Gundersen Health System is hiring: Director | Accounting in Calmar

Overview

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Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40

Job Title: Director | Accounting (enterprise)

Department: Finance

Reports to: VP of Finance & Accounting

Position Summary

We are seeking a strategic and forward-thinking Director of Accounting to lead our Enterprise Accounting Center of Excellence (CoE). This role is critical in driving transformation across the organization by standardizing accounting processes, enhancing operational efficiency, and ensuring the highest standards of financial reporting and compliance.

The Director will oversee all core accounting functions, including general ledger, financial reporting, internal controls, and audit coordination. This leader will also play a key role in enterprise-wide initiatives such as our ERP implementation and the transition to a new audit firm. The ideal candidate will bring a strong systems accounting background, experience in large-scale organizations, and a proactive mindset focused on automation, process improvement, and strategic collaboration.

This is more than a technical accounting role — it's a leadership opportunity to shape the future of finance operations, build high-performing teams, and partner across the enterprise to deliver timely, accurate, and insightful financial information.

Essential Job Duties

• Lead the Accounting Center of Excellence: Design and implement scalable, standardized accounting processes that support enterprise-wide consistency and efficiency.
• Financial Reporting & Compliance: Oversee accurate and timely preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP. Manage quarterly and annual reporting, and lead the external audit process.
• Internal Controls & Risk Management: Ensure robust internal controls, policies, and procedures are in place. Identify and mitigate financial risks.
• Month-End Close & Consolidation: Direct the month-end close process, financial consolidation, and preparation of financial statements.
• Technical Accounting Leadership: Research and document complex accounting issues. Educate teams and leadership on new standards and their implications.
• Process Improvement & Automation: Champion the use of technology to reduce manual processes, streamline workflows, and improve data accuracy and speed.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Treasury, Revenue Cycle, FP&A, Procurement, and other departments to align financial data and reporting practices.
• ERP & Transformation Initiatives: Lead accounting workstreams for our ERP implementation, ensuring seamless integration and adoption.
• Chart of Accounts Optimization: Enhance the general ledger structure to support better data extraction, reporting, and analysis.
• Talent Development: Build and mentor a high-performing accounting team. Create training programs and foster a culture of continuous learning and excellence.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree with CPA or a Master’s degree in a business-related field
• Experience: 10+ years of accounting experience in public accounting or related fields
• Certifications: CPA is required with a Bachelor’s degree

Core Competencies for All Leaders

• Organizational Strategy and Implementation: Recognizes market trends, assesses impact on their area of responsibility, contributes to strategic plans, and aligns staff.
• Fiscal Management: Uses established processes to ensure accountability for operations and resources.
• Human Resource Management: Selects, develops, motivates, manages, and retains a skilled team.
• Excellence in Service and Quality: Supports quality, safety, experience, and customer service principles; applies continuous improvement concepts in decisions and design.
• Organizational Leadership: Provides leadership and ensures integration of processes and initiatives while modeling collaboration.
• Compliance: Maintains accountability for regulatory requirements and serves as liaison to the community.

Why Emplify?

• Tailored Benefits Package: We offer a comprehensive benefits package that varies by location. Inquire with the recruiter during the application process for details in your area.
• Remote Work Opportunity: This position is eligible for hybrid work. Candidates must be residents of Wisconsin, Iowa, or Minnesota at the time of hire and ideally live within a reasonable driving distance to La Crosse or Green Bay, WI. This is not a fully remote position and will require on-site needs.

This is a unique opportunity to lead accounting transformation at an enterprise level. You’ll work closely with executive leadership, influence strategic decisions, and help shape the future of financial operations. If you’re a proactive, collaborative, and visionary accounting leader, we invite you to bring your expertise and energy to our mission-driven organization.

If you need assistance with any portion of the application or have questions about the position, please contact HR-Recruitment@gundersenhealth.org or call 608-775-0267.

We inspire your best life by relentlessly caring, learning and innovating. This is our purpose. Together with our values - belonging, respect, excellence, accountability, teamwork and humility - our pillars set our foundation and our future.

Equal Opportunity Employer