Vice President of Accounting - Hybrid Chicago Loop office

Vice President Of Accounting

Join NORC as our new Vice President of Accounting! NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking an experienced Vice President of Accounting to lead NORCs Accounting Department. This role includes championing and overseeing the full range of accounting management activities, formulating internal controls, preparing financial statements, and ensuring compliance with regulations and accounting guidelines. Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, the Vice President of Accounting oversees the day-to-day operations of the Accounting Department, ensuring strong internal controls and a strong and energized team. This role also requires consulting with executives and senior management to identify accounting issues and strategic improvements.

Accounting is the backbone of NORCs financial health and strategy, helping to transform numbers into insights and opportunities. NORCs accounting team is committed to ongoing process improvement and smart internal controls, as well as productive and collaborative relationships with teams across NORC to ensure that the organization thrives.

Responsibilities

Day-to-Day Operations : Lead and manage the day-to-day operations of the Accounting Department with a continuous improvement approach to increasing efficiencies, optimizing processes, and mitigating risk.

Financial Records Coordination : Prepare, analyze, and coordinate financial records for each period, serving as the departments expert in accounting software functionality.

Efficiency Identification : Manage all department activities, ensuring efficient delegation of tasks and identifying opportunities for process improvements.

Contract and Grant Management : Oversee the preparation of billings for all NORC contracts and grants.

Financial Reporting : Prepare and review financial reports to ensure accuracy and transparency.

Audits : Serve as a key point of contact for external auditors and establish and maintain robust audit trails for accountability.

Period and Year-End Closures : Manage accounting period and fiscal year-end closes.

General Ledger Integrity : Ensure the integrity of the general ledger.

Analysis : Perform analysis of accounting information and supporting processes.

Bank Transactions : Manage bank transactions and reconciliations.

Team Management : Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing accounting team of 20 professionals.

Strategic Planning : Lead the departments strategic planning and budgeting processes.

Required Skills

Education : Bachelors degree in Accounting or Finance is required; a Masters degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration is preferred.

Certification : Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation required.

Experience : At least 15 years of directly related general accounting work experience, with at least 10 years in supervisory and accounting management roles in public or private industry. Public accounting foundation (Big Four preferred) combined with in-house corporate reporting leadership required. Experience working directly with auditors. Experience working in a government contracting environment preferred.

Skills and Knowledge : Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills with the ability to effectively interface with senior management, external business partners, and staff. Excellent financial leadership and interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to collaborate across organization and functional teams. Excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills including negotiation and conflict resolution skills, with the ability to be an effective tactical and strategic thinker. Attention to detail, risk management, quality control, deadlines, reconciliation, and compliance issues. Experience and commitment to successfully developing, managing, and mentoring a team of accounting professionals for the long-term benefit of the foundation. Genuine intellectual curiosity, analytical capability, and a pragmatic approach to business. Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive, confidential information with tact and professionalism. Proficiency with automated accounting systems and MS Office Suite. Expectation of hybrid work schedule of at least two days a week in our Chicago Loop office.

Salary And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $195,000-$240,000. Hybrid work model in the heart of Chicago. This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORCs comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to : generously subsidized health insurance, dental and vision insurance, a defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program, group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance, and benefits that promote work / life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

NORCs Approach to Equity and Transparency : Pay and benefits transparency helps to reduce wage gaps. As part of our commitment to pay equity and salary transparency, NORC includes a salary range for each job opening along with information about eligible benefit offerings. At NORC, we take a comprehensive approach to setting salary ranges and reviewing raises and promotions, which is overseen by a formal Salary Review Committee (SRC).

What We Do

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

Who We Are

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications, and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which were known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.

EEO Statement

NORC is an equal opportunity employer. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, and other legally protected characteristics.