Job description

What You'll Do We’re looking for a Senior Associate Accountant to join our Investment Accounting team supporting Private Alternative Credit Fund Reporting (PAC). In this role, you’ll apply knowledge of accounting standards and expertise to tackle business problems, seeking guidance for new or complex situations. This role will be expected to interact with the various functions across the organization, including portfolio management, underwriting, and the parent company balance sheet portfolio managers and finance staff. Incumbents can independently research and document sophisticated accounting decisions.   Apply sophisticated accounting analysis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), tax regulations, or other regulatory guidance. Perform complex transaction processing and exception handling. Provide oversight and/or execution of month-end accounting processes including cash flow analysis, reconciliations, and general journal entries. Interpret financial reports and accounts, identify and evaluate risks and opportunities and present findings to management for decision making. Partner with fund administrators to execute timely and accurate NAV calculation of funds which includes accounting for purchases, sales, income accruals and expenses, to ensure timely and accurate reporting. Act as the subject matter expert and work with project owners to ensure accounting objectives are met through the design and implementation of new processes and/or systems. Carry out testing to ensure the system or process is operating as intended. Escalate any findings/variances/issues as needed. Identify and implement operational excellence projects, providing business requirements for new systems or improvements. Assist with new client structures and PAC fund formation activities across multiple functions, including the setup and launch of new funds and financial products. Assist in the development and implementation of governance frameworks and financial controls. Monitor control structure and escalate issues as vital. Drive remediation plans for control deficiencies. Coordinate with external auditors as part of the planning and execution of the annual external audits. Produce recurring investor reports and ad hoc investor requests.   Operating at the intersection of financial services and technology, Principal builds financial tools that help our customers live better lives. We take pride in being a purpose-led firm, motivated by our mission to make financial security accessible to all. Our mission, integrity, and customer focus have made us a trusted leader for more than 140 years! Who You Are Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance or equivalent experience is required 2 + years relevant accounting experience required Understanding basic accounting principles, ability to interpret financial statements, and efficiently and effectively research, compile and analyze information Must be detail oriented, able to maintain a high degree of accuracy, work independently, meet established deadlines, handle multiple tasks, and prioritize effectively Ability to learn systems and applications used within the firm required, proficiency with system and applications strongly preferred Skills That Will Help You Stand Out Private asset accounting experience and fund admin background helpful but not required. CPA or other applicable certifications preferred Public Accounting Experience is preferred Experience with Allvue, PAM and Alterx is preferred Salary Range Information Salary ranges below reflect targeted base salaries. Non-sales positions have the opportunity to participate in a bonus program. Sales positions are eligible for sales incentives, and in some instances a bonus plan, whereby total compensation may far exceed base salary depending on individual performance. Actual compensation for all roles will be based upon geographic location, work experience, education, licensure requirements and/or skill level and will be finalized at the time of offer. Salary Range (Non-Exempt expressed as hourly; Exempt expressed as yearly) $73150 - $99750 / year Time Off Program Flexible Time Off (FTO) is provided to salaried (exempt) employees and provides the opportunity to take time away from the office with pay for vacation, personal or short-term illness. Employees don’t accrue a bank of time off under FTO and there is no set number of days provided. Pension Eligible Yes Work Environments This role offers an in-office and hybrid (blending at least three office days in a typical workweek) work arrangement in Des Moines, IA. Work Authorization/Sponsorship At this time, we're not considering applicants that need any type of immigration sponsorship (additional work authorization or permanent work authorization) now or in the future to work in the United States. This includes, but IS NOT LIMITED TO: F1-OPT, F1-CPT, H-1B, TN, L-1, J-1, etc. For additional information around work authorization needs please use the following links. Nonimmigrant Workers and Green Card for Employment-Based Immigrants Investment Code of Ethics For Principal Asset Management positions, you’ll need to follow an Investment Code of Ethics related to personal and business conduct as well as personal trading activities for you and members of your household. These same requirements may also apply to other positions across the organization. Experience Principal At Principal, we value connecting on both a personal and professional level. Together, we’re imagining a more purpose-led future for financial services – and that starts with you. Our success depends on the unique experiences, backgrounds, and talents of our employees. And we support our employees the same way we support our customers: with comprehensive, competitive benefit offerings crafted to protect their physical, financial, and social well-being. Check out our careers site to learn more about our purpose, values and benefits. Principal is an Equal Opportunity Employer All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. Posting Window We will accept applications for 3 full days following the Original Posting Date, after which the posting may remain open or be removed based upon applications received. If we choose to post the job again, we will accept additional applications for at least 1 full day following the Most Recently Posted Date. Please submit applications in a timely manner as there is no guarantee the posting will be available beyond the applicable deadline. Original Posting Date 9/28/2026 Most Recently Posted Date 10/20/2026 Principal uses artificial intelligence tools to assist in reviewing and evaluating job applications, fraud prevention, and candidate matching and comparisons. These AI tools support our human recruiters in the initial review process but do not make final hiring decisions without human involvement. By submitting your application, you acknowledge this use of AI in our recruitment process. Please review our Workforce (U.S.) Privacy Notice for more details on our practices and your data privacy rights.

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