Controller – Life Insurance

Controller – Life Insurance
📍 Charlotte, NC

Oliver James is partnered with a rapidly growing, well-capitalized life insurance carrier that is building out a modern fixed annuity platform. Backed by an experienced insurance leadership team and significant long-term capital, this organization is seeking a Controller to play a foundational role in the development of its finance function.

This position reports directly to senior executive leadership and will take ownership of financial reporting processes, systems buildout, and team leadership. It represents a rare opportunity to join a carrier in its early growth phase and have a meaningful impact on structure, scalability, and long-term success.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead U.S. statutory financial reporting for multiple life and health insurance entities

• Build and maintain GAAP accounting processes alongside statutory reporting within the general ledger

• Contribute to consolidated group reporting

• Manage and develop an accounting team while remaining hands-on with close, reconciliations, journal entries, and financial statements

• Partner closely with actuarial, operations, asset management, and commercial teams

• Own audit management and accounting policy development

• Communicate complex accounting topics clearly to non-technical stakeholders

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Mathematics, or a related discipline

• 10+ years of accounting experience within the U.S. insurance industry (life/health preferred)

• Strong ERP experience (NetSuite, Oracle, SAP, QuickBooks, etc.; Sage exposure a plus)

• Experience preparing and reviewing statutory financial statements (“Blue Books”) strongly preferred

• Solid understanding of U.S. GAAP for life insurers (ASC 944, ASC 825, LDTI exposure preferred)

• Reinsurance experience is a plus

• Prior people management experience preferred

• Highly organized, adaptable, and comfortable in a build-out or start-up environment

• CPA designation is advantageous but not required

Why This Opportunity?

• Early leadership role within a growing insurance platform

• High visibility to executive leadership

• Opportunity to build systems, processes, and a team from the ground up

• Clear runway for long-term career growth