Associate Vice President, Corporate Accounting — Greater Los Angeles, CA | Pacific Executive Search

Associate Vice President, Corporate Accounting

(Job ID: 2006)

Greater Los Angeles, CA

Hybrid

Direct Hire

Fin Serv - Investment

$165,000 – $185,000 base

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Overview

A publicly traded alternative asset manager with a diverse portfolio spanning credit, private equity, and real estate is expanding its Corporate Accounting leadership. This role offers the chance to oversee complex operating expense accounting and SOX 404 compliance within a sophisticated financial services environment. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with senior finance executives to enhance reporting accuracy and streamline processes across global teams.

Title: Associate Vice President, Corporate Accounting
Industry: Alternative Asset Management
Location: Greater Los Angeles

Responsibilities

Partner with senior finance leaders to manage accounting operations for a NYSE-listed entity, including review of journal entries, expense allocations, and balance sheet reconciliations.
Ensure accurate classification and accounting of operating expenses while maintaining strict adherence to SOX 404 internal controls.
Lead the quarterly update and analysis of general and administrative expense forecasts, providing actionable insights to support business decisions.
Supervise a geographically dispersed team of onshore and offshore accounting professionals, fostering collaboration across multiple time zones.
Coordinate with external auditors, internal audit, and tax advisors to facilitate smooth audit cycles and compliance reviews.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives by identifying manual accounting processes and implementing automation and efficiency enhancements.
Support internal stakeholders—including finance, investor relations, and investment teams—with ad hoc financial reporting and analytical requests.

Qualifications

Must-Have:
- CPA certification with at least 10 years of combined public and private accounting experience.
- Proven expertise in corporate accounting within financial services, including SOX 404 compliance and financial reporting for public companies.
- Hands-on experience managing accounting teams and collaborating with senior leadership.
- Proficiency with ERP systems, preferably Oracle Fusion, and familiarity with financial data analytics.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver accurate results under tight deadlines.
- Excellent communication skills to effectively engage with cross-functional teams and external partners.
Nice-to-Have:
- Advanced degree in accounting, finance, or related field.
- Experience with business intelligence tools such as Power BI.
- Familiarity using AI-driven tools like Copilot or ChatGPT to enhance accounting workflows.
- Background in financial services sectors including private equity, real estate, or credit strategies.

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 do accounting roles in real estate often require a different kind of operator?
Because entity structures, property-level reporting, intercompany activity, partnership considerations, and ownership reporting can create a more structurally complex environment than many standard corporate settings. Real estate accounting roles usually demand a candidate who understands the operating rhythm of the business, not just the debits and credits.
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.
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.
Why is direct SOX or SEC reporting experience still so valuable?
Because it usually reflects exposure to real deadlines, real scrutiny, and repeatable compliance discipline. It is difficult to simulate that background without having lived it, and the learning curve can be expensive in roles where reporting accuracy and controls matter immediately.

Associate Vice President, Corporate Accounting

Overview

Responsibilities

Qualifications

Apply Now

Frequently Asked Questions

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