Controller

Controller

$125-140k/year plus bonus

Kansas City, Kansas

Key Responsibilities

Financial Reporting & Analysis

• Lead the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close processes.
• Prepare accurate and timely financial statements, management reports, and corporate reporting packages.
• Ensure balance sheet reconciliations are completed and adequately supported.
• Analyze financial results and explain variances to budget, forecast, and prior year performance.
• Develop financial analyses and reporting tools to communicate trends in revenue, profitability, operating expenses, working capital, and cash flow.
• Ensure compliance with corporate accounting policies and reporting requirements.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Planning

• Lead the annual budgeting and business planning process.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly forecasts, including income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow projections.
• Partner with department leaders to develop budgets, forecasts, and operational plans.
• Monitor financial performance and identify risks, opportunities, and corrective actions.
• Develop financial models and business cases to support capital investments, pricing decisions, profitability analysis, operational improvements, and strategic initiatives.

Manufacturing Finance & Cost Accounting

• Oversee inventory valuation, standard costing, and cost accounting processes.
• Monitor manufacturing variances, including material, labor, overhead, efficiency, and scrap costs.
• Analyze gross margin performance and identify opportunities to improve profitability.
• Support inventory management programs and physical inventory counts.
• Ensure inventory reserves and valuation methodologies are appropriate and consistently applied.
• Partner with Operations, Purchasing, Engineering, and Production to improve financial and operational performance.

Accounting Operations & Internal Controls

• Oversee all accounting functions, including General Ledger, AP, AR, Payroll, Fixed Assets, Inventory Accounting, and Cash Management.
• Ensure payroll is processed accurately and on time.
• Maintain effective accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls.
• Continuously improve accounting processes, workflows, and reporting efficiency.
• Safeguard company assets through sound financial controls and risk management practices.

Audit, Compliance & Treasury

• Coordinate annual audits and serve as the primary liaison with the auditors.
• Prepare audit schedules and supporting documentation.
• Ensure compliance with tax regulations, statutory filings, government reporting requirements, and corporate policies.
• Monitor changes in accounting standards and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee cash flow management, liquidity planning, customer credit risk, collections, and working capital performance.
• Support banking, insurance, and regulatory reporting requirements.

Leadership & Business Partnership

• Lead, mentor, and develop the accounting team through coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, teamwork, and customer service.
• Serve as a trusted financial advisor to the President and management team.
• Present financial results, recommendations, and business insights to senior leadership.
• Support ERP optimization, process improvement initiatives, and special projects.
• Drive initiatives focused on profitability enhancement, cost reduction, working capital management, and operational excellence.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• CPA designation preferred.

Experience

• 7–10 years of progressive accounting and finance experience.
• Minimum 3 years in a Controller or senior financial leadership role.
• Manufacturing industry experience required.
• Strong background in financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cost accounting, inventory management, external audits, and ERP systems.

Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of GAAP, internal controls, and financial reporting.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and financial modeling skills.
• Experience with ERP systems in a manufacturing environment is considered an asset.
• Knowledge of Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) systems is considered an asset.

Leadership Competencies

• Strong business acumen and strategic thinking skills.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and business partnering abilities.
• Ability to communicate complex financial information to non-financial stakeholders.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and results-driven.
• Hands-on leadership style with the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.