Description

Company Summary  

Managed through the Riverbend Industries portfolio, Phoenix Manufacturing (PMI) is a leading manufacturer and provider of evaporative cooling systems for residential, commercial and industrial applications. PMI prides itself on the quality and innovation that go into every product.

Riverbend Industries (RBI) is a private family-owned portfolio holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The portfolio is primarily comprised of several small, independently operated, previously family-run businesses in the light manufacturing and distribution sectors. The portfolio is a long-term holder of its investments/assets and plans to grow both organically and through acquisitions into the near future.

Summary

The Controller is the finance and accounting leader for the operating company who partners with the President & General Manager, the operating company leadership, and the Home Office finance & accounting team. This position is a strategic partner to the President and General Manager with a mandate to develop and execute best-in-class financial analysis and management to drive efficiencies, ensure compliance, and generate superior earnings. This role is responsible for all local finance and accounting activity while partnering with Home Office leadership to ensure timely and accurate financial budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.

A successful Controller will find value and thrive in an environment with cross-functional collaboration, dynamic business strategies, and significant autonomy in leading the local finance and accounting functions. This person should be innovative and analytical with a sense of ownership and accountability. A qualified candidate should be able to independently provide analysis and insights that help all functions make strong decisions that significantly improve business performance.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead by example with a Safety First mindset in every task
• Work closely and collaborate with the leadership team

Strategic

• Set strategy and vision for the finance group 
• Work with President and the leadership team to develop and communicate company strategic direction to the organization and Home Office

Value Creation

• Modify processes to improve efficiency and reporting
• Define key metrics required to run the business and utilize these metrics to develop a business tracking system to identify areas of improvement and act on them
• Develop new policies and procedures where needed and constantly seek opportunities to improve current processes and add value to the organization

Financial Reporting / Budgets and Forecasting

• Collaborate with President and local leadership on creation of annual budget; manage details at an account level as appropriate
• Manage all company financial data to include general ledger management, calculating and posting accruals and reserves, performing regular cash reconciliation, etc. 
• Prepare, review, and distribute monthly financial statements 
• With local leadership, create monthly earnings and cash forecasts and analyze variations to budget, month-over-month, year-over-year, etc.
• Serve as audit liaison for all audits to include bank, borrowing base, 401(k), financial statements, etc. and prepares all deliverables as necessary 
• Prepare and submit monthly sales tax returns and annual franchise tax returns 
• Ensure accuracy of product costing to support commercial and operational decisions.
• Calculate various financial transactions including earnouts, net working capital adjustments, purchase price allocation, etc. related to acquisition activities
• Track, evaluate, and account for inventory
• Supervise Accounting team responsibilities to include invoice management, accounts payables & receivables, financial modeling, etc. 
• Partner with IT to implement and deploy new Enterprise Resourcing Planning (ERP) system to include data review, configuration, team training, etc.
• Ensure systems and database integrity as primary financial technology user
• Prepare and present with President the company’s Business Review to the RBI executive team each month
• Collaborate with President to manage the overall company activity

People

• Hire, train, and develop accounting staff; responsible, directly, or indirectly, for the general direction, coordination, and evaluation of the staff
• Identify skills gaps and work with business unit president to address weaknesses
• Be a mentor and technical trainer for local leadership and accounting team

Requirements

 Educational, Experience & Qualifications

Minimum

• Bachelor of Arts/Science in Finance, Accounting, or a substantially related field or the equivalent in practical experience
• 8-10years of relevant experience in progressively more advanced finance and/or accounting roles in manufacturing/distribution segments
• 3-5 years of experience as a senior-level accountant or finance manager
• 3-5 years of experience managing and leading employees
• Prior experience in a manufacturing environment
• Preferred
• Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance or Accounting
• 15 years of relevant experience in progressively more advanced finance and/or accounting roles with significant time directly supporting operations
• 10 years of experience leading the Finance/Accounting function and managing employees
• Capital restructuring and mergers & acquisitions
• Certified Public Accountant designation

Skills & Characteristics

• Operational background and proven ability to contribute at the strategic level (i.e., strategic forecasting, planning and decision making)
• Innovative, strategic thinker and planner with the ability to create and communicate a vision for the future and translate it into clear strategies, specific priorities and scorecards to track progress
• Comfort with and preference for collaborative work – both within the senior leadership team and the finance organization as a whole; willingness to identity, build, and propose solutions collectively
• Ability to engage, inspire, motivate, and develop at all levels of the portfolio
• Results-oriented management style in setting and pursuing aggressive goals, demonstrating a strong commitment to organizational success, and marshaling resources to accomplish projects
• Excellent verbal, written and board-level presentation skills (including at the Board level); communication of business plans, strategies, financial results, and action plans
• Working knowledge of finance law and regulatory standards (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles)
• Proven financial and accounting technical skills and business savvy
• We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Work Environment/Physical Demands

• Willing and able to raise and transport articles weighing up to 10 pounds
• Willing to work alone a high percentage of the time
• Willing to wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE) as required by company policy.
• Willing to work in and spend time in a manufacturing environment