AVP, Accounting Policy & Research

As a team member in the Finance department at Nationwide, the opportunities are endless! You can grow and learn in diverse areas across many disciplines such as Advanced Analytics, Investments, Actuarial, Accounting, Risk Management, Critical Business Advisor, Internal Audit, and so much more. Let Nationwide help create your career journey! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

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Job Description Summary

Do you want to invest in yourself and thrive in an environment of innovation, problem solving, collaboration and learning? If you’re prepared to work in a technology-enabled, digitally focused organization, where Controllership is a captivating and respected career, we want to hear from you!

As the AVP, Accounting, Policy & Research, you’ll be an advisor to senior level leadership in Finance areas across the various businesses and corporate departments regarding appropriate accounting treatment for significant, complex, and strategically important transactions. You’ll be responsible for the critical assessment, education, and effective implementation of significant accounting guidance updates on a GAAP and Statutory basis. You’ll lead a cross-functional team enacting operational and accounting changes in an environment that is ever-increasing in complexity and regulatory oversight. We’ll expect you to represent Nationwide externally by influencing the standard setting of regulatory bodies and efforts of trade groups/industry peers, which is critical to drive favorable outcomes that will significantly impact the financial position of the company.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

• Provides strategic thought leadership for technical accounting guidance and application related to significant strategic and complex transactions through all phases to ensure accounting considerations are evaluated.

• Influences, through collaboration with senior leaders across the organization and key external bodies, the terms and agreements of transactions to ensure the deals contain the necessary criteria to drive accounting treatment that aligns with the economic goals of the transactions.

• Ensures proper documentation, review and execution of all accounting policy decisions and conclusions related to significant transactions and leads the management of audit/regulatory exam review of accounting conclusions.

• Evaluates the impact of emerging GAAP and Statutory accounting guidance for all lines of business and leads the cross-functional working group that facilitates the accounting and operational objectives ensuring the company’s readiness upon implementation.

• Educates senior leaders, and in some instances members of the Nationwide Audit Committee, of the impacts of significant guidance changes and advises on strategic changes in response to guidance requirements. Serves as the key liaison to the external audit team on technical accounting matters, including accounting standard updates already adopted and those that have a multi-year roadmap and far-reaching implications. 

• Advocates for advantageous outcomes with accounting standard setters through direct interactions with members of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, Securities and Exchange Commission and National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Serves as the outward facing leader, representing Nationwide at industry trade groups and at national conferences with regulatory authorities. Key liaison for Nationwide with the Ohio Department of Insurance Chief of Administration and NAIC Statutory Accounting Principles Working Group Chair. Member of the AICPA Insurance Expert Panel, an exclusive 11-member panel of accounting and auditing experts, comprised of the national insurance industry practice leaders at the Big 4 Accounting Firms and certain insurance companies that influence interpretations of accounting guidance.

• Establishes and drives functional area vision, strategy and objectives.

• Leads the technical development, engagement, performance management of a team of professionals. Provides leadership to various controllership-wide strategic initiatives, including the External Recruiting pipeline