Staff Accountant

Job Description

Staff Accountant | EquiTrust Life Insurance Company

The Tone:
This is a Staff Accountant role at EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, primarily operating in a hybrid work arrangement from either West Des Moines, IA or Chicago, Illinois. EquiTrust is a national carrier providing competitive, client-friendly annuity products through a network of more than 20,000 independent agents and independent marketing organizations. Since 2003, the company has operated with integrity and passion, delivering exceptional customer service supported by a dedicated workforce embodying teamwork and an entrepreneurial spirit. This position is essential for supporting daily financial reporting and critical accounting activities, ensuring that accurate, complete, and timely financial information is maintained for internal reporting, regulatory filings, and audit requests, contributing significantly to monthly and quarterly close processes.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Hybrid
• Location: Hybrid West Des Moines, IA or Chicago, Illinois

• Team: Financial Reporting and Accounting teams
• Mission: Support daily financial reporting and accounting activities to maintain accurate, complete, and timely financial information for the organization.
• Tech Stack: Microsoft Office (Excel, Word)

What You’ll Actually Do
• Prepare: Journal entries covering various financial aspects, including accounts payable, payroll, taxes, investments, treasury, and daily operations.
• Reconcile: General ledger accounts and bank statements, identifying and resolving any errors or discrepancies from daily accounting feeds to ensure accurate and complete financial records.
• Assist: With comprehensive monthly and quarterly closing activities, contributing to financial statements and regulatory filings.
• Process: Regulatory fee payments and associated filings, including the preparation and upload of statutory filings into the required regulatory reporting system.
• Provide: Timely and accurate documentation and support for all internal and external audit requests, while also maintaining checklists and logs to manage workflows and deadlines.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field is required, demonstrating a foundational understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and fundamental financial accounting concepts.
• Experience: Knowledge of the full accounting cycle, including preparing journal entries, completing account reconciliations, managing accruals, and supporting month-end close processes is essential. Previous financial accounting internship experience or at least one year of junior-level corporate accounting experience is preferred.
• Skills: Strong attention to detail and the ability to review work for accuracy and completeness, effective written and verbal communication skills for explaining financial information clearly, and strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities. Candidates must also demonstrate intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Word, and possess adaptability with a willingness to learn new responsibilities, processes, and systems.
• Bonus: Familiarity with Statutory Accounting Principles is preferred, as is possessing a CPA designation or actively making progress toward obtaining a CPA.