Manager, Accounting - Gross Margin

Job Description

Your Role

The Corporate Financial Accounting and Reporting, Gross Margin team plays a critical role in ensuring the integrity of financial reporting for Blue Shield of California and its subsidiaries. Reporting to the Assistant Controller, the Accounting Manager will lead a team of accountants responsible for revenue and cost of healthcare accounting for Blue Shield of California and its health plan subsidiaries. This is an excellent opportunity for a strong people leader and technical accounting professional to shape processes, build team capability, and make a visible impact on financial reporting, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance in a mission-driven organization.

We are looking for a leader who brings strong technical judgment, a collaborative mindset, and a passion for developing talent. This role offers the opportunity to lead meaningful work, partner across the organization, and contribute to a team culture grounded in accountability, continuous improvement, and professional growth.

Responsibilities

Your Work

In this role, you will:

• Lead the month-end close for gross margin for revenue and cost of healthcare, ensuring financial accuracy, timeliness, and operational excellence
• Partner closely with Finance, Actuarial, Operations, and IT to support accurate accounting, strong reporting, and alignment across key business processes
• Drive automation and process improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, strengthen controls, and support a scalable close environment
• Review and approve journal entries and collaborate with IT to resolve system or interface issues that affect data quality and financial reporting
• Oversee monthly balance sheet reconciliations, ensuring timely resolution of reconciling items and strong supporting documentation
• Serve as a trusted subject matter expert on US GAAP accounting for revenue and cost of healthcare transactions, including technical analyses and accounting conclusions
• Analyze and communicate significant gross margin trends, fluctuations, and business drivers to leadership and key stakeholders
• Assess accounting implications of new or complex transactions, business initiatives, and process changes that may affect financial reporting
• Develop and enhance accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls in support of evolving business and regulatory requirements
• Identify risks, solve problems proactively, and recommend practical, well-supported solutions to accounting and reporting issues
• Support internal, external, and regulatory audits through well-prepared analyses, documentation, and control support
• Support regulatory reporting deliverables by preparing analyses, schedules, and documentation that facilitate timely, accurate, and well-supported submissions
• Prepare and review audited financial statement disclosures, and related accounting memos and narratives in compliance with US GAAP
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of accountants by setting clear expectations, building technical capability, and fostering a culture of ownership and continuous learning
• Contribute to special projects and broader team initiatives that support the evolution of the accounting organization

Qualifications

Your Knowledge and Experience

• Requires a Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• CPA and/or advanced degree preferred
• Requires a minimum of 7 years of progressive accounting or financial reporting experience, including 2 years of people leadership or equivalent oversight experience
• At least two (2) years of healthcare industry experience preferred
• Strong knowledge of US GAAP and the ability to apply accounting guidance to complex or evolving transactions
• Demonstrated success leading teams, partnering cross-functionally, and communicating effectively with a range of stakeholders
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills, with strong attention to detail and sound professional judgment
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality work in a fast-paced environment
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Experience with Oracle, Workday, or similar ERP systems preferred

About the Team

About Blue Shield of California

As of January 2025, Blue Shield of California became a subsidiary of Ascendiun. Ascendiun is a nonprofit corporate entity that is the parent to a family of organizations including Blue Shield of California and its subsidiary, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan; Altais, a clinical services company; and Stellarus, a company designed to scale healthcare solutions. Together, these organizations are referred to as the Ascendiun Family of Companies.


At Blue Shield of California, our mission is to create a healthcare system worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable. We are transforming health care in a way that genuinely serves our nonprofit mission by lowering costs, improving quality, and enhancing the member and physician experience.


To achieve our mission, we foster an environment where all employees can thrive and contribute fully to address the needs of the various communities we serve. We are committed to creating and maintaining a supportive workplace that upholds our values and advances our goals.

Blue Shield is a U.S. News Best Company to work for, a Deloitte U.S. Best Managed Company and a Top 100 Inspiring Workplace. We were recognized by Fair360 as a Top Regional Company, and one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States by Points of Light. Here at Blue Shield, we strive to make a positive change across our industry and communities - join us!


Our Values:

• Honest. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical and integrity standards. We build trust by doing what we say we're going to do and by acknowledging and correcting where we fall short.
• Human. We strive to listen and communicate effectively, showing empathy by understanding others' perspectives.
• Courageous. We stand up for what we believe in and are committed to the hard work necessary to achieve our ambitious goals.

Our Workplace Model


We believe in fostering a workplace environment that balances purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility - providing clear expectations while respecting the diverse needs of our workforce. Our workplace model is designed around intentional in-person interaction, collaboration, connection, creativity and flexibility:

• For most teams, this means coming into the office two days per week.
• Employees living more than 50 miles from an office location, out of state employees, and employees in certain member-facing roles should work with their manager to determine in-office time based on business need.
• For employees with medical conditions that may impact their ability to work in-office, we are committed to engaging in an interactive process and providing reasonable accommodations to ensure their work environment is conducive to their success and well-being.

The Company reserves the right to require more presence in the office based on business needs, and requirements are subject to change with periodic reviews.


Physical Requirements:

Office Environment - roles involving part to full time schedule in Office Environment. Based in our physical offices and work from home office/deskwork - Activity level: Sedentary, frequency most of work day.

Please click here for further physical requirement detail.


Equal Employment Opportunity:

External hires must pass a background check/drug screen. Qualified applicants with arrest records and/or conviction records will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with Federal, State and local laws, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status or disability status and any other classification protected by Federal, State and local laws.