Unum is a company of people serving people. As one of the world's leading employee benefits providers and a Fortune 500 company, Unum's financial protection benefits help protect more than 36 million working people and their families from the financial impact of illness or injury. Unum's three distinct, but similarly focused US businesses – Unum US, Colonial Life, and Starmount Life – are each a market leader in making disability, life, accident, critical illness, dental, and vision insurance accessible in the workplace.

Headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Unum also has significant US operations in Portland, Maine, - and over 35 field offices nationwide. Colonial Life is headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina with over 40 field offices nationwide. Starmount Life is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is the dental and vision center of excellence for Unum in the US.

General Summary:

This position provides strategic leadership to business partners across Unum Group, and directs activities and influences business decisions/outcomes for US statutory financial reporting and technical accounting responsibilities. As a leader of the Company’s statutory financial reporting and technical accounting team, this role will work directly with business partners across Unum Group, as well as within Finance, to provide leadership in setting Company strategy for compliance with new and existing statutory accounting practices to report the Company's financial results in a positive and informative manner to analysts and rating agencies. This position will lead assessments of accounting implications and the implementation of proposed and final accounting rule changes being considered by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC – statutory). The incumbent will also play a major role in acquisitions or divestitures of companies or product lines and in other corporate projects in which Finance is a partner with multi-functional areas. This role effectively manages and develops the staff in a manner consistent with Unum Group’s talent management goals and objectives.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the Company’s external statutory reporting process for the domestic insurance subsidiaries, including the annual audited statutory financial reports and the quarterly and annual NAIC statements, in compliance with all regulatory guidelines.
• Provide strategic guidance and leadership over the statutory technical accounting group in establishing strategy for Company compliance with proposed accounting rules for statutory reporting. Ensure that new standards are fully implemented in external statutory financial reports.
• Seek out and maintain cooperative, productive cross-functional partnerships throughout the global enterprise. 
• Model positive change management, leading individuals and teams through new operating models, new methodologies and creating opportunities for discussion and deliberation. Drive the development and implementation strategies for large-scale, cross-functional, complex teams.
• Build agility and resilience within teams and broader Finance organization to drive transformation
• Provide coaching and mentoring to assist individuals in achieving their full potential.  Build bench strength and core competencies for the organization.
• Seek out opportunities to increase business knowledge and create visibility within the organization

Job Specifications

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in Accounting.
• CPA or CMA preferred.
• Ten (10) years of work experience, including substantial public accounting experience or equivalent experience in a large corporation. Prefer strong experience in Big 4 insurance industry audit and/or technical accounting experience.

• In-depth understanding and application of financial services and/or insurance sector accounting preferred. Comprehensive knowledge of GAAP and statutory financial reporting. Experience with regulatory reporting with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
• Excellent project management skills, with a demonstrated ability to lead large-scale, cross-functional, complex teams.

• Strong negotiation and partnership skills, across all levels of management, with ability to influence and challenge decisions and processes.
• Experience navigating change with both individuals and teams.
• Excellent communications skills for working with all corporate levels including senior management and external contacts. Must be able to communicate difficult or complex technical accounting and reporting concepts to a variety of audiences, including individuals that do not have a technical or financial background.
• Ability to frame up issues, options and solutions using financial data for business decision-making.
• Possesses and applies a comprehensive knowledge of principles, practices, and procedures of accounting to the completion of extremely difficult assignments.

• Proven ability to work in fast-paced, detailed, and deadline-oriented environment by balancing multiple priorities and resources simultaneously.

• Extensive quantitative and qualitative analytical and problem-solving skills.  

Our company is built on helping individuals and families, and this starts with our employees. We want employees to maintain a positive balance, which is why we provide access to the benefits and resources they need to invest in themselves. From our onsite fitness facilities and generous paid time off to employee professional development programs, we are committed to helping employees live and work their best – both inside and outside the office.

Unum is an equal opportunity employer, considering all qualified applicants and employees for hiring, placement, and advancement, without regard to a person's race, color, religion, national origin, age, genetic information, military status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or protected veteran status.