Accounting manager (temporary)

About Berlitz
Founded in 1878, Berlitz is one of the world's longest-running language education and cultural training organizations, operating in 76 countries through more than 500 locations and online. The Franchising Accounting Manager joins a global finance team supporting a business built on in-person and digital instruction across dozens of languages and markets.

About the Job
The Franchising Accounting Manager leads Berlitz Franchising's global accounting operations, owning the monthly close, general accounting, order to cash process, and internal controls that produce accurate, timely financial statements. Reporting to the Americas Controller, this person is the accounting manager in the organization — building a scalable close process, managing the external audit, and working with peers in other countries and customers to keep the books right as Berlitz grows.

Key Responsibilities:

• Financial Reporting
  • Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close, delivering accurate financial statements on a fixed calendar.
  • Manage the order to cash process including invoicing royalties, aging analysis, consolidated customer statements, communication with customers and Berlitz peers from other countries.
  • Prepare and review GAAP-compliant financial statements, and management reporting packages for the executive team and parent company.
• Controls, Compliance, Risk
  • Design, implement, and monitor internal controls over order to cash process and financial reporting (ICFR) to protect company assets and ensure data integrity.
  • Serve as the primary liaison with external auditors, leading the annual audit.
  • Ensure compliance with U.S. GAAP and tax filing obligations, in partnership with tax and legal counsel.
• Systems, Process & Business Partnership
  • Drive improvements to the order to cash process and the general ledger and close calendar, reducing close time and manual effort.
  • Partner with FP&A, Treasury, Tax, and regional finance leaders on forecasting, cash management, and special projects.
  • Present financial results and control matters to senior leadership.

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, spanning public accounting (Big 4 or national firm) and industry.
• Proven experience managing multi-entity, multi-currency consolidations for a global organization.
• Strong command of U.S. GAAP and internal-controls frameworks (e.g., COSO).
• Hands-on experience with ERP/consolidation systems (e.g., NetSuite, Microsoft Access, Oracle, OneStream, or Hyperion).
• Demonstrated people-leadership experience interacting with accounting teams.

Preferred

• Experience in a services, education, or franchise-based business.
• Experience within a private-equity-owned or internationally parented organization.
• Familiarity with statutory reporting requirements outside the U.S.
• Prior experience presenting to a parent-company stakeholders.
• Active CPA license (preferred).

Berlitz is an Equal Opportunity Employer.