Director, Accounting

At Greenbrier, we do the hard work that matters. The Greenbrier Companies (NYSE:GBX) is powering the movement of products around the world as a leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of freight rail transportation equipment and services.

 

Greenbrier’s heritage of hard work and industrial innovation is celebrated at every level of our organization. We structure our business to support teams that deliver innovative solutions for our customers while positively impacting the world around us.

 

Greenbrier’s success begins with people. We believe in supporting our global workforce through our unwavering attention to Safety, Quality, Respect for People and Customer Satisfaction. Our Inclusion, Diversity, Engagement, Access and Leadership (IDEAL) commitment is rooted in these values, which lead to a culture where employees are engaged and feel good about coming to work every day.

Summary

The Director, Accounting leads the lease and fleet management accounting function and supports the company’s consolidation and internal and external financial reporting processes.

The role develops and manages accounting and reporting teams and establishes and oversees finance and business processes to support accurate and timely financial information. The position partners cross-functionally with global accounting, FP&A, Legal, HR, operations, and other business functions to support enterprise initiatives and ensure alignment with accounting and reporting requirements.

 

The Director, Accounting applies technical accounting expertise and governance to support financial reporting integrity and organizational change initiatives.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to perform the following essential duties satisfactorily. Other duties may be assigned to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Oversee the lease and fleet management accounting team, provide leadership, guidance, and support to ensure a timely and accurate completion of the monthly financial close, accounting and reporting activities.
• Review lease and fleet management key contracts to ensure proper accounting recognition. For complex and unusual transactions, work closely across the finance organization and with the legal department, etc. to ensure a proper understanding and assessment of the transaction.
• Partner closely and regularly with both business and functional teams to support the finance team to track and report financial performance, working capital management and other financial reporting, business analysis and initiatives.
• Provide effective leadership and support to the accounting team, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. Mentor and develop team members, provide guidance and support to enhance their skills and knowledge.
• Proactively drive and implement key finance and business initiatives as part of process transformation and continuous improvement.
• Perform technical accounting research on complex accounting issues, monitor prospective accounting changes, evaluate impact, and ensure proper adoption.
• Support the consolidation and reporting process, including the identification and implementation of efficiency opportunities, as well as guiding the enhancements, upgrades and transformation of systems and related financial reporting and business processes.
• Assist with the oversight of the accounting, reporting, cash and working capital management, and compliance of relevant commercial and business management contracts.
• Facilitate relevant internal and external audits, including supporting SOX control testing.
• Support the Company’s monthly, quarterly and annual internal / SEC reporting process, where necessary.
• Partner to develop and maintain efficient and effective internal controls over financial reporting to mitigate company risks and maintain compliance with relevant requirements.
• Support management and executive leadership with various financial reporting requests, transaction work, special projects and business analysis projects as needed.

Qualifications

The following generally describes requirements to successfully perform the assigned duties.

 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required; master’s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in accounting and finance roles with increasing responsibilities, including managing and developing people and teams.
• Big 4 public accounting experience preferred; CPA required.
• Expertise and technical acumen in technical accounting (e.g., US GAAP) and financial reporting.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze complex financial data into trends, assessments and actionable insights and opportunities.
• Demonstrated ability managing individuals in complex finance organizations with a focus on mentoring and professional development
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively communicate financial information to financial and non-financial stakeholders, including Executive leadership.
• Proficiency in financial software and systems with an ability to learn a variety of systems and applications such as EPM and ERP (e.g., OneStream, Microsoft D365, etc.).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, with a focus on Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience with special projects, transaction, and continuous improvement projects, with a track record of implementing business process efficiencies.
• Strong analytical, resource allocation and interpersonal skills and must be able to work under tight deadlines.
• Skill, ability, and flexibility to perform multiple tasks and functions concurrently in a fast paced, dynamic environment.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Remote with travel or based at global headquarters in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Physical Activities and Requirements 

Frequency Key

Not Applicable: Activity is not applicable to this occupation

Occasionally: Occupation requires this activity up to 33% of the time (0- 2.5+ hours/day)

Frequently: Occupation requires this activity from 33% - 66% of the time (2.5- 5.5+ hours/day)

Constantly: Occupation requires this activity more than 66% of the time (5.5+ hours/day)

 

Working Postures

• Sit: Frequently
• Stand: Occasionally
• Walk: Occasionally
• Bend: Not Applicable
• Kneel/Squat: Not Applicable
• Crawl: Not Applicable
• Climb: Not Applicable
• Reach Forward: Occasionally
• Reach Upward: Not Applicable
• Handling/Fingering: Frequently

Lift / Carry Requirements

• 5-10 lbs: Not Applicable
• 10-25 lbs: Not Applicable
• 25-50 lbs: Not Applicable
• 50-75 lbs: Not Applicable
• 75+ lbs: Not Applicable

Push / Pull Requirements

• Up to 10 lbs: Not Applicable
• 10-25 lbs: Not Applicable
• 25-50 lbs: Not Applicable
• 50-75 lbs: Not Applicable
• 75+ lbs: Not Applicable

EOE including Vet/Disability

 

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Greenbrier makes reasonable accommodations in the application and hiring process for individuals with known disabilities, unless providing accommodation would result in an undue hardship. Any applicant believing that he or she may need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact Greenbrier Human Resources at [email protected] or call us at 503-684-7000. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Email communication from The Greenbrier Companies (Greenbrier) will always come from a corporate email address that ends in @gbrx.com or from our applicant tracking system, iCIMS, after you have created a secure account and submitted your application. During the application process, you will create a secure account in our secure applicant tracking site that ends with “-gbrx.icims.com”. In this portal, we will ask you to provide your contact information, past employment history, education history and other job-related information.