Senior Manager - Leases

Job Description

Role Summary 

The R2R Senior Manager – Leases is accountable for end-to-end lease accounting integrity under IFRS 16 / ASC 842, ensuring: 

• Lease population completeness and contract data integrity  

• Accurate ROU asset and lease liability accounting  

• Lease reconciliations are timely certified in OneStream  

• Full compliance with SOX / ICFR / IPE standards  

The role owns lease accounting governance, close readiness, and control discipline, ensuring consistent, audit-ready outcomes across NIQ entities. 

Role Purpose 

To deliver accurate, controlled, and compliant lease accounting outcomes by: 

• Owning lease accounting lifecycle integrity and governance  

• Driving high-quality reconciliations and certification discipline  

• Ensuring complete and accurate lease population and contract inputs  

• Leading teams and stakeholders to achieve predictable, first-time-right close execution  

 Key Responsibilities 

1. Lease Accounting Ownership & Close Governance 

• Own end-to-end lease accounting lifecycle and close execution  

• Govern:  

• Close calendar  

• Readiness  

• Cutover activities  

• Ensure timely and accurate:  

• Lease accounting  

• OneStream certification  

2. Lease Population & Data Integrity 

• Ensure completeness and accuracy of lease population  

• Govern lease data inputs including:  

• Contract terms  

• Payment schedules  

• Modifications and updates  

• Maintain strong controls over master data integrity  

3. Accounting Accuracy (ROU & Lease Liability) 

• Ensure accurate accounting for:  

• ROU assets  

• Lease liabilities  

• Govern accounting treatment for:  

• Lease modifications  

• Remeasurements  

• Discount rate changes  

• Ensure consistent application of IFRS 16 / ASC 842 standards  

4. Reconciliation & Certification Governance 

• Ensure lease tool-to-GL reconciliations are complete and accurate  

• Drive timely OneStream certification with strong tie-out discipline  

• Maintain high standards of:  

• Documentation  

• Evidence traceability  

• Validation controls  

5. Controls, Compliance & Audit 

• Ensure compliance with:  

• SOX / ICFR controls  

• IPE evidence standards  

• Maintain audit-ready lease accounting processes and documentation  

• Support and lead internal and external audit engagements  

• Ensure traceability of:  

• Accounting outputs  

• Approvals  

• Supporting evidence  

6. Lease Modifications & Remeasurements Governance 

• Govern processing of:  

• Lease modifications  

• Remeasurements  

• Ensure strong control discipline over:  

• Data changes  

• System updates  

• Accounting impacts  

• Minimize rework through robust validation processes  

7. Stakeholder Management & Cross-Functional Alignment 

• Partner with:  

• Real Estate teams (lease population, contract changes)  

• Legal teams (contract terms and modifications)  

• Controllers / Statutory teams  

• RTR SDL / Close Governance teams  

• Ensure alignment across:  

• Lease data inputs  

• Accounting treatment  

• Close dependencies  

8. Team Leadership & Capability Development 

• Lead Lease Preparer, Reviewer, and SME teams  

• Establish clear accountability for:  

• Lease accounting quality  

• Control compliance  

• Close timelines  

• Build a culture of:  

• Ownership  

• Quality discipline  

• Continuous improvement  

• Develop team capability and succession pipeline  

9. Issue Management & Continuous Improvement 

• Lead issue triage for:  

• Lease accounting discrepancies  

• System or data issues  

• Drive:  

• Root Cause Analysis (RCA)  

• Corrective and preventive actions  

• Improve:  

• Reconciliation quality  

• Data accuracy  

• Control effectiveness  

10. Performance Management & Metrics 

• Monitor and drive performance across:  

• Reconciliation quality  

• Certification timelines  

• Lease population completeness  

• Ensure adherence to:  

• SLA / CSL metrics  

• Close governance standards  

Top Skills for Success 

• Lease accounting expertise (IFRS 16 / ASC 842)  

• Controls, Compliance & Audit (SOX / ICFR / IPE)  

• Reconciliation governance and certification discipline  

• Lease lifecycle management (population, modifications, remeasurements)  

Key Outcomes / Success Measures 

• Complete and accurate lease population with governed contract data inputs  

• Timely, certified OneStream lease reconciliations with strong tie-out discipline  

• Accurate ROU asset and lease liability accounting, including modifications and remeasurements  

• Audit-ready lease accounting processes with traceable evidence and SOX/IPE compliance  

• Reduced close risk through effective issue triage and documented resolution  

Tools & Systems 

• Lease Accounting Tools — High  

• OneStream (Lease Reconciliations & Certification) — High  

• SAP GL — High  

• Microsoft Excel — High  

• Problem solving (RCA / CAPA) and issue escalation  

• Stakeholder management (Real Estate, Legal, Finance)  

• ERP & lease systems (SAP, lease tools, OneStream)  

• Analytical skills (variance, reconciliation, data validation)  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field  

• CA / CPA / ACCA (preferred)  

• 8–12 years of experience in R2R / Lease Accounting / Financial Accounting  

• Strong expertise in:  

• Lease accounting standards (IFRS 16 / ASC 842)  

• Experience with:  

• ERP systems (SAP)  

• Lease accounting tools (preferred)  

• Proven experience in:  

• Team leadership  

• Stakeholder management  

• Close governance  

Additional Information

Our Benefits

• Flexible working environment
• Volunteer time off
• LinkedIn Learning
• Employee-Assistance-Program (EAP)

NIQ may utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools at various stages of the recruitment process, including résumé screening, candidate assessments, interview scheduling, job matching, communication support, and certain administrative tasks that help streamline workflows. These tools are intended to improve efficiency and support fair and consistent evaluation based on job-related criteria. All use of AI is governed by NIQ’s principles of fairness, transparency, human oversight, and inclusion. Final hiring decisions are made exclusively by humans. NIQ regularly reviews its AI tools to help mitigate bias and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. If you have questions, require accommodations, or wish to request human review were permitted by law, please contact your local HR representative. For more information, please visit NIQ’s AI Safety Policies and Guiding Principles: https://nielseniq.com/global/en/info/niqs-ai-safety-policies/

About NIQ

NIQ is the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. In 2023, NIQ combined with GfK, bringing together the two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™. NIQ is an Advent International portfolio company with operations in 100+ markets, covering more than 90% of the world’s population.

For more information, visit NIQ.com

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Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At NIQ, we are steadfast in our commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace that mirrors the rich diversity of the communities and markets we serve. We believe that embracing a wide range of perspectives drives innovation and excellence.  All employment decisions at NIQ are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. We invite individuals who share our dedication to inclusivity and equity to join us in making a meaningful impact. To learn more about our ongoing efforts in diversity and inclusion, please visit the https://nielseniq.com/global/en/news-center/diversity-inclusion