Staff Accountant

As a Staff Accountant at Cornerstone Building Brands, your main responsibilities include executing month-end closures, creating journal entries, and reconciling balance sheet accounts. You will also assist the Accounting Manager with both accounts receivable and payable duties, ensuring that payments are correct and properly charged. The role involves maintaining a checklist of journal entries and balance sheets while contributing to financial analysis and developing accounting processes.

To qualify for the Staff Accountant position at Cornerstone Building Brands, candidates should possess a Bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field. A CPA designation is preferred, and candidates should have 1-3 years of experience in general ledger or corporate accounting. Experience in a publicly traded company and familiarity with major ERPs, such as Oracle or SAP, will be advantageous.

Candidates applying for the Staff Accountant role at Cornerstone Building Brands should ideally have progressive financial accounting experience, especially in a multi-entity environment. Experience handling monthly financial consolidations, as well as proficiency with financial consolidation tools like Hyperion or OneStream, would also be highly beneficial.

A Staff Accountant at Cornerstone Building Brands will likely use major enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems such as Oracle or SAP. Moreover, familiarity with financial consolidation tools like Hyperion or OneStream, in addition to advanced Excel skills, will be important to perform daily tasks effectively.

A typical workday for a Staff Accountant at Cornerstone Building Brands includes preparing journal entries, reconciling accounts, and verifying vendor payments. You will be engaging in financial analysis, managing accounts payable and receivable duties, and ensuring compliance with month-end activities in a timely manner. Team collaboration is also a key aspect of your workday, contributing to process improvements and discussions with the Accounting Manager.

Discuss specific experiences where you created and managed journal entries. Highlight your attention to detail and the accuracy of the entries, as well as how you ensured compliance with accounting standards. Mention any software you used to perform these tasks.

Explain your approach to investigating discrepancies, emphasizing your analytical skills. Talk about the steps you take to identify the root cause, such as reviewing transaction details and coordinating with relevant departments to resolve issues.

Be specific about the accounting software you’ve used, such as ERP systems and Excel. Discuss how you utilized these tools for bookkeeping, financial reporting, and how they enhanced your efficiency in completing tasks and responsibilities.

Discuss accounting principles like accuracy, consistency, and transparency, explaining how they guide your work. Provide examples of how you've applied these principles to ensure reliable financial reporting.

Illustrate your time management skills by describing your method for prioritizing tasks. Talk about your ability to set deadlines, delegate when necessary, and maintain clear communication with your team to ensure timely completion of month-end close activities.

Provide a specific example where your initiative led to enhanced efficiency, accuracy, or reporting. Highlight the steps you took to implement the change and the positive impact it had on the accounting department.

Discuss your methods for keeping updated, such as following industry publications, engaging in professional networks, or attending seminars. Show your commitment to continuous learning and adapting to changes in accounting standards.

Share your experiences and comfort level in preparing various financial reports. Discuss the types of reports you’ve written and how you've ensured that the information is accurate and relevant to stakeholders.

Illustrate your teamwork skills by describing a collaborative project. Emphasize your role, the challenges faced, and how effective communication and cooperation led to successful project completion.

Discuss the importance of accuracy, thoroughness, and documentation in successful account reconciliations. Provide examples of how meticulous attention to detail and following established procedures can prevent discrepancies.