Call or text 262-893-1523 or email marc@mdmrecruitingllc.com.
I place accounting managers, senior accountants, and staff accountants at companies across Wisconsin and northern Illinois. These are the people who actually keep the books accurate and the close on schedule. When one of these seats is open, the whole team feels it.
This is the backbone of the accounting function. The controller sets the direction, but it is the accounting manager and the accountants under them who do the reconciliations, run payroll and AP and AR, and get the numbers right the first time. Hire well here and everything upstream runs smoother.
What these roles actually do
The accounting manager runs the day to day of the accounting team. They own big pieces of the monthly close, review the work of the accountants, handle the trickier reconciliations, and keep the process moving so the controller can step back. In a lot of companies I work with, a strong accounting manager is the difference between a close that lands on time and one that always slips.
Senior and staff accountants do the hands on work that keeps the books clean. Journal entries, account reconciliations, month end schedules, and the reporting that everything else is built on. A senior accountant carries the harder areas and often mentors the staff accountants. Getting the right people in these seats is what makes the whole function dependable.
Why these roles are hard to hire
Good accountants are steady, careful, and in demand, which means the best ones rarely stay on the market long. The strong candidates get scooped up fast, often before they ever apply anywhere. Moving quickly with the right people matters here, and that is hard to do when you are sorting through a generic stack of resumes on your own.
The other challenge is telling apart accountants who really understand the work from those who have only ever followed a checklist. Two resumes can look identical and the people behind them can be worlds apart. I spend my time on that difference, so the accountants you meet can actually do the close you need done.
What I look for in an accountant
I look for accuracy, ownership, and the ability to work without being micromanaged. Does this person catch their own mistakes before they become someone else’s problem. Do they understand why an entry is made, not just how. Will they flag something that looks wrong instead of quietly booking it. For an accounting manager, I also look for whether they can lead a small team and keep a close on track under pressure.
I pay attention to fit with the size of company too. An accountant who thrives in a lean team where they touch everything is different from one who is used to a narrow role at a large corporation. I make sure the people I bring you want the scope your role actually has.
The kind of hire this matters for
This matters most when your close depends on it. You are down a person and the rest of the team is stretched, your accounting manager just left and the close is at risk, or you are growing and need to add depth before something breaks. When the books have to be right and on time, this is the search I am built for.
Hiring an accounting manager or accountant? Let’s talk about it.
Tell me about the role and the team it sits on, and I will tell you honestly whether I can help and what a realistic search looks like. No pressure and no obligation.
Call or text 262-893-1523 or email marc@mdmrecruitingllc.com.