Lead SME – Operating Expense Accounting

Job Description

**Title: Lead SME – Operating Expense Accounting**

**Contract Details:**

Location: Boston, MA or Springfield, MA (Remote with travel onsite for QE and YE close)

Duration: 12+ month contract

Start: ASAP

Candidates Considered: USC, GC and H1B candidates

**About the Role**

We are seeking a Lead Subject Matter Expert (SME) to support the Operating Expense Accounting team as part of a major finance transformation within the insurance industry. This role will provide continuity while a key super user participates in the APEX project. The SME will be hands-on with expense accounting, intercompany allocations, management fee processes, and financial reporting activities.

This is an excellent opportunity for a mid- to senior-level accounting professional with strong insurance industry experience to play a critical role in supporting financial close and expense reporting during a system and process transformation.

**Key Responsibilities**

– Support operating expense accounting processes during monthly and quarterly financial close.

– Manage and review management fees, intercompany billing, and intercompany allocations .

– Prepare and support financial exhibits, reports, and analyses related to operating expenses.

– Ensure processes comply with US GAAP and statutory reporting requirements.

– Perform reconciliations, journal entry reviews, and variance analysis related to operating expenses.

– Collaborate with Finance, Accounting Ops, and Technology teams to resolve accounting and reporting issues.

– Support testing, documentation, and process validation during transformation activities.

– Identify and implement process improvements to strengthen the expense accounting function.

**Required Skills & Experience**

– 5+ years of accounting, controllership, or finance experience , with a focus on expense accounting and intercompany processes .

– Insurance industry experience required ; life insurance experience preferred.

– Knowledge of US GAAP and statutory accounting standards.

– Experience with SAP FICO (finance/accounting modules) strongly preferred.

– Exposure to SAP R/3 or ECC migrations to S/4HANA is a plus.

– Strong analytical and reconciliation skills with keen attention to detail.

– Ability to work independently while collaborating across Finance and Technology teams.

– Excellent communication and problem-solving abilities.