Accounting Manager

Accounting Manager

Our purpose is to help a billion people find the right work! Phenom is an AI-Powered talent experience platform that is redefining the HR tech space. We have grown into a global organization with offices in 6 countries and over 1,500 employees. As an HR tech unicorn organization, innovation and creativity is within our DNA. Come help us make every talent moment Phenomenal!

We are seeking a technically strong, operationally minded Accounting Manager, who will lead revenue accounting. This role will own the application, documentation, and monthly execution of revenue recognition under ASC 606 across subscription software, implementation services, professional services, training, support, usage-based offerings, and other customer-contract elements.

The ideal candidate combines deep U.S. GAAP and ASC 606 knowledge with hands-on SaaS accounting experience. They can translate complex customer contracts into clear accounting conclusions, scalable revenue processes, accurate financial reporting, and audit-ready support. This person will be a key partner to Commercial, Legal, Deal Desk, Billing, Customer Success, and FP&A as the company evolves its packaging, pricing, contracting, and go-to-market model.

ASC 606 requires companies to identify contracts and performance obligations, determine and allocate transaction price, and recognize revenue when or as obligations are satisfied. In an HR software environment, that commonly means ratable recognition of subscription access over the contractual service period, while implementation, data migration, training, integrations, or other services may require distinct analysis based on whether they are separate performance obligations and how control transfers to the customer.

This role is 5 days/week on-site.

What You'll Do:

Revenue recognition and close

• Own the monthly revenue close process, including preparation, review, and posting of revenue, deferred revenue, unbilled receivables/contract assets, commissions, and related journal entries.
• Ensure timely, complete, and accurate revenue recognition under ASC 606 for recurring SaaS subscriptions, implementations, professional services, support, training, usage-based or consumption-based fees, and other contract components.
• Maintain reconciliations between the billing platform, revenue subledger, CRM/CPQ, general ledger, accounts receivable, and cash collections.
• Reconcile deferred revenue and contract balances monthly; investigate and resolve discrepancies promptly.
• Review and validate system-generated revenue schedules, manual revenue schedules, and period-end adjustments.
• Establish and monitor close controls, ensuring revenue accounting deadlines, documentation standards, and approval requirements are consistently met.
• Prepare balance-sheet reconciliations and supporting schedules for revenue-related accounts in accordance with the company's close calendar.

ASC 606 technical accounting

• Lead contract-level ASC 606 analysis for nonstandard, material, or complex customer arrangements.
• Evaluate the five-step ASC 606 model, including:
• Identification of the enforceable customer contract
• Identification of distinct performance obligations
• Determination of transaction price, including variable consideration, credits, rebates, concessions, refunds, and price protections
• Allocation of transaction price based on relative standalone selling price
• Timing and pattern of revenue recognition, including point-in-time versus over-time recognition
• Document accounting conclusions in concise, audit-ready revenue recognition memos for material and nonroutine transactions.
• Assess contract modifications, renewals, expansions, downgrades, terminations, co-termination arrangements, credits, and concessions to determine the appropriate accounting treatment.
• Evaluate principal-versus-agent considerations, material rights, options for additional goods or services, financing components, nonrefundable upfront fees, and breakage where applicable.
• Partner with Accounting leadership and external advisors on technical accounting positions, accounting policy updates, and emerging revenue-recognition issues.

HR software and SaaS contract support

• Review customer agreements, order forms, statements of work, amendments, and commercial approvals to identify accounting implications before execution whenever practical.
• Partner with Deal Desk, Sales Operations, Legal, and Commercial teams to structure contract terms that are operationally executable and aligned with the company's revenue-recognition policies.
• Develop clear accounting treatment for common HR software arrangements, including:
• Platform subscription and module-based SaaS fees
• Per-employee-per-month, per-seat, or other volume-based pricing
• Variable usage, overage, and consumption-based fees
• Implementation, configuration, deployment, and data-migration services
• Managed services, payroll, recruiting, benefits, workforce-management, or compliance-related offerings, as applicable
• Third-party integrations, marketplace offerings, reseller arrangements, and partner-delivered services
• Bundled software and professional-services packages
• Identify contract terms that create process, system, billing, collectibility, or accounting risk and escalate recommendations to leadership.

Financial reporting, audit, and compliance

• Support the preparation of U.S. GAAP financial statements and revenue-related disclosures, including disaggregated revenue, contract assets, contract liabilities, remaining performance obligations, and significant judgments, as applicable.
• Prepare schedules, walkthroughs, control evidence, contract support, and technical documentation for external audit, internal audit, lenders, investors, and due diligence processes.
• Ensure compliance with the company's revenue-recognition policies, accounting policies, internal-control framework, and documentation requirements.
• Assist in evaluating and implementing internal controls over revenue recognition, including SOX-ready processes if applicable.
• Monitor developments in U.S. GAAP, ASC 606, and SaaS revenue-accounting practices; recommend policy or process changes when warranted.

Process, systems, and team leadership

• Serve as the finance owner for revenue-related systems and data flows, including ERP, billing, revenue automation/subledger, CRM, CPQ, contract lifecycle management, and reporting tools.
• Lead revenue-system enhancements, new-product setup, integration testing, implementation projects, and automation initiatives.
• Define requirements for product, billing, and contract data needed to support compliant and efficient revenue recognition.
• Build scalable processes that reduce manual work, improve accuracy, enhance auditability, and support growth in customer volume, product complexity, and international operations.
• Develop revenue dashboards and operating metrics for Accounting and Finance leadership, including billed revenue, recognized revenue, deferred revenue rollforward, unbilled balances, contract asset aging, revenue adjustments, and close exceptions.
• Mentor, train, and review the work of revenue accountants or senior accountants, as applicable.
• Create practical training materials for Sales, Deal Desk, Billing, Customer Success, and Legal on contract terms with accounting implications.

What You've Done:

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline.
• CPA strongly preferred.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, including at least 2+ years in SaaS, subscription software, technology, HR technology, payroll, or a comparable recurring-revenue business.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience applying ASC 606 / Revenue from Contracts with Customers.
• Experience performing revenue-recognition analysis for software subscriptions, multi-element arrangements, implementation services, professional services, renewals, and contract modifications.
• Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP, month-end close, account reconciliations, financial reporting, and audit support.
• Experience with ERP and revenue-recognition systems; familiarity with platforms such as NetSuite.
• Advanced Excel or Google Sheets skills, including reconciliations, analytical review, pivot tables, and large-data-set analysis.
• Ability to interpret customer contracts and communicate complex accounting conclusions clearly to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• Strong project-management, organization, judgment, and attention-to-detail skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment with competing deadlines.

Preferred

• Public-accounting experience in audit, assurance, or transaction advisory,