VP, Accounting

Job Description

PRM Consulting Group has been retained by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to conduct an executive search for the position of Vice President, Accounting.

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WMATA is seeking an accomplished finance executive to serve as Vice President, Accounting, providing enterprise-wide leadership for accounting strategy, financial governance, and stewardship of public funds.

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As principal advisor to the Chief Financial Officer, General Manager/CEO, and Board of Directors, this executive will set accounting policy, safeguard billions of dollars in operating, capital, and grant-funded activity, and ensure the financial integrity of one of the nation's largest transit systems at a pivotal moment for the region’s transit funding future.

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Principal Job Duties

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• Leads the development, implementation, and management of Authority-wide accounting, payroll, reporting, and financial control strategy that supports Metro’s operating, capital, grants, construction, reimbursable, and enterprise financial activities.

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• Provides strategic oversight and executive direction for accounting, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, payroll, capital accounting, grants accounting, asset accounting, cash requisitions, financial reporting, and audit coordination.

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• Ensures the integrity, accuracy, transparency, and reliability of the Authority’s financial systems, records, reports, and accounting data; originates, develops, and implements policies, procedures, and controls that safeguard public funds and prevent misapplication of funds.

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• Directs the preparation, analysis, certification support, and timely issuance of financial statements, accounting reports, schedules, reconciliations, and required submissions for internal and external stakeholders.

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• Serves as principal advisor on accounting, financial reporting, payroll, audit, internal control, and fiscal compliance matters; provides presentations and recommendations to the Chief Financial Officer, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors, executive leadership, auditors, jurisdictions, and external oversight bodies.

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• Establishes and maintains the Authority’s chart of accounts and accounting structures to support enterprise-wide budgeting, reporting, grants management, capital program delivery, jurisdictional reporting, and financial decision-making.

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• Provides strategic leadership for accounting system modernization, enterprise resource planning integration, process improvement, data quality, reporting automation, and cross-functional financial management initiatives

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.• Leads change management efforts associated with technology system improvements, ensuring Accounting’s business requirements, internal control needs, reporting priorities, and operational interests are fully represented in enterprise resource planning implementation and related enterprise system initiatives.

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• Leads, develops, and holds accountable directors, managers, supervisors, and staff responsible for accounting operations, financial reporting, payroll, audit support, and internal controls; ensures clear performance expectations, workforce planning, succession planning, training, and organizational effectiveness.

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• Advises executive leadership and operating departments on accounting policies, financial controls, funding approvals, expenditure requirements, payroll matters, capital assetaccountability, reimbursable costs, and compliance obligations.

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• Collaborates across Finance departments including Treasury, Procurement and Materials, Management and Budget, Finance Administration, and other Authority offices to ensure accounting activities align with strategic priorities, budget execution, capital delivery, grant requirements, and public accountability.

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• Ensures all Authority expenditures, payroll disbursements, accounting transactions, and financial activities comply with Compact mandates, Board rules and regulations, the Accounting Manual, Authority policies and procedures, contractual agreements, and applicable federal, state, and local laws.

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• Provides executive oversight for internal and external audits, including audit planning, data assembly, management responses, corrective action tracking, audit certification support, and coordination with independent auditors, the Office of Inspector General, federal agencies, and Establishes, monitors, and strengthens Authority-wide accounting controls, quality control reviews, reconciliations, and compliance standards to support financial integrity, operational efficiency, fraud prevention, and public trust.

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• Ensures compliance with GAAP, GASB, FASB, National Transit Database accounting and reporting requirements, Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration requirements, IRS provisions, Department of Homeland Security requirements, and other applicable regulatory standards.

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• Identifies financial control risks, accounting issues, reporting gaps, process deficiencies, and compliance concerns; recommends and implements corrective actions in partnership with the Chief Financial Officer, executive leadership, operating departments, auditors, and oversight bodies.

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• Directs funding approval processes for procurement actions in accordance with Authority procurement regulations and in coordination with Procurement and Materials, Treasury, Management and Budget, and other stakeholder offices.

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• Oversees efficient accounts receivable, accounts payable, billing, invoicing, collections, reimbursable cost accounting, payroll accounting, debt payment accounting, and cash requisition processes with appropriate controls and executive-level visibility.

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• Establishes, implements, and monitors financial property accountability, including capitalization, depreciation, amortization, asset accounting, and reporting requirements for Authority assets and capital investments.

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• Oversees and directs administrative, budgetary, personnel, contract management, workforce planning, and business planning activities for Accounting.

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• Develops, recommends, implements, and monitors strategies, metrics, policies, and performance measures to drive positive organizational change, strengthen financial stewardship, improve customer service, and enhance enterprise-wide accounting effectiveness.

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• Promotes executive-level collaboration, transparency, accountability, and service excellence across Finance and the Authority to support strategic business plans, operational priorities, and public trust.

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Other Duties

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• Maintains and promotes awareness and accountability with safety policies and procedures while performing job functions. Promotes a positive safety culture and encourages reporting of safety concerns consistent with our Agency Safety Plan, other regulatory requirements within the Safety Management System and just culture principles.

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• Provides executive leadership for a large, complex professional organization, including senior level oversight of staffing, organizational structure, performance management, succession planning, training, corrective action, employee engagement, and accountability for quality standards.

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Safety Sensitive

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• Maintains and promotes awareness and accountability with safety policies and procedures while performing job functions. Promotes a positive safety culture and encourages reporting of safety concerns consistent with our Agency Safety Plan, other regulatory requirements within the Safety Management System and just culture principles.

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Functions Disclaimer The functions listed are not intended to limit specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Nor is it intended to limit in any way the right of managers and supervisors to assign.

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Budgetary Responsibility This job has responsibility for authorizing payments, purchases, check requests, reconciling the ledger for the department or other such activities.

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Supervisory Responsibility Supervises work of others, including planning, assigning, scheduling and reviewing work, ensuring quality standards. Is responsible for hiring, terminating, training and developing, reviewing performance and administering corrective action for staff. Plans organizational structure and job content.

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Knowledge

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• Expert knowledge of governmental and enterprise accounting, financial reporting, internal controls, payroll administration, capital asset accounting, grants accounting, audit coordination, and the application of GAAP, GASB, FASB, federal, state, local, Compact, Board, and Authority financial requirements.

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• Expert knowledge of federal, state, and local financial programs and systems, including Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration reporting requirements, IRS provisions, National Transit Database requirements, enterprise resource planning systems, and integrated financial management platforms.

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Skills

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• Excellent customer service skills (listener, thinker, responsibility owner). Professional with ability to manage stress and stressful situations with calm, dignity, reason and logic, produce results, and meet strict deadlines• Strong enterprise leadership, process improvement, people management, change management, stakeholder engagement, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

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• Exceptional executive communication, presentation, negotiation, writing, and advisory skills, with the ability to brief the Chief Financial Officer, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors, jurisdictional partners, auditors, regulators, and senior leadership on complex financial matters

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Abilities

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• Ability to lead by example, communicate effectively, manage and motivate a large team, and establish interdepartmental cooperation and coordination

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• Ability to independently resolving complex accounting, financial reporting, audit, payroll, systems,compliance, and internal control issues with sound judgment, discretion, urgency, and executive presence.

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• Ability to lead, motivate, develop, and evaluate a large professional staff and senior management team in compliance with applicable Authority personnel and labor relations policies, procedures, regulations, and agreements.

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• Ability to establish and maintain effective strategic relationships with Authority offices, the Board of Directors, jurisdictional partners, federal agencies, auditors, regulators, contractors, and external stakeholders.

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• Ability to communicate complex financial, accounting, payroll, audit, and internal control concepts clearly to finance and non-finance audiences and to build enterprise-wide financial acumen.

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Machine, Tools, Equipment, Software, Hardware Required

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• Computer/Laptop; Microsoft Office; Smart Phone; Photocopiers; Desktop Printer

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Minimum Education

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• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field

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• In lieu of Bachelor’s degree, a high school diploma or GED, plus four (4) years of executive level, senior management and administrative experience in modern accounting methods and procedures, financial reporting procedures, and the management of large and large and complex financial transactions

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Minimum Experience

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• A minimum of ten (10) years of comprehensive executive level, senior management experience with strong administrative abilities in the field of commercial and/or governmental accounting of a large public or private entity, including five (5) years of management experience

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Minimum Certification/Licensure

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• N/A

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Preferred Qualifications

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• Master’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field

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• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Certification