Lead Accounting Analyst

What we offer you

• Medical, Rx, Dental, Disability, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts
• Retirement Savings Plans with Company Match/Contributions
• Education Assistance
• Bonus Plan Eligibility
• Parental Leave

Job Summary: The Lead Accounting Analyst serves as the process owner and subject-matter expert for payroll and benefits accounting. This role is accountable for ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely accounting results, while governing the end-to-end payroll/benefit processes across various regions. The position requires strong cross-cultural collaboration, the ability to drive standardized processes, and a mindset focused on transformation, automation, and continuous improvement. The Lead Accounting Analyst will also support technical accounting matters and assist with ad-hoc GBS Finance projects.

What you will be doing

• Owns the Payroll and Benefits accounting processes, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and alignment with corporate policy and IFRS accounting standards.
• Leads and governs end‑to‑end processes across plants, ensuring consistent execution, strong controls, and standardized reporting.
• Accountable for monthly, quarterly, and annual close activities related to payroll and benefit programs (e.g., payroll postings/accruals, health benefits, retirement plans, incentive compensation).

• Conducts technical accounting research, analyzes complex transactions, and develops well-supported recommendations and memos/whitepapers to document conclusions.
• Reviews and assesses contracts and agreements to determine the appropriate accounting treatment, identifying key terms, obligations, and risks in accordance with IFRS and internal policy; prepares clear documentation of conclusions and recommended actions.

• Partners closely with HR, Payroll, GBS Finance North America and India, and Plant finance organizations across multiple geographic locations.

• Drives transformation through process redesign, automation initiatives, and system enhancements in partnership with IT and Digital Finance teams.

What will make you successful?

Required Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in general ledger accounting, internal controls, or audit-related roles, ideally with payroll or benefits accounting exposure. A mix of public accounting and industry experience is preferred.

Preferred Skills/Qualifications:

• Experience in a shared services environment or multinational organization is highly desirable.

• CPA (Certified Public Accountant) strongly preferred.
• In‑depth knowledge of IFRS and U.S. GAAP accounting standards, along with strong understanding of internal control frameworks (e.g., SOX).
• Advanced proficiency in ERP systems such as SAP or Oracle, with exposure to payroll platforms including UKG.
• Strong data analysis skills with familiarity in reporting and visualization tools like Power BI, Tableau, or similar platforms.
• Experience with general ledger and reconciliation tools, including BlackLine or comparable systems.

• Strong critical thinking and problem‑solving abilities, with the capacity to navigate ambiguity, assess risks, and develop clear, well‑reasoned recommendations.