Senior Accountant — San Fernando Valley, California | Pacific Executive Search

Senior Accountant

(Job ID: 1931)

San Fernando Valley, California

On-Site

Direct Hire

Restaurant

$100,000 – $110,000 base

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Overview

Join a dynamic and innovative team as a Senior Accountant, where you will play a pivotal role in driving financial accuracy and strategic decision-making. This position offers the opportunity for professional growth and development, with a focus on collaboration and continuous improvement. You will thrive in a culture that values integrity, teamwork, and flexibility, while contributing to impactful financial initiatives that support the organization’s goals.

Responsibilities

Oversee the preparation and analysis of financial statements, ensuring compliance with GAAP and relevant regulations.
Manage month-end close processes, including journal entries, reconciliations, and variance analysis to provide timely financial insights.
Lead the implementation and integration of financial systems, including ERP platforms such as SAP or NetSuite, to enhance reporting efficiency.
Support revenue recognition processes in accordance with ASC-742, ensuring accurate reporting and compliance.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to facilitate acquisition integration and streamline financial operations.
Prepare and present financial reports to senior management, highlighting key performance indicators and strategic recommendations.
Mentor and guide junior accounting staff, fostering a culture of learning and professional development.

Qualifications

Must-Have:
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years of accounting experience, preferably in a corporate environment.
Strong knowledge of GAAP, revenue recognition, and financial reporting standards.
Proficiency in ERP systems, specifically SAP or NetSuite.
Exceptional analytical skills and attention to detail, with the ability to interpret complex financial data.
Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, with a focus on collaboration.
Nice-to-Have:
CPA or equivalent professional certification.
Experience with acquisition integration processes.
Familiarity with advanced financial modeling and forecasting techniques.
Knowledge of tax regulations and compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Accounting Manager hires fail?
Because companies hire for close execution when the real need is issue ownership and team leadership. Many candidates can manage a checklist. Far fewer can stabilize the function under pressure, improve weak processes, coach staff, and hold the line during audit, turnover, or reporting stress.
What are strong Accounting Manager candidates evaluating during the interview process?
They are usually trying to understand whether they are walking into a stable environment, a cleanup situation, or an under-resourced function. Strong candidates do not just evaluate title and compensation. They assess whether success is realistically achievable and whether leadership understands what the accounting team actually needs.
Why does ERP experience matter so much in roles like this?
Because many accounting and finance roles are really process-and-systems roles disguised as job titles. A candidate may know the accounting, but if they cannot operate effectively inside the company's environment, ramp time becomes risk. Exact system match is not always mandatory, but comparable complexity often is.
How do strong candidates typically evaluate opportunities like this?
Strong candidates rarely evaluate a role based on title alone. They look at what the position actually owns, how the function is viewed internally, whether the environment is stable or in transition, and what success will realistically look like in the first 6 to 12 months. Many first discover a role through a posting, but the strongest career decisions usually come from understanding the context behind the opportunity, not just the job description. In accounting and finance hiring, that level of context is often what separates a lateral move from a meaningful one. Learn more about how strategic accounting and finance searches differ from transactional recruiting.
Is the CPA really required for roles like this?
Sometimes yes, and often functionally yes even when the posting says "preferred." At leadership levels especially, the CPA frequently acts as a credibility signal for hiring managers, auditors, lenders, investors, or boards. There are exceptions, but in many accounting searches it remains one of the clearest markers of technical foundation.