Assistant Controller - USA

Job Title: Ice Cream US Assistant Controller

Location: Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Terms & Conditions:  Full-time, hybrid within policy

If you want to work for a global, leading Ice Cream player with €7.9bn Turn Over in 2023, come join Unilever Ice Cream! The Ice Cream business is operating in a highly attractive category, as we are part of the 1 trillion snacking and refreshment industry, growing consistently at high pace. We have strong brands equities: 5 of top 10 selling brands including Wall’s, Magnum, Ben &Jerry’s. We are investing to unlock the full growth potential of Ice Cream as a standalone entity, once we separate from Unilever, which is planned to happen by November 2025.

Ice Cream has distinct characteristics from Unilever’s other operating businesses and the growth potential of Ice Cream will be better delivered under a different ownership structure. As Ice Cream company we are committed to developing and nurturing talent as we build our diverse and inclusive culture. You will have ample options for career growth and exploration, allowing you for you to explore roles and opportunities across the new organisation. Your career development will be a priority for us, and we are dedicated to supporting your growth journey within the new company. We hope that you will want to build the new chapter of our Ice Cream history together with us.

JOB PURPOSE:

The Assistant Controller plays a vital role in ensuring the financial health of an organization, supporting strategic decision-making, and maintaining compliance with regulations. This position requires a blend of technical expertise, leadership skills, and the ability to work collaboratively across departments.

Establishing and maintaining internal controls and accounting best practices is one of the top responsibilities of an Assistant Controller. Whilst providing supervision to general accounting departments, an Assistant Controller will also assist the Controller providing monthly, quarterly, and year-end analyses and coordinating or assisting with the budget and forecasting process.

We are seeking a reliable and detail-oriented Assistant Controller to support the preparation of financial statements that adhere to regulatory and accounting guidelines. Working under the guidance of a controller, you will play a crucial role in identifying and rectifying discrepancies while assisting in the establishment of effective control systems.

To excel in this role, you must possess a strong understanding of accounting principles. As an organized professional with keen attention to detail, you should be dependable and capable of working independently and collaboratively.

Your primary objective will be to ensure that the company’s accounting and financial processes meet established standards, promoting accurate financial reporting and effective control, support to in-market Treasury and Insurance activities for the North America Unit. The role has the operational responsibility to run these activities for the US market, and the oversight responsibility for North America to ensure these activities are properly run in compliance with global policies. 

The role reports to the North America IC Controller, providing visibility, assurance, and guidance on business risk management, financial reporting and controlling, internal & external audits, liquidity management and value protection.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Risk Management & Controls:

• Lead Risk Assessments: Proactively conduct comprehensive risk assessments to identify potential financial risks within the organization. This involves analyzing processes and controls to ensure they are effective and aligned with company policies.
• Remediation of Control Issues: Collaborate with business leaders to understand the root causes of any identified issues. Develop and implement corrective actions to strengthen internal controls and mitigate risks.

Accounting & Reporting:

• Financial Reporting: Ensure that financial reports are prepared accurately and submitted on time for both internal stakeholders and external regulatory bodies. This includes group financial statements and local statutory reports.
• Accounting Standards Compliance: Stay updated on changes in accounting standards and ensure that both group and local accounting practices are compliant. Act as the main point of contact for any accounting inquiries from the Group Controller’s team.
• Month end closing: Assist in the month end closing process, ensuring that all financial records are accurate and complete, and that financial statements are prepared in accordance with regulatory requirements.

Financial Processes:

• Efficiency Programs: Implement global financial p