Manager, Lease Accounting

Manager, Lease Accounting

The Manager, Lease Accounting leads a team responsible for the accounting, reporting, payment, and billing of lease-related transactions across the company's real estate portfolio. This role oversees monthly close activities, fixed and variable rent accounting, CAM and property tax payments/billings, and percentage rent calculations in compliance with U.S. GAAP (ASC 842), company policies, and SOX requirements.

The position partners closely with FP&A, Real Estate, Lease Administration, Financial Systems, IT, and Treasury to ensure lease transactions are accurately recorded, forecasted, and reported while driving process improvements, system enhancements, and operational excellence.

This position sits within our Atlanta based Global Support Center with an expectation to be onsite 4 days per week.

Responsibilities

• Lead the lease accounting operations function, ensuring accurate accounting, reporting, payment, and billing of lease-related transactions.
• Manage month-end and quarter-end close activities, including journal entries, account reconciliations, variance analysis, financial reporting, and disclosures.
• Review lease-related balance sheet and income statement accounts, including fixed rent, variable rent, CAM, property taxes, sublease income, and lease liabilities.
• Provide guidance on lease accounting matters, including lease classifications, modifications, remeasurements, impairments, and terminations under ASC 842.
• Review and validate percentage rent calculations, including compliance with lease agreements and resolution of landlord or billing disputes.
• Partner with Financial Systems, IT, and Lease Administration teams to ensure accurate integration of lease, sales, payment, and billing data across enterprise systems.
• Maintain strong internal controls and SOX compliance related to lease accounting, financial reporting, payments, and billings.
• Drive process improvements, automation initiatives, system enhancements, and data quality efforts.
• Partner with FP&A, Real Estate, Legal, and Treasury to support forecasting, financial analysis, acquisitions, lease transactions, and strategic initiatives.
• Lead, develop, and mentor a team of lease accounting professionals.
• Support audits, control testing, system implementations, acquisitions, and finance transformation initiatives.

Education & Experience Qualification

• 4-Year degree in Accounting or Finance required.
• CPA preferred.
• 5+ years of accounting experience with significant exposure to lease accounting, real estate accounting, or retail/franchise environments.
• Strong knowledge of ASC 842 and U.S. GAAP.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Experience leading teams and managing accounting operations.
• Experience with Oracle Cloud, CoStar, or similar ERP and lease administration systems preferred.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, project management, and communication skills.
• Ability to interpret and apply complex accounting guidance and communicate technical accounting matters effectively to finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

Inspire is a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,300 Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin', Jimmy John's, and SONIC restaurants worldwide. We're made up of some of the world's most iconic restaurant brands, but we're much more than just a restaurant company. We're a team of hundreds of thousands who individually and collectively are changing the way people eat, drink, and gather around the table. We know that food is much more than a staple—it's an experience. At Inspire, that's our purpose: to ignite and nourish flavorful experiences.