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Accounting and Controls Manager, Unilever Prestige

Reporting through Living Proof, Inc.

As part of the ambition to become the world’s leading Personal Care business, Unilever created a new global Prestige business unit in 2015, focused on acquiring a portfolio of Premium beauty brands to unlock a share of the €100bn premium personal care market, creating a new and important source of future growth for Unilever.

The Unilever Prestige portfolio covers Skin Care, Hair Care and Colour Cosmetics and comprises: Dermalogica, Murad, Tatcha, Living Proof, Hourglass, Kate Somerville, Ren Skincare, Paula’s Choice and Garancia. Unilever Prestige has a global footprint with sales in over 100 markets, and the brands are headquartered in LA, San Francisco, Boston, Paris and London, where the central Prestige Leadership Team are also predominantly located.

The Prestige Controls Manager is an important role in the Prestige finance team, supporting the vision to become a top 5 beauty player by 2030. This is a full time role and will report into the Prestige VP Finance, Controller. This position will drive all internal control related work amongst the Prestige Brands as it relates to aligning control understanding, implementation, automation and compliance. The ideal candidate possesses a solid manufacturing/operational accounting background, genuine interest in controls and accounting policy, high attention to details and ability to develop strong trust and relationships with key stakeholders. The role will sit within the Living Proof entity located in Boston, MA.

Key responsibilities will include the following:

• Become a subject matter expert on the Acquired Business Financial Control Framework (AFCF) with the ability to provide direction, insight and implementation assistance to the brands
• Lead coordination of updates to documentation and controls as new internal standards are implemented, new systems implemented, or processes changed
• Aid in creating training materials for Controller group on design and implementation of relevant controls.
• Evaluate the segregation of duties in the brands accounting systems and assist with the implementation of change, where necessary
• Be familiar with day-to-day accounting activities, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, and month-end closing processes. Step in as needed to assist brands with process improvements around these functions
• Review and analyze financial statements and reports to provide insights and recommendations to senior management
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and financial metrics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities
• Assist brands with annual internal Financial Control Assessments, Audits and other compliance driven requirements
• Track audit findings, drive development of action plans, and follow up on remediation actions and issue closure
• Review and preparation of new and updated Accounting Policies and Procedures for the brands
• Participate in strategic financial projects including ERP upgrades and other financial software implementations as it relates to accounting and access controls
• Communicate independently and effectively with key stakeholders

Key Stakeholders

• Unilever Prestige CFO and Controller
• Prestige brand Controllers and their accounting teams
• Unilever GCAD, controls team and Corporate Audit

Leadership Behaviors

• Growth mind-set and a bias for action
• Ability to manage multiple business models and complexity
• Problem solving, takes personal responsibility and accountability for execution and results
• Experience of working effectively in cross functional and international teams
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders.

Professional skills and experience

• 5+ years’ experience in accounting or finance roles, with specific internal controls experience
• CPA or equivalent preferred
• Strong knowledge of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) or US GAAP
• Excellent analytical and communication skills with ability to respond under pressure
• Proven track record of being effective in a complex operating environment and driving business performance
• Experience in managing a large and complex set of stakeholders is an advantage
• Experience of working in multi-national teams and/or a virtual team environment would be an advantage

Terms & Conditions

• This role will require travel within the US
• This role will be based out of Boston, MA and candidates should have the ability to commute to the office 1-2 times per week
• This role will be required to manage workload and projects across international time zones

Annual Compensation: $120,000 - $140,000

Diversity is a core value at Living Proof. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working and learning environment for all employees. We believe every member on our team enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design and deliver solutions.