Senior Corporate Accountant Jobs in Illinois

INTRODUCTION

Groupon connects 42 million customers with local experiences - restaurants, events, wellness and travel - and the million-plus merchants who deliver them. Our mission is to get people offline and into the real world at prices that make it possible. We're an AI-native company in the middle of a platform transformation, moving from a deals marketplace to an experience discovery platform that works for customers and merchants at the same time.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

- Research complex and non-routine technical accounting matters and prepare white papers documenting the Company's conclusions under US GAAP, for areas including revenue recognition (including variable consideration and principal-versus-agent), share-based compensation, contingencies, goodwill impairment, leases, investments, going concern and business combinations.
- Own recurring quarterly and annual technical accounting workstreams end-to-end, from gathering data through documenting conclusions and closing out auditor questions, including the evaluation of identified errors under SAB 99 and SAB 108.
- Develop and review significant management estimates, including validating the inputs, methodology and outputs of estimation models and explaining what drove changes period over period.
- Evaluate the accounting for significant contracts, transactions and new business initiatives with Operational Accounting, Tax, Legal, Treasury, Corporate Finance and other business partners, and explain the financial reporting impact to senior management before decisions are made.
- Assess new and proposed FASB and SEC pronouncements, lead the adoption of assigned standards, and keep the Company's accounting policies current.
- Draft and review the financial statement footnotes and supporting schedules for your technical accounting areas in Forms 10-Q and 10-K, and support the SEC Reporting team on registration statements and other filings as needed.
- Serve as a primary point of contact for the external auditors on your workstreams during quarterly reviews and the year-end audit.
- Design and operate effective internal controls over financial reporting for your workstreams, including clear evidence of review.
- Use AI tools and automation to reduce the time spent on recurring, volume-based work, such as first-pass research, contract and assessment review, and memo drafting, and document the review steps so the results are auditable.
- Coach and review the work of more junior team members, and help build the team's technical accounting training.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

- Bachelor's degree in Accounting; CPA license.
- 6+ years of progressive accounting experience, including at least 3 years in public accounting audit (Big 4 or national firm) serving SEC registrants.
- Strong US GAAP knowledge and a track record of writing technical accounting white papers and memos that reach and support a conclusion.
- Demonstrated, hands-on use of AI tools (for example, Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot) in accounting or finance work, with specific examples of work you made faster or better. You can explain how you check AI output against the authoritative guidance and source documents.
- Clear, concise writing for memos and disclosures, and the ability to explain and defend technical conclusions to senior leaders, Legal, Tax and our internal and external auditors.
- Ability to verbally articulate complex accounting matters in simplified, non-technical terms easily understood by non-accounting business partners.
- Sound judgment about what matters, including when an issue needs to be escalated.
- Business acumen to identify the quantitative and qualitative drivers in financial statement trends, as needed.
- Ability to own deadlines with minimal supervision in a fast-paced, changing environment, and to reprioritize at short notice.
- Excellent attention to detail and high personal standards for accuracy.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

- Direct SEC reporting experience, including drafting or reviewing Form 10-Q and 10-K disclosures.
- Experience building AI-assisted or automated workflows, such as reusable prompts, AI agents, Python, SQL or Alteryx.
- Experience with marketplace or e-commerce revenue models, including principal-versus-agent, refunds and breakage.
- Experience with Workiva, NetSuite and Google Workspace.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The anticipated base salary range for this Chicago-based role is $93,069 – $132,955. The final offer depends on skills, experience and qualifications. This role is eligible for Groupon’s annual bonus program, with a target of 20% of base salary. Groupon also offers comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan, paid time off and parental leave.

Groupon is an AI-First Company

We’re committed to building smarter, faster, and more innovative ways of working and AI plays a key role in how we get there. We encourage candidates to leverage AI tools during the hiring process where it adds value, and we’re always keen to hear how technology improves the way you work. If you’re passionate about AI or curious to explore how it can elevate your role you’ll be right at home here. Groupon’s purpose is to build strong communities through thriving small businesses. To learn more about the world’s largest local e-commerce marketplace, click here. You can also find out more about us in the latest Groupon news as well as learning about our DEI approach. If all of this sounds like something that’s a great fit for you, then click apply and join us on a mission to become the ultimate destination for local experiences and services.

Beware of Recruitment Fraud:

Groupon follows a merit-based recruitment process without charging job seekers any fees. We've noticed an increase in recruitment fraud, including fake job postings and fraudulent interviews and job offers aimed at stealing personal information or money. Be cautious of individuals falsely representing Groupon's Talent Acquisition team with fake job offers. If you encounter any suspicious job offers or interview calls demanding money, recognize these as scams. Groupon is not responsible for losses from such dealings. For legitimate job openings (and a sneak peek into life at Groupon), always check our official career website at Groupon Careers.