GL Process & Improvement Specialist

Build a career powered by innovations that matter!  At Novanta, our innovations power technology products that are transforming healthcare and advanced manufacturing—improving productivity, enhancing people’s lives and redefining what’s possible.  We create for our global customers engineered components and sub-systems that deliver extreme precision and performance for a range of mission-critical applications—from minimally invasive surgery to robotics to 3D metal printing.

Novanta is one global team with over 26 offices located in The Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.  Looking for a great place to work?  You have found it with a culture that embraces teamwork, collaboration and empowerment.  Come explore Novanta.

Company Overview

Build a career powered by innovations that matter. Novanta innovations power technology products transforming healthcare and advanced manufacturing. We partner with medical and advanced industrial OEMs worldwide and operate across EMEA, the Americas and Asia Pacific. Novanta is publicly traded on NASDAQ under symbol NOVT.

Position Summary 

The GL Process & Improvement Specialist is a key member of the Brno General Ledger team, combining hands-on accounting and reporting responsibilities with process improvement, automation and project delivery. The role is designed for an accounting professional who understands GL and financial close, but also enjoys challenging existing ways of working, solving problems and turning improvement ideas into practical, sustainable solutions.

The successful candidate takes ownership of assigned accounting activities while actively improving the processes behind them. The role works across Accounting and other functions to identify inefficiencies, strengthen reporting and controls, support change initiatives and drive selected improvement projects from analysis through implementation and stabilization.

Key Responsibilities 

GL Accounting, Reporting and Controls

• Own assigned GL accounting and reporting activities, including key month-end, quarter-end and year-end close responsibilities.

• Perform and review key accounting activities such as journal entries, reconciliations, accruals, prepayments, intercompany and other close-related activities, with focus on accuracy and root-cause resolution.

• Ensure financial results are accurate, complete, properly supported and compliant with Novanta policies, US GAAP, SOX and internal controls.

• Prepare high-quality balance sheet reconciliations, investigate unusual balances and identify root causes, hidden risks or control gaps.

• Support quarterly balance sheet reviews, FCCS  reporting activities, internal and external audits, SOX control execution and updates of SOPs and process documentation.

Process Improvement, Automation and Project Delivery

• Actively challenge existing processes and identify opportunities for simplification, standardization, automation, stronger controls and better visibility.

• Take ownership of selected Accounting improvement projects from initial analysis through implementation and stabilization.

• Drive progress independently, prioritize actions, follow up on owners, remove blockers, communicate status and deliver practical, measurable outcomes.

• Convert ideas and improvement opportunities into implemented and sustainable solutions rather than recommendations only.

• Embraces change, actively supports transformation initiatives and remains effective as priorities, deadlines and business needs evolve.

• Use data, KPIs and process analysis to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies and opportunities to move selected close tasks earlier in the close cycle.

Communication, Trust and Stakeholder Management

• Communicate clearly, effectively and professionally with stakeholders across all organizational levels, from junior colleagues to senior management.

• Adjust communication style, level of detail and messaging to suit the audience, urgency and business context.

• Build credibility and trust through transparency, responsiveness, reliable execution and sound professional judgment.

• Present accounting topics, risks, recommendations and project updates in a structured way, including issue, impact, required action, owner and timeline.

• Collaborate with GL, AP, AR, Tax, Payroll, Treasury, FP&A, Business Units, Corporate Accounting, IT and external auditors. 

Technology, Collaboration and Development

• Support colleagues through knowledge sharing, practical guidance and constructive feedback when quality, accuracy or communication does not meet expectations.

• Positively influences others without formal authority through credibility, expertise, communication and example.

• Use advanced Excel and technology to improve efficiency and insight; Power Query, Power BI, Smartsheet, AI tools, Oracle/SAP and FCCS  are advantages.

• Use AI and automation responsibly as productivity enablers, while maintaining strong accounting judgment, review discipline and professional skepticism.

• Continuously develop accounting, process, data and project-delivery capabilities and remain adaptable to new tools and ways of working. 

Required Experience, Skills and Competencies 

• 3+ years of relevant experience in GL accounting, R2R or a similar accounting role, preferably in a multinational company or shared service center environment.
• Demonstrated process-improvement mindset, ideally supported by examples of improving, simplifying, standardizing or automating an accounting or reporting process. Ability to take ownership of smaller improvement initiatives and drive them to completion.
• Solid practical understanding of GL accounting, financial close, reconciliations, journal entries, reporting and audit support; experience with US GAAP, SOX, intercompany, fixed assets, accruals or prepayments is an advantage.
• Friendly, collaborative and growth-oriented personality with positive attitude toward change, adaptability in a dynamic environment and genuine interest in helping the Accounting organization improve.
• Good understanding of internal controls, approval discipline and accounting documentation standards; SOX experience is an advantage.
• Fluent English speaking skills, Czech/Slovak is a big advantage.
• Strong analytical thinking, high accuracy, ownership, integrity, resilience under pressure and ability to influence without formal authority.
• Eligible to work legally in Czech republic (permanent residency / free access to the job market)

Critical Success Factors 

• Delivers accurate, timely and high-quality accounting results with minimal rework.
• Supports change proactively, adapts quickly to evolving priorities and helps others adopt new ways of working.
• Drives projects and process improvements from idea through implementation and measurable results.
• Identifies risks and issues before they become escalations and communicates them clearly.
• Builds trust with colleagues, business partners and management through reliability, clarity and professional judgment.
• Becomes a trusted team member who can independently own accounting topics and improvement initiatives and reliably drive them to completion.
  

Our Benefits

• Extra week of vacation (25 days/year)
• 5 sick days per calendar year
• 1 day of paid time off for charitable activities/year
• Flexi Pass vouchers with a nominal value of 1000 CZK/month
• Contribution to supplementary pension insurance 1000 CZK/month (after the probationary period)
• Flexible working hours (core 10 – 15:00)
• Meal vouchers in the form of a flat rate – monetary value (129,50 CZK/day)
• Monetary allowance for working from home (max. 2 days/week)
• MultiSport for only 300 CZK/month
• Bonuses for recommending a new employee up to CZK 110,000
• Free refreshments at the workplace (juice, hot drinks – great coffee, tea; healthy snacks and fruit/vegetables 2 times a week)
• Training, language courses, career advancement
• Dog-friendly office, Family-friendly environment
• Corporate events – Summer Party, Christmas Party, Family Day, SportDay, Board Game Afternoon, Meet & Greet and more
• Free parking for employees and shower at the workplace for athletes

#LI-JM1

#LI-Hybrid

Novanta is proud to be an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action workplace. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, military and veteran status, disability, genetics, or any other category protected by federal law or Novanta policy.

Please call +1 781-266-5700 if you need a disability accommodation for any part of the employment process.