The Corporate Controller is responsible for leading the organization's accounting operations, financial reporting, budgeting, internal controls, and compliance activities across multiple entities. This role oversees month-end and year-end close processes, project accounting, inventory accounting, consolidations, cash management, audits, and financial systems administration. The Corporate Controller serves as a key business partner to executive leadership, providing financial insights, ensuring the accuracy of financial information, and supporting strategic decision-making across the organization.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Financial Reporting & Accounting
- Direct all accounting operations, including general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll accounting, fixed assets, leases and debt reporting.
- Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close processes.
- Prepare consolidated financial statements, including balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and equity reports.
- Maintain trial balances across all business entities and oversee consolidation and elimination entries.
- Ensure compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
- Enhance financial reports and dashboards to support operational and strategic decision-making.
Project & Revenue Recognition Accounting
- Oversee project cost accounting and percentage-of-completion (POC) revenue recognition.
- Monitor project budgets, costs, margins, and contract performance.
- Partner with project managers to analyze budget-to-actual variances and implement corrective actions.
- Maintain project cost schedules, revenue schedules, and work-in-progress (WIP) reconciliations.
- Ensure accurate cost allocations, accruals, and revenue recognition practices.
Inventory & Operational Accounting
- Oversee inventory accounting, reconciliations, cycle counts, and variance analysis.
- Manage accounting and reporting for service operations and project-based revenue streams.
- Collaborate with purchasing to ensure proper accounting of inventory transactions and cost flows.
Budgeting, Forecasting & Analysis
- Lead the annual budgeting process across all entities.
- Develop revenue, cost of goods sold, labor, benefits, lease, and operational expense budgets.
- Prepare rolling forecasts and cash flow projections.
- Monitor actual performance against budget and provide variance analysis and recommendations.
Internal Controls, Compliance & Audit
- Establish, maintain, and enhance internal control processes.
- Lead annual financial statement audits and coordinate requests from external auditors.
- Support bank audits, insurance audits, tax compliance, and other regulatory reporting requirements.
- Ensure balance sheet reconciliations are completed accurately and timely.
- Develop and maintain accounting policies, procedures, and process documentation.
- Support borrowing base and lender reporting requirements.
Systems & Process Improvement
- Serve as the accounting lead for ERP and financial system administration.
- Oversee chart of accounts maintenance and financial data integrity.
- Partner with IT and operational departments to improve reporting, automation, system integrations, and workflow efficiency.
- Lead implementation of new accounting systems and financial technologies.
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, coach, and develop accounting and finance team members.
- Oversee Assistant Controller, Accounts Receivable and Collections
- Provide technical accounting guidance to finance and operational teams.
- Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and professional development.
- Collaborate with executives and department leaders to support organizational objectives.
Qualifications, Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field required.
- CPA designation strongly preferred.
- MBA or advanced financial certifications preferred.
- 10+ years of progressive accounting and financial management experience.
- Minimum 5 years of leadership experience managing accounting teams.
- Experience in multi-entity organizations with complex consolidations.
- Strong background in manufacturing, project-based accounting, inventory accounting, and revenue recognition preferred.
- Experience with ERP systems, financial reporting tools, and business intelligence platforms. Experience with financial consolidation, reporting and planning tools (DataRails, Planful, etc.) highly valued.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Advanced knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting, and internal controls.
- Strong understanding of project accounting, percentage-of-completion accounting, consolidations, and inventory accounting.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
- Strong leadership and team development capabilities.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and financial systems.
- Ability to communicate complex financial information to both financial and non-financial audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.