Position Overview
The Senior Lease Accountant will join the team in charge of the accounting, reporting, forecasting and administration of all Ralph Lauren stores’ and corporate offices’ leases across Europe. The team oversees key areas in relation to Leases and their administration: accounting & reporting under US GAAP and local GAAPs (20+ legal entities), planning & forecasting (rolling forecast, annual plan, long range plan) and finance operations linked to the administration of the Leases (invoice review, payment to landlords, etc.). The team partners very closely with Real estate, Legal and Financial Planning & Analysis teams to support Ralph Lauren strategy to expand our footprint across EMEA and deliver excellent accounting, forecasting and administration of our Leases. The team is in direct contact with landlords across Europe and thus plays a key role in building and maintaining strong and sustainable relationships with these partners.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
1. Prepare and maintain financial records in compliance with established policies and accounting standards (ASC 842)
2. Perform month-end close activities (accruals, reconciliations, P&L and balance sheet reviews, variance analyses)
3. Ensure all lease related expenses are accurately recorded and accounted for
4. Prepare EMEA Lease reporting packages
5. Participate in the preparation of statutory accounts in compliance with local GAAPs (20+ legal entities)
6. Provide support with internal and external Audit requests
7. Prepare the rolling forecast (twice a quarter), annual plan and long-range plan for areas of responsibilities
8. Analyze and explain variances between actuals and forecast and/or plan
9. Work with the Financial Planning & Analysis team on closing and forecast to ensure updates and variances are properly captured and explained
10. Partner closely with the Financial Planning & Analysis, Real estate and Legal teams to ensure financial data are up to date and a smooth administration of the Leases
11. Connect regularly with Real Estate and Legal teams to be aware of all new store/offices openings, closures, renewals, etc.
12. Review and analyze lease data on the agreements and conclude on the classification and proper accounting treatment
13. Generate the accounting schedules for new leases / renewals in our Lease management system (Costar)
14. Work with the Global accounting policy team on technical areas requiring their expertise and/or validation
15. Support other team members on lease administration activities where needed: invoice review, reconciliations payments to landlords, issue resolution, etc.
16. Other duties as assigned
Experience, Skills & Knowledge
17. 3-5 full strategic cycles of experience in Accounting, Finance or Audit
18. Systems knowledge: Lease Administration software (e.g. Costar) and SAP a plus
19. Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
20. Proactive and self-driven
21. Can-do and problem-solving attitude
22. Ability to adhere to tight deadlines and escalate issues timely
23. Detail-oriented with ability to multitask without impacting accuracy
24. Excellent analytical, organizational, and time management skills
25. Provides high degree of professional customer service to both internal and external parties
26. Excellent communication skills.