Lead Corporate Accountant - Hawaii

Job Function

Leads the department in reasonable evaluations of journal entries and assists the Manager of Corporate Accounting in coordinating the daily activities of the Corporate Accounting staff. Ensures timely financial reporting, develops and maintains ERP system, and provides guidance to the Corporate Accounting staff and Operations. Assists in ad‑hoc special projects related to financial transactions, system implementations, provides financial accounting advice to Utilities.

• Coordinates the timely financial closing process for Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries, including outreach to other process areas to obtain required information for the preparation of various internal and external financial reports.
• Gathers, interprets, and summarizes various transactions and information, and prepares and enters journal entries that reflect that information in accordance with GAAP in the general ledger.
• Treats information received in the course of performing these responsibilities as confidential.
• Prepares and maintains process documentation on internal controls for the department in accordance with the Sarbanes‑Oxley Act.
• Coordinates the timely completion of reconciliations of general ledger accounts and analyzes the reconciliations to ensure that the accounts at each month‑end are properly stated.
• Analyzes recorded information for financial reporting and disclosures and meets financial and statistical information needs of various users, both internal and external to the company.
• Serves as an expert resource for the company by maintaining an elevated level of knowledge of utility accounting concepts and principles.
• Maintains the company’s financial reporting system and recommends improvements to overall policies and procedures.
• Provides analytical information for rate cases and other regulatory proceedings.
• Provides guidance and assistance to the Corporate Accounting staff as necessary, including operational areas requesting assistance with financial accounting treatment.
• Assists the manager with evaluating the effectiveness of internal accounting controls for existing or new systems and procedures and recommends changes as necessary.
• Collaborates directly with internal/external customer requests for financial/statistical information to ensure timely delivery, provides advice on proper recordation of transactions, and may serve as a lead on project teams to provide accounting guidance and input.
• Provides technical financial accounting guidance to Hawaiian Electric, Hawaii Electric Light and Maui Electric employees for significant agreements, and special projects as appropriate, drafts testimony on behalf of the manager and others for rate case dockets, IRs and other regulatory proceedings.
• Participates in company emergency response activities as assigned.

• Extensive knowledge/understanding of accounting standards (GAAP) and financial statements (balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, consolidations).
• Ability to relate working knowledge of Process Area functions (operations & maintenance and capital areas) to ensure related transactions are in accordance with GAAP.
• Thorough knowledge of personal computers and ERP systems and related applications, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Understanding of internal control concepts and procedures.
• Working knowledge of regulatory accounting and rate making concepts, and regulatory accounting practices and decisions by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate and work with all levels of the organization, verbally and in written communication.
• Excellent analytical skills to determine reasonableness of transactions.
• Demonstrated analytical, organizational, and conceptual skills to manage projects and programs.
• Ability to remain flexible in a demanding work environment and adapt to rapidly changing priorities.
• Excellent ability to lead (analyze, propose, and execute) process improvement recommendations within Corporate Accounting.

• 8+ years of experience in the financial…