Senior Accountant

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY:

Provide Royalty accounting support day-to-day and in the month end closing process. Prepare month end journal entries, analyses, and reporting accurately and completely, within the set deadlines. Prepare and present annual reserve analysis. Prepare reconciliations. Assist in projects as assigned. Provide ongoing review of department processes for improvements and efficiencies.

• Completion of the month-end close process
  • Ensure all information necessary to complete month end is received in a timely fashion.
  • Independent preparation of journal entries and related supporting documentation.
  • Compile monthly financial reporting schedules.
  • Independently review monthly financial statements for significant variances and analyze causes for variances.
  • Continual interaction with Royalty Department.
  • Prepare commentary for Financial Review Process. 
  • Communicate regarding status and issues associated with the close process with manager, other team members, and divisions throughout the close process
• Preparation of account reconciliations
  • Prepare account reconciliations by agreed upon deadlines and/or departmental deadlines.
  • Prepare necessary adjusting entries before the month end close. 
  • Communicate unusual reconciling items, potential technical accounting issues, or other issues identified to appropriate team members, divisions and other within the organization
• Manual royalty statement generation and analysis
  • Preparation of manual royalty statements/analysis by contractual/departmental deadlines.
  • Investigate to resolve any issues
• Quarterly reserve analyses (10%)
  • Prepare quarterly reserve analysis including supporting documentation.
  • Present reserve analyses and findings to management.
  • Book adjusting entries as necessary. 
  • Review policies and procedures to ensure all are current for any process changes
• Participation on special projects and information requests
  • Take leadership role in the department in regards to higher level projects, technical accounting analysis and information requests as required.
  • Consider special projects and information requests to be the same as normal day-to-day responsibilities. 
  • Help to create a "customer" focused "can do" attitude; promoting a teamwork atmosphere
• Training and Self Development.
  • Continued development of computer skills utilizing in-house and on-line training materials.
  • Maintain strong knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles.
  • Maintain an understanding of accounting policies. 
  • Develop general understanding of company's lines of business and company policies and procedures
• Other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

REQUIRED:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting or Finance
• 4-6 years accounting experience in at least an Accountant level, or a position which included analytical and decision making functions, prioritization and performance of multiple complex tasks in a business environment
• CPA/CMA designation preferred.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES:

REQUIRED:

• Excellent communication skills.
• Advanced knowledge of SAP and Microsoft Office products Excel, Word and Access. 
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills. 
• Ability to take leadership role in projects, contribute effective solutions and identify efficiencies to improve the group’s processes. 
• Ability to be a team player and to work in a fast paced, changing work environment. 
• Works well under pressure and able to meet deadlines.

ABOUT US:

Changing People's Lives by Fostering Passionate, Curious Learners

It's not just our mission; it's our passion.As a global learning company, we specialize in dynamic learning content for students, teachers, kids and parents.

Available through multiple channels and platforms, our content meets the needs of lifelong learners, no matter where and how they learn. As a global leader in lifelong learning, we're delivering interactive, results-driven education solutions to 60 million students in 120 countries. We combine cutting-edge research, editorial excellence and technological innovation to make learning more dynamic, engaging and effective – for life. We also publish renowned and awarded novels, nonfiction, children's books and reference works for readers throughout the world.

Our distinguished author list, from Ralph Waldo Emerson to Jonathan Safran Foer, and brands from Curious George to The Lord of the Rings, includes eight Nobel Prize winners, 47 Pulitzer Prize winners, 13 National Book Award winners, and more than 100 Caldecott, Newbery, Printz and Sibert Medal and Honor recipients.

For more information, visit careers.hmhco.com.

PLEASE NOTE:

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is an equal employment opportunity employer and participates in E-Verify.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of gender, race/ethnicity, protected veteran status, disability, or other protected group status.