional financial services firms.
How many chief accountant jobs are remote?
About 0% of chief accountant openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with fully on-site roles still common in manufacturing and government. Financial reporting, consolidations, and technical accounting review tend to be the sub-areas most compatible with remote arrangements.
How do you become a chief accountant?
Start by earning a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance, then obtain your CPA license, which typically requires passing all four exam sections and meeting your state's experience hours. Build several years of experience in public accounting or corporate accounting, progressively taking on close management and reporting responsibilities, before moving into a senior individual contributor or lead accountant role.
Can you get hired as a chief accountant without much experience?
It's uncommon but possible if you've completed a CPA exam and worked in public accounting, where the compressed exposure to audits, closings, and financial reporting can substitute for years of corporate tenure. Some smaller companies or nonprofits will hire a candidate with three to four years of relevant experience if they demonstrate strong technical accounting knowledge and can manage a small team.
What does the chief accountant interview process look like?
Most processes run three to four stages: an initial screen with HR or a recruiter, a technical interview covering GAAP application and financial close procedures, a case or take-home exercise involving a journal entry scenario or financial statement review, and a final round with the CFO or controller. References and a background check typically follow a verbal offer.
Where can I find and apply to chief accountant jobs?
You can find and apply to chief accountant jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search for roles that match your experience, industry background, and preferred location, then apply directly to each listing that fits.
See All 12 Chief Accountant Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Chief Accountant Jobs