Platform Accounting Manager

Watts Applied Solutions Platform Accounting Manager

Watts Applied Solutions (WAS) is seeking a Platform Accounting Manager to lead core accounting, close, controls, and financial reporting processes across the WAS platform. This role partners closely with platform finance leadership, site finance teams, operations, corporate accounting, internal audit, and shared services to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant financial results across a multi-site manufacturing environment.

The Platform Accounting Manager will provide hands-on leadership for month-end close, balance sheet integrity, inventory and standard cost accounting, project accounting, internal controls, and process standardization. The role is expected to strengthen accounting discipline while supporting operational decision-making and continuous improvement across WAS businesses.

Primary Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Coordinate the monthly, quarterly, and year-end close process across WAS platform entities and sites, ensuring deadlines, account ownership, and review requirements are met.
• Own the accuracy and completeness of key accounting areas, including inventory, standard costing, warranty accruals, revenue-related reserves, project accounting, fixed assets, accruals, and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Review and approve journal entries, reconciliations, account analyses, and close deliverables prepared by site accounting teams or shared services as needed.
• Drive balance sheet discipline through timely reconciliation review, aging follow-up, reserve analysis, and remediation of reconciling items or accounting issues.
• Partner with plant controllers, operations leaders, and FP&A teams to explain accounting results, cost movements, inventory valuation, margin impacts, and unusual variances.
• Support standard cost processes, inventory accounting, cycle count controls, excess and obsolete reserve analysis, and manufacturing variance review across WAS sites.
• Ensure compliance with U.S. GAAP, Watts accounting policies, SOX requirements, internal controls, and corporate reporting expectations.
• Coordinate with internal and external auditors, including support for audit requests, SOX testing, control walkthroughs, and remediation of findings.
• Identify process improvement opportunities and lead standardization of accounting processes, close calendars, reconciliations, reporting packages, and control documentation across the platform.
• Provide accounting guidance for business initiatives such as new product lines, restructuring actions, make/buy decisions, contract reviews, warranty issues, acquisitions, and ERP/process changes.
• Develop, coach, and support accounting resources across the platform, building capability, accountability, and consistency in accounting execution.
• Prepare and present accounting updates, close status, control issues, and remediation plans to WAS finance leadership as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required; CPA or CMA preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive accounting or controllership experience, preferably in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP, financial reporting, month-end close, balance sheet reconciliations, and internal controls.
• Hands-on experience with inventory accounting, standard costing, manufacturing variances, reserves, warranty accounting, and cost accounting concepts.
• Experience supporting multi-site operations, public company reporting requirements, SOX controls, and internal or external audits.
• Demonstrated ability to review complex accounting entries, identify root causes, resolve issues, and communicate financial impacts clearly to finance and operations stakeholders.
• Strong ERP and reporting system experience; SAP, Oracle, Hyperion/HFM, or similar systems preferred.
• Advanced Excel and data analysis capability, including pivots, lookups, reconciliations, and large-data review.
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, and stakeholder management skills; ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
• Continuous improvement mindset with ability to standardize processes and improve control effectiveness across teams and sites.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience as an Accounting Manager, Assistant Controller, Plant Controller, or platform/regional accounting lead.
• Experience in engineered products, project-based manufacturing, HVAC, water technology, boiler/tank systems, or similar industrial operations.
• Experience leading or influencing accounting resources across multiple locations, including shared service or matrixed reporting environments.
• Familiarity with acquisition integration, restructuring accounting support, policy deployment, and cross-functional finance transformation initiatives.

General Applicable Company Competencies

• Commitment to Watts' values of integrity, accountability, continuous improvement and innovation, and transparency.
• Punctuality and dependability.
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to…