Vice President of Accounting

We recently completed a strategic acquisition expanding the company’s footprint across Europe and are in the process of creating a Retail joint venture in North America in anticipation of an initial public offering. To lead the accounting organization through IPO readiness and beyond, we are hiring a VP of Accounting, reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer. This role carries ultimate responsibility for the integrity of BIG’s financial statements — the accuracy and timeliness of the close, the design and operation of internal controls, the day-to-day accounting operations including accounts payable and accounts receivable, and the company’s accounting, reporting, and regulatory compliance across its North American and European operations. Two senior leaders report to the VP of Accounting: the Corporate Controller, who runs the general ledger, consolidation, close, and operational accounting functions, and the Senior Director, Technical Accounting & SEC Reporting, who personally drafts the financial sections of the S-1, writes the technical accounting memos, and scopes the SOX program. This is a role for a proven public-company accounting executive who combines deep technical command with operational discipline and the ability to build, develop, and scale high-performing teams through an IPO. Key Responsibilities Controllership, Close & Accuracy Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close calendar; drive a disciplined, repeatable close with continuously improving cycle time and quality. Ensure the accuracy and completeness of the general ledger, account reconciliations, and consolidated financial statements across multi-entity, multi-currency operations in North America and Europe. Set and enforce balance sheet integrity standards, including reconciliation discipline, intercompany accounting, inventory and derivative positions, and journal entry controls. Establish accounting policies and ensure the consistent, correct application of U.S. GAAP across all entities and business units. SEC Reporting, S-1 & IPO Readiness Oversight Ultimate accountability for all external financial reporting delivered through the Senior Director, Technical Accounting & SEC Reporting, including the financial statement, MD&A, selected financial data, and accounting disclosure sections of the S-1, the SEC reporting calendar, and the first 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, and earnings release deliverables. Oversee the SEC comment and response process, coordinating with the CFO, legal counsel, underwriters, and the external auditor. Approve the company’s non-GAAP framework, KPI definitions, and segment reporting positions before they are finalized. Review and approve significant accounting judgments, estimates, and technical positions, including revenue recognition, business combinations and purchase accounting, inventory and precious metals accounting, derivatives and hedging, and consolidation. Serve as a primary point of contact for the external auditor and ensure timely, well-supported resolution of audit matters. Present accounting results, significant judgments, SOX status, and control matters to the CFO, executive team, and Audit Committee. Internal Controls & Compliance Own the design and operating effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, partnering with the Risk and IT organizations on process, entity-level, and automated controls. Ultimate accountability for the SOX 404 program scoped by the Senior Director, Technical Accounting & SEC Reporting — ensuring control gaps across North America and Europe are identified, remediated, and audit-ready ahead of the first integrated audit. Drive remediation of control gaps and continuously strengthen the control environment as the business grows in scale and complexity. Ensure compliance with applicable accounting, reporting, tax filing, and regulatory requirements in each jurisdiction in which BIG operates, coordinating with Legal, Tax, and external advisors. Accounting Operations — AP, AR, Treasury & Working Capital Own accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, credit, and collections, including payment controls, vendor management support, cash application, and customer billing accuracy. Own day-to-day operational treasury and cash management, daily cash positioning, bank account administration, wire and payment approvals and related controls, and short-term cash forecasting, coordinating with the CFO on banking relationships, capital structure, and hedging strategy. Set working capital discipline and metrics (aging, DSO/DPO, unapplied cash) and report performance to the CFO. Scale AP/AR processes, systems, and controls to support transaction growth without sacrificing accuracy. Systems, Data & Process Improvement Champion ERP data integrity and drive resolution of systemic booking issues at the source, partnering with IT and operations. Lead ERP implementations, upgrades, and finance-system migrations end to end, including system selection, chart of accounts design, data conversion, and post-go-live stabilization ensuring accounting and reporting requirements drive design decisions in partnership with IT. Lead automation and process-improvement initiatives across the close, reconciliations, reporting, and AP/AR (e.g., reconciliation platforms, workflow automation, dashboard reporting). M&A Due Diligence & Strategic Transactions Lead accounting and financial due diligence for acquisitions, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions, partnering with the CFO, Legal, and external advisors on evaluation and deal structuring. Oversee purchase price accounting, opening balance sheets, and the post-acquisition integration of acquired entities’ accounting functions, systems, and controls. Leadership & Team Development Build, lead, and develop a high-performing accounting organization; set clear ownership between the Controller and SEC Reporting teams, with strong succession and talent depth. Elevate the team’s technical capability and business partnership across FP&A, Treasury, Commercial, and Operations. Support the CFO on strategic initiatives, including IPO preparation, new business structures, and financing activities. Required Qualifications Active CPA with a public accounting foundation (Big 4 or national firm preferred). 20+ years of progressive accounting experience, including Controller, Chief Accounting Officer, or equivalent senior accounting leadership at a publicly traded company. Demonstrated success leading large, multi-discipline teams spanning general ledger, external/SEC reporting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, and revenue. Deep command of U.S. GAAP and experience directing technical accounting research and position memos on complex topics (e.g., revenue recognition, business combinations, leases, stock compensation, credit losses, consolidation). Direct experience with public-company reporting (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, earnings materials) and ownership of internal controls / SOX compliance. Track record of running an accurate, on-time close and multi-entity consolidations across numerous legal entities and consolidation groups. Hands-on M&A experience, including accounting due diligence, purchase price accounting, and post-acquisition integration. Hands-on experience implementing or migrating ERP platforms (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, SAP, NetSuite and Blackline) as the accounting lead, from design through post-go-live stabilization. Executive presence with experience presenting to boards of directors and audit committees. Preferred Qualifications Industry experience in commodities, precious metals, energy, or financial services, including commodity inventory and derivative/hedge accounting. Cross-border, multi-currency experience, including IFRS-to-U.S. GAAP conversion and international statutory reporting. IPO readiness or S-1/registration statement experience, at a registrant or in an advisory capacity. Exposure to treasury management, investment oversight, and investor relations support (earnings scripts, press releases, investor presentations). Experience optimizing ERP and finance systems (e.g., Dynamics 365 Business Central, SAP, NetSuite, Blackline) and driving automation (e.g., Alteryx, Power BI). MBA, MAcc, or equivalent advanced degree. What Success Looks Like in the First 12–24 Months First 12 Months A consolidated close at BD+5 with zero reconciliation skips, in-system journal entry approval, and manual journal entries materially reduced through automation. ERP and consolidation platform assessed, selected, and implementation underway — replacing legacy and spreadsheet-based consolidation — with a close-management/reconciliation tool live. SOX program designed with walkthroughs complete, segregation-of-duties remediation done, and the accounting policy manual rebuilt; quarterly close dry-runs operating at public-company cadence (10-Q simulation). S-1 financial content drafting underway on a disclosure management platform, with hedge accounting stood up and intercompany methodology documented. Acquisitions integrated onto the standard playbook, with purchase accounting and opening balance sheets delivered in-house. Established as the trusted accounting voice for the CFO, executive team, and Audit Committee. What We Offer A senior executive seat with broad ownership of the accounting organization and direct access to the CFO, executive team, and Audit Committee through the company’s transition to public ownership. Compensation includes a competitive base salary, target annual bonus, LTIP, and other select benefits, with the opportunity to shape the finance organization of a growing international business and a clear mandate that expands post-IPO. #J-18808-Ljbffr