Job Overview: Associate Manager, Property Accounting (Fixed Assets)
Darden is a full-service restaurant company operating ten iconic brands including Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. The Associate Manager, Property Accounting – Fixed Assets leads the fixed asset accounting team and oversees the accurate and timely recording of capital expenditures in accordance with GAAP, company policies, and capitalization guidelines. This role is responsible for fixed asset operations, monthly close activities, account reconciliations, internal controls, and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. The Associate Manager also partners with cross-functional teams, drives process improvements, and develops accounting talent for future leadership opportunities across the organization.
Representative Roles and Responsibilities
Financial
-Oversee the fixed asset processing function, including the preparation of efficiency, accuracy and productivity metrics.
-Ensure compliance with GAAP in the recording of assets, expenses, prepayments and liabilities.
-Maintain an effective internal control environment by developing, documenting, monitoring, and enforcing policies and procedures; ensure timely completion of account reconciliations and maintain current Sarbanes-Oxley documentation for fixed asset processes.
-Oversee the preparation of the fixed asset cash flow reporting.
-Lead fixed asset purchase accounting for acquisitions, including coordination with valuation consultants and ensuring compliance with Darden policies.
People Leadership
-Lead the day-to-day activities of the fixed asset accounting team, including direct and indirect (through other leaders) supervision of team members.
-Recruit, select, and retain high-quality talent capable of achieving team and organizational objectives.
-Develop team members through coaching, timely feedback, training, performance management, and meaningful professional development opportunities.
-Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and accountable team environment consistent with Darden's values.
Process Excellence
-Oversee the capitalization and fixed asset recording processes for existing restaurants, new restaurant openings, remodels, and other capital projects and ensure projects are placed into service timely and accurately.
-Review depreciation results and system exception reports, ensuring identified issues are investigated and resolved in a timely manner.
-Review capitalized interest, construction-in-progress accruals, depreciation, and other accruals each month.
-Supervise and review preparation of the annual review of the estimated useful lives of fixed assets.
-Review fixed asset general ledger accounts during the monthly close to ensure balances are complete, accurate, and appropriately supported.
-Review and approve general ledger account reconciliations for fixed asset related accounts.
-Review and approve accounting and project journal entries related to fixed assets.
-Partner with Corporate Tax to prepare the fixed asset deferred tax estimates.
-Partner with Darden's restaurant Brands, Restaurant Operations teams, Design & Construction, Facilities, Capital Equipment Purchasing, Corporate Reporting, and Corporate Tax to support fixed asset accounting and business needs.
- Identify and implement process improvements, including analytics, automation, and standardized workflows, that increase the efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of fixed asset processes.
- Coordinate with internal and external auditors to fulfill fixed-asset-related audit requests and support compliance requirements.
- Interpret fixed asset policies and capitalization guidelines and provide guidance to business partners on complex or nonroutine transactions.
- Support fixed asset system implementations, enhancements, testing, and related change-management activities.
- Support special projects that impact assigned responsibilities.
Education, Training, Experience and other Key Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in accounting.
- 4+ years of accounting experience, including at least one year of people-leadership or supervisory experience.
- Strong interpersonal, analytical, critical-thinking, business-partnering, and people-leadership skills.
- Demonstrated initiative and ability to manage multiple priorities while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills required, with demonstrated ability to communicate complex accounting matters clearly to audiences at all organizational levels.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop a team with varying levels of experience.
- Ability to plan, organize and lead projects with minimal guidance.
- Ability to prepare concise reports for senior management with independent insights.
- Strong technical accounting knowledge and a demonstrated controls-focused mindset.
- Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, particularly Excel, is required.
- Proficiency in analytics and automation tools such as Power BI, Power Automate, Alteryx, etc. is preferred.
- Experience with Oracle ERP, Oracle Hyperion (HFM), Oracle Discoverer, or similar financial systems is preferred.
- CPA preferred or, equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
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