Chief Accountant

Short Description

The Chief Accountant plays a pivotal role in ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and compliance of financial transactions and reporting for the global company, with a primary focus on general ledger (GL) accounting, balance sheet (BS) controlling functions. Leads all Corporate Income Tax and VAT Return related activities in the team. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Supervising, coordinating, and ensuring the accurate registration of all accounting transactions in the general ledger, while maintaining proper controls and reconciliation processes in compliance with both Gates accounting policies (USGAAP rules) and Turkish accounting standards for the three entities of Gates in Turkey.
• Managing the general ledger by transferring subsidiary accounts, preparing trial balances, and reconciling entries to ensure the accuracy and completeness of financial records, with a specific focus on SOX compliance in financial controls and reporting.
• Summarizing the local financial status by collecting relevant information and preparing financial statements, including balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and other required reports, in compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies, including SOX compliance-related reports such as management's assessment of internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR).
• Leads the accounting team in supporting all external audit activities by analysing and scheduling general ledger accounts, and providing necessary information and documentation to auditors to facilitate the completion of the audit process efficiently and effectively, including reports related to SOX compliance testing and documentation.
• Coordinating and ensuring timely and accurate completion of all local closing activities and Gates reporting requirements, including financial statements and regulatory filings, to support decision-making and compliance obligations, with a particular emphasis on SOX compliance in financial reporting.
• Mitigating legal challenges by staying abreast of legal requirements and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and standards in financial reporting and accounting practices, including SOX requirements for internal controls and corporate governance.
• Safeguarding financial information and ensuring data integrity by completing regular database backups and implementing appropriate security measures to protect sensitive financial data from unauthorized access or loss, in accordance with SOX requirements for data protection and confidentiality.

Keys to Success

• Requires in-depth conceptual and practical knowledge in own areas and knowledge of other areas
• Manages an area or multiple teams within a plant or corporate function
• Adapts departmental plans and priorities to address resource and operational challenges
• Decisions are guided by policies, resources and business plan; receives moderate guidance from direct manager
• Integrates industry best practices in own area to the achievement of objectives
• Identifies and resolves moderately complex business problems
• Decision making involves compiling and organizing information and selecting best option from a range of alternatives, and put forward to Senior Management's approval, wherever necessary.
• Impacts the level of service and the team’s ability to meet quality, volume and timeliness of objectives
• Guided by departmental policies, resource requirements, budgets and business plan
• Implements, Interprets and executes policies; makes process modifications
• Guides, influences and persuades others internally and/or externally

Supervisory Responsibilities

• 3+ direct reports
• Manages a generally homogeneous team; adapts plans and sets priorities to meet service and/or operational challenges
• Has performance management and people development responsibility for managers or associates
• Provides subject matter guidance to associates, colleagues and/or customers

Requirements and Preferred Skills

• 8-10 years of experience with Managerial experience
• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or Finance
• CPA, Big 4  or similar experience is an Asset
• Strong technical U.S. GAAP and Local GAAP accounting knowledge
• Knowledge of best practices in accounting and finance
• Require a good communication skill both oral and in writing, English and Turkish.
• Good understanding of financial statements.
• Analytical skill, Multitasking, Solution oriented
• #LI-GG1