Career Focus:
Accounting
Do you good with numbers? Are you highly organized? Do you enjoy diving into the details?
An accounting position might be right for you.
What is an Accountant?
An accounting is responsible for analyzing financial information and preparing documents and reports throughout the year to communicate this information to company leadership and other stakeholders.
What Will I Do?
Perform analyses on financial information.
Support year-end financial statement audit by preparing workpapers and working directly with external auditors.
Oversee quarterly and annual premium tax returns and relevant submissions.
Prepare NAIC Quarterly and Annual Statements reported to insurance departments.
Work closely with Reinsurance team to facilitate timely reporting of information needed to support the close and to compile quarterly and annual internal and external reporting.
Prepare journal entries & reconciliations in accordance with internal company policy to support IFRS and STAT financial statements
Assist in preparation of financial statements and subsidiary ledgers and ensure timely financial close.
What Skills Will I Need?
Knowledge of Statutory Accounting Principles (SAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
Familiarity with NAIC quarterly and annual statement content and preparation
Advanced skills in Microsoft Office Applications, particularly Excel
Experience with SAP accounting software preferred.
Experience with WingsPlus preferred
Must be self-motivated
Ability to apply technical accounting knowledge to real-world business transactions
Ability to develop, implement and document effective internal controls
Self-starter and self-motivated to work independently in a fast-paced environment
Organized, detail-oriented and deadline-driven
Ability to work effectively with cross-functional team members
Strong communication skills of all types
A Day in the Life of an Accounting Manager
Julia is a Accounting Manager with AgriSompo North America. Follow along below as she walks you through a typical day in her role.
Morning
I begin each morning by checking e-mails to see if anything needs addressed immediately. After accomplishing that task, my day begins with preparing for the next financial close. This entails gathering reports on crop insurance premiums and losses, updating and mapping Excel worksheets to reflect current dates and adjustments, and compiling the data to be entered into the accounting system for end-of-financial period reporting. I find that it is to my benefit to perform the most detailed tasks in the morning – right after my second cup of coffee, when I’m most alert!
Mid-Day
Around mid-day, I usually work on less technical tasks. I complete quarterly tax returns, verify and pay invoices, and I work with the claims manager to forward data to the various state agencies affected by catastrophes. This means that most natural disasters – like the fires in Maui, mudslides in California, or hurricanes all along the Southeastern coast – have claims that my position helps track and report.
Mid-day is also when many web-based meetings occur, some with just my team, some with the entire Finance Department, and some company-wide meetings.
On a quarterly basis, I spend the majority of the day producing the Statutory Financial. In industry terms, this is called the “Yellow Book,” and is used to compare the financial positions of all of the Agricultural Insurance Producers (AIPs) in the crop insurance industry.
In January & February, I oversee the annual filings of financials, Certificate of Authority renewals, and tax returns with the 49 states our company is licensed with.
Wrapping Up the Day
Toward the end of the day, I wrap up any financials I have been working on throughout the day and recheck my e-mails to see if anything really critical has been sent late in the day. If anything is needed immediately, I stay and work on it. Most of the time, though, I can prioritize the tasks for the next day, make sure my team members are on task, and sign off.
Interested in a career in accounting?
Follow the link below to see which positions AgriSompo North America has available.
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