Manager, Accounting Operations

Shoe Carnival (NASDAQ: SCVL) seeks a Manager, Accounting Operations to lead day-to-day accounting activities including accounts payable, inventory accounting, cash operations, and sales audit. This role reports to the SVP Controller and manages the largest team within accounting across these functional areas. The position is based at our Fort Mill, SC headquarters.

This is a high-volume, operationally intensive role, managing the process flow of Shoe Carnival’s cash from in-store sales to vendor cash payments and ensuring the appropriate accounting for merchandise inventory. The company processes 21,000+ invoices monthly, operates 430+ stores generating daily sales transactions, and manages retail inventory. We're also implementing AP automation and building a new finance team as part of a broader organizational transformation. You'll need to keep our shoes moving while simultaneously improving our processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee accounts payable operations processing 21,000+ invoices monthly, ensuring timely and accurate vendor payments
• Manage retail inventory accounting including shrink reserves, FIFO cost flow, markdowns, and cost capitalization
• Direct cash operations including daily sales posting, bank reconciliations, and cash position reporting
• Oversee sales audit function ensuring accurate revenue recognition, timely resolution of discrepancies, and billing and collection of receivables
• Lead month-end close activities for AP, inventory, cash, and revenue areas—owning the close calendar for your functions
• Supervise, develop, and mentor an initial team of three accountants and seven clerks across four functional areas
• Maintain strong vendor relationships, resolve payment disputes, and manage vendor inquiries
• Partner with the buying, merchandising, and supply chain teams to navigate and resolve issues.
• Develop, document, and maintain accounting policies and procedures for operational areas
• Support treasury operations including cash forecasting, banking relationships, and covenant compliance
• Drive process improvements and automation initiatives—particularly AP automation implementation and optimization
• Support acquisition integration by onboarding acquired entities' AP, inventory, and cash processes

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance
• 7+ years of accounting experience with 3+ years in a supervisory or management role
• Strong accounts payable, inventory accounting, and cash management experience
• Retail industry experience strongly preferred; understanding of retail cycles and store operations
• Experience with AP automation platforms (Stampli, BILL, Tipalti, or similar) and ERP systems preferred
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and hold accountable a team of accounting professionals
• Track record of process improvement and driving operational efficiency

Who You Are

Beyond technical accounting skills, we're looking for someone who embodies these attributes:

• Ownership Mentality: You own the operational engine of accounting. When invoices aren't processed, cash doesn't reconcile, or inventory is off, you feel it personally. You don't point fingers—you fix problems and then fix the processes that caused them.
• Critical Thinking: You see inefficiency and ask why. You look at a process that takes ten steps and figure out how to do it in four. You distinguish between activity and results, and you're never satisfied with 'that's how we've always done it.'
• Business Partnership: You work across the organization—with merchandising on inventory issues, with store operations on cash handling, with vendors on payment terms. You understand their needs and balance them against accounting requirements.
• Prioritization Judgment: AP, inventory, cash, and sales audit all compete for attention. You know how to allocate your time and your team's time. You recognize when to push back on requests and when a fire drill is actually a fire.
• Proactive Communication: You surface issues early—a vendor problem, a cash shortfall, a close delay—before they become crises. You keep the Controller informed without being asked and escalate appropriately.
• Resilience: High-volume operations are relentless. Month-end close is intense. Vendor calls don't stop. You maintain your composure, keep your team steady, and deliver consistent results even when the pressure is high.
• Adaptability: You're joining during a transformation—new automation tools, a new team being built, acquisitions bringing new entities to integrate. You embrace change and help your team navigate it.
• Team Leadership: You develop your people. You set clear expectations, give direct feedback, and hold the team accountable. You build bench strength rather than hoarding knowledge, and you create an environment where people want to do their best work.

About Shoe Carnival

Shoe Carnival, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest family footwear retailers, offering a broad assortment of dress, casual and athletic footwear for men, women and children with emphasis on national name brands. Company operated over 400 stores in 35 states and Puerto Rico under its Shoe Carnival and Shoe Station banners and offers shopping at www.shoecarnival.com and www.shoestation.com. Headquartered in Fort Mill, SC, Shoe Carnival, Inc. trades on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC under the symbol SCVL.

Shoe Carnival is an equal opportunity employer with competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and the opportunity to build something meaningful in a high-growth, transformational environment.