What are the responsibilities and job description for the Accounting and Finance Manager position at Life Alive?
With support from Act III Holdings, the investment vehicle led by Panera founder and current Cava Chair Ron Shaich, we are growing our footprint across two markets and on the path to becoming the nationally dominant brand for positive eating. We are looking for dynamic, ambitious team members ready to join a purpose- and values-driven team committed to serving invigorating food that tastes as good as it makes our guests feel. We value interconnectedness, participation, integrity, pleasure, empathy and most importantly, we value you for you.
Our Finance function plays a key role in supporting this growth, partnering with our executive leadership team and Board to drive strategic insights, optimize financial processes, and ensure operational excellence. We are currently looking for an experienced, detail-oriented, and collaborative Manager, Accounting to join our team.
About the Role: Reporting to the CFO, the Manager will be pivotal in driving accounting processes, maintaining internal controls, and supporting the financial growth of Life Alive. They will be responsible for the day-to-day accounting and reconciliation activities related to our cafe operations, and own the period-end close, including inventory accounting and management, ensuring reporting accuracy and transparency. The ideal candidate is a highly-detail oriented spreadsheet whiz, with the ability to work independently, and adapt quickly to evolving business needs.
Location: Boston (hybrid)
Responsibilities:
- Work with CFO and outside accounting firm to drive internal oversight of day-to-day accounting operations, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, bank reconciliations and general ledger entries
- Drive the period-end close process, reconciling and analyzing accounts, and identifying and resolving discrepancies as needed
- Support all internal AP and AR activities, including vendor management, speciality purchases, and the corporate credit card and expense reimbursement program
- Implement and oversee processes to manage and account for inventory, and perform regular reconciliations to ensure inventory accuracy
- Manage and maintain all finance related tools for Operations, including sales and purchasing trackers
- Manage regulatory and compliance requirements for the cafes, including annual permitting, workers compensation audits, and more.
- Assess and implement any required changes to systems, processes and policies due to new accounting standards, regulatory changes, changes in business strategy, cross-departmental initiatives or other operational changes.
Required Competencies:
- AP and inventory management experience
- Highly analytical, detail-oriented, and a proactive problem solver
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Finance or Accounting
- CPA preferred
- Minimum 2 years of accounting experience in a relevant industry
- Proficient in Microsoft Excel; basic knowledge of SQL a plus but not required
