Chief Accounting Officer

Position – Chief Accounting OfficerLocation – McLean, VA (hybrid flexibility)Date Opened - November, 2026Job Summary This Chief Accounting Officer (CAO) opportunity is a newly opened position within a 90 year old full service financial services leader with over 3 million customers, 3,000 employees, and over $30 billion in asset. Based at the company’s Fairfax County northern Virginia headquarters, the CAO will serve as a leader within the company’s CFO's team and will help translate the enterprise strategic plan into accounting operational and reporting readiness including operational readiness for M&A and new business lines, a scalable operating model as the balance sheet grows, and a reporting framework that meets requirements of Management and the company Board. This individual will manage a leadership team and accounting division of 40 professionals and help guide the enterprise strategic planning into accounting operational and reporting readiness, will own the integrity of financial records, while reshaping how accounting creates value across reliable and timely closes, automated controls, certified data, and insight that informs capital, pricing, and growth decisions. The CAO position will offer a competitive compensation package comprised of a base salary in the $375,000 to $430,000 range, a 25% annual bonus target, potential sign-on bonus, possible relocation assistance if applicable, as well as a comprehensive suite of company benefits, and a hybrid flexible based on company and department needs. Ideal candidates for this opportunity will have 15 or more years of professional experience to the senior management level, financial services industry experience within a large organization environment, with a track record of success facilitating progressive organizational change and development within a growing organization.Job Description Provides effective leader pairing technical command of GAAP with the instincts of a change leader who leads team staff, retires legacy processes, and promotes and enables accounting as a strategic partner across the enterprise.Serves as a strategic advisor to the CFO and executive team, shaping decisions on capital allocation, product economics, balance sheet strategy, and growth investments.Translates the three-year strategic plan into accounting, reporting, and control frameworks that scale with the organization.Leads accounting due diligence for business combinations and loan portfolio purchases, and integration for credit union mergers, acquisitions, and new business ventures.Partners with Treasury, FP&A, Risk, and Lending on member- and product-level profitability, funds transfer pricing, and performance measurement.Anticipates and monitors emerging accounting, regulatory, and industry developments and position the organization ahead of them.Owns the general ledger governance including the financial statement close process, ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of all internal and external financial reporting.Delivers annual audited financial statements and oversee the quarterly NCUA 5300 Call Report preparation and submission.Establishes and maintains accounting policy, including technical positions on transfers of financial assets, CECL, derivatives and hedge accounting, loan servicing, leases, and fair value.Produces Board and Audit Committee reporting that is clear, decision-useful, and forward-looking.Defines and executes a multi-year accounting strategic roadmap covering close, consolidation, reconciliation, reporting, transformation, and the alignment of accounting personnel.Drives automation and AI adoption across accounting operations, targeting close optimization and a sharp reduction in manual journal entries and reconciliation points.Co-leads the finance data strategy: a single, governed general ledger and subledger architecture, certified data products, and clear data ownership.Champions and leads the strategic ERP platform modernization in partnership with Technology, Human Resources, and Procurement.Aligns the accounting operating model, including shared services, centers of excellence, and talent mix, to support growth without proportional cost.Maintains a robust internal control framework over financial reporting aligned to COSO, with an emphasis on automated and preventive controls.Serves as primary liaison to the external auditor and Supervisory Committee, and partners with Internal Audit on control effectiveness.Serves as a finance lead who engages with NCUA examinators and responds to regulatory findings with durable remediation.Supports capital adequacy reporting that relies on the accuracy of net worth as a governing metric.Leads, develops, and retains a high-performing team of 40 accounting professionals.Builds modern skill sets in data, automation, AI and analytics alongside technical accounting depth.Creates a culture of ownership, continuous improvement, and service to company members and mission.Job RequirementsBachelor’s Degree in Business, Accounting or a related field is required.CPA certification is required.Master’s Degree in Business Administration is preferred.CPA certification required.Minimum of fifteen (15) years’ of experience, ten (10) years in a senior management role with public accounting financial audit and/or in-house financial management experience gained in a large organization environment or clients, all of which provides a level of skill and knowledge necessary to satisfactorily perform the essential job functions detailed herein is required.Proven track record of success facilitating progressive organizational change and development within a growing organization.