Senior Vice President, Controller

Overview

Position Summary:

Responsible for the development of the accounting and financial reporting function for Advocate Health, including identifying best practices, formalizing system-wide processes, standardizing documentation and partnering with various business functions to deliver timely and accurate financial information. Develops, implements, and drives continued business process improvements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversees and provides guidance in the preparation of internal and external consolidated financial reporting and other filings to ensure they are of the highest standard of quality, compliant with US GAAP, and useful to executive leadership, the finance committee, board of directors, bankers, rating agencies and investors. Financial reporting and other filings include quarterly and annual consolidated financial reporting, annual external audited financial statements and quarterly measurement of financial debt compliance. This would also include the Single Audits (A-133), subsidiary audits, and various benefit plans.
• Serves as the accounting expert, overseeing all technical accounting and external financial reporting matters. Leads and directs the research of technical accounting literature to determine the application of accounting standards to complex business issues and transactions, including documenting and communicating conclusions and interpretations to senior management. Oversees the preparation of accounting and financial reporting position papers. Tracks, researches and oversees the analysis of all emerging authoritative accounting literature, including the FASB and SEC. Determines applicability and impact and drives efforts to update and implement accounting policies and procedures to respond to any accounting changes.
• Establishes and maintains internal controls for all accounting related matters.
• Oversees the preparation of the consolidated financial reporting package to executive leadership, the finance committee, and the board of directors. Leads the presentation of the monthly and annual consolidated financial reporting package to the executive leadership team.
• Leads and directs the preparation of the tax provision analyses, preparation of annual state and federal income tax filings, real state and personal property tax matters and sales and use tax matters. Oversees the monitoring of changing tax regulations to ensure the respective organization meets and complies with the necessary reporting and regulatory requirements. Oversees and coordinates with Treasury the overall bond compliance activities on a quarterly and annual basis system wide, including monitoring ownership and use of bond financed assets under IRS regulations.
• Oversees the design, development and evaluation of IT applications in collaboration with Information and Analytic Services and other finance leadership;  evaluates tools, processes and structures which manage financial data and support the resultant consolidated financial statements.
• Maintains the books and records related to the academic mission including research and fund accounting.
• Leads the revenue recognition process for governmental, commercial, and individual payors.
• Leads the accounts payable function in a manner that is closely aligned and coordinated with Supply Chain leadership.
• Provides leadership and directs activities of both the professional and supporting team.
• Develops and maintains accountability for team members both under direct supervision as well as regionally based team members.
• Demonstrates leadership in the areas: financial management, planning, directing, continuous quality improvement, Institutional support and representation and customer service.
• Streamline systems and processes that will improve efficiencies and allow for less obtrusive and more responsive workflow.
• Prepare timely, periodic financial, expenditure, revenue, and various modeling scenarios in order to measure departmental and institutional operating performance.
• Understand and identify means to enhance revenues from existing and new sources and communicate with executive leadership for improved performance, consistent with Advocate Health’s mission and values.
• Raise the level of confidence and competence of departmental and administrative leadership across enterprise.
• Analyze and review various organizational accounting procedures and problems, recommend, and implement programmatic improvements.
• Integrates financial and operational objectives and initiatives into annual operating and capital budgets and long-range forecasts.  Effectively plans and manages the annual budget process in collaboration with the Financial Planning and Analysis team and maintains the long-range forecast within established guidelines.
• Ensures review and approval of account reconciliations by appropriate personnel and ensures such are prepared on a timely basis.  Ensures that the System's records and financial statements are maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
• Responsible for all required statutory filings in a timely manner. Ensures compliance with requisite document retention requirements.
   

Education:

• Graduate from four-year institution of higher learning required
• Degree in Accounting or Finance is preferred
• C.P.A. required

Work Experience:

• 10 or more years of related work experience is preferred
• Extensive knowledge of US GAAP, SEC rules and regulations, PCAOB standards and the COSO controls framework
• Able to work independently
• Possess strong oral and written communication skills and have the ability to summarize complicated material
• Capable of exercising good judgment and making decisions in highly complex areas
• Possess strong management skills, ability to multi-task, and be able to direct and evaluate the performance of others

Enterprise Leadership Imperatives:

Thinks Critically and Strategically

• Engages in rigorous problem-solving definition, data collection, and analysis, then makes good decisions in the face of uncertainty and ambiguity.
• Recognizes important patterns in complex environments, distills the essence, and communicates through “powerful simplification.”
• Sees the big picture and has a long-term perspective, while balancing it against short-term realities.

Envisions and Enacts the Future

• Creates and communicates compelling visions of exciting, achievable futures.
• Mobilizes people and transforms organizations to realize the vision.
• Catalyzes innovation and builds supporting capabilities.
• Is a committed steward of the Advocate Health culture.

Connects and Collaborates Across Advocate Health

• Recognizes the critical importance of integration and collaboration in achieving high performance.
• Convenes and nurtures cross-system teams and works effectively in the “white spaces.”
• Seeks win-win outcomes and puts the well-being of the patient and the overall organization first.
• Leads effectively across cultures.

Builds and Leads Inclusive, High-performing Leadership Teams

• Understands the value of diversity in teams and gets the best out of all people.
• Establishes trust and creates a culture of psychological safety to enable candid debate.
• Builds consensus; decides when necessary.
• Delivers outstanding results through others.

Understands and Shapes the External Environment

• Is deeply knowledgeable about the Advocate Health business model and the consumer, competitive, political and social environments in which the organization operates.
• Understands the importance of actively engaging with and shaping these environments.
• Identifies, assesses and builds relationships with key stakeholders.
• Mobilizes and directs supporting capabilities in public affairs, communications and government relations to achieve desired outcomes.

Builds Talent for and Across the System

• Demonstrated personal accountability for developing future generations of Advocate Health leaders who reflect the diversity of communities we serve.
• Engages actively with colleagues in assessing and developing executive talent, focusing on competencies and character.
• Invests time in coaching and mentoring high potentials for success.
• Is a role model, embodying the best of Advocate Health’s culture.