Senior Manager, Corporate Accounting

Company Description

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Who We Are

We take our mission of protecting the digital way of life seriously. We are relentless in protecting our customers and we believe that the unique ideas of every member of our team contributes to our collective success. Our values were crowdsourced by employees and are brought to life through each of us everyday - from disruptive innovation and collaboration, to execution. From showing up for each other with integrity to creating an environment where we all feel included.

As a member of our team, you will be shaping the future of cybersecurity. We work fast, value ongoing learning, and we respect each employee as a unique individual. Knowing we all have different needs, our development and personal wellbeing programs are designed to give you choice in how you are supported. This includes our FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account with over 1,000 eligible items selected by employees, our mental and financial health resources, and our personalized learning opportunities - just to name a few!

At Palo Alto Networks, we believe in the power of collaboration and value in-person interactions. This is why our employees generally work full time from our office with flexibility offered where needed. This setup fosters casual conversations, problem-solving, and trusted relationships. Our goal is to create an environment where we all win with precision.

Job Description

Your Career

Become a member of our accounting organization at Palo Alto Networks! We are seeking a highly motivated and collaborative Senior Manager of Corporate Accounting with an eye for continuous improvement who is excited to drive financial accounting quality and efficiency at a high-growth company. This person will be responsible for a variety of financial close and reporting activities and will also partner closely with cross-functional teams to understand business transactions and ensure proper accounting and recording, in addition to supporting projects and optimizing processes.

The ideal candidate must possess excellent critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills. The position requires a hands-on person who is flexible, solutions-oriented and works well in a fast-paced environment.

You have a passion for numbers; our organization has a passion for cybersecurity. You’re looking for a career with a more fulfilling mission. We have open positions to top talent seeking a financial challenge. Our accounting department deals with numbers daily, supporting infrastructure, dealing in automation, building solutions and providing accurate, insightful financial information to empower our business lines. The ideal candidate has exceptional skills in accounting and analytics and an innovative mindset to approach finance problems differently. Our innovation doesn’t stay in Research and Development. Within finance and accounting, we seek people who are looking to try new things, while solving business critical equations. If you’re seeking a financial challenge but with a world-wide impact – this is it.

Your Impact

• Perform monthly close activities, including reviewing journal entries and monthly balance sheet account reconciliations, ensuring accuracy and adherence to US GAAP and company policies
• Manage accounting, analysis and reporting for designated areas, including leases and compensation and benefits
• Research, resolve, operationalize and document accounting transactions
• Prepare periodic and ad hoc financial reporting and presentations, including conducting financial analysis and explaining trends and/or relationships on the financial statements
• Support management of global accounting close process
• Establish accounting policies, practices, and procedures and monitor accounting operations to ensure compliance
• Identify actionable insights and make recommendations to address issues and improve accounting processes, including optimization of the month-end close
• Partner with cross-functional teams to identify and implement process improvements and solve problems
• Represent the accounting team on significant projects and initiatives to ensure operational accounting requirements are considered and implemented
• Ensure compliance with SOX 404 key controls and engage with external auditors to address audit requirements
• Assist with other projects and responsibilities as required
• Responsibilities will continue to expand and transform over time as Palo Alto Networks continues to grow

Qualifications

Your Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field or equivalent military experience
• Certified Public Accountant or equivalent preferred
• Minimum of 8+ years of related work experience; mix of previous Big 4 and operational experience a plus
• Thorough understanding of accounting close and financial reporting processes
• Solid foundation in technical accounting relevant to a large technology company
• Strong written communication skills for documenting accounting positions and verbal communication skills for communicating with the team as well as the executive level
• Experience with lease accounting (ASC 842) and compensation accounting preferred
• Great leader and teammate with strong interpersonal skills, willing to at times roll up their sleeves and work cross-functionally to get things done
• Self-starter who thrives in fast-paced, high-growth environments with minimal supervision
• Critical thinker with an analytical mindset and proven track record of assessing end-to-end processes and solving problems/implementing improvements
• Solid organizational skills and ability to manage priorities and timelines 
• Highly proficient in Excel and Google Sheets
• Experience with SAP and/or other large ERP systems a plus

Additional Information

The Team

The Chief Accounting Officer plays a pivotal role in our company's success by ensuring that our processes are optimized and compliant with regulatory standards. We partner closely with our legal, finance, IT and business teams, to not only safeguard the company against potential compliance and financial reporting risks, but also to ensure our processes are operating in an effective and efficient manner. Their expertise in navigating complex regulatory landscapes and their dedication to maintaining high standards of integrity are crucial in protecting the company's financial health and fostering sustainable growth.

Compensation Disclosure

The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location. For candidates who receive an offer at the posted level, the starting base salary (for non-sales roles) is expected to be between $138,000 - $223,500/YR. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be found here.

• Our Commitment
• We’re problem solvers that take risks and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. It’s simple: we can’t accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at  accommodations@paloaltonetworks.com.

Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.