Vice President of Finance/Controller

POSITION SUMMARY

Our client, BMZ-USA, INC., is the U.S. division of BMZ Battery Solutions Group, a global player in custom battery solutions. They are seeking a VP of Finance/Controller for their Virginia Beach, VA office.

The VP of Finance / Controller is a key member of the leadership team and a result-driven finance leader responsible for building, strengthening, and scaling the company’s finance function. Reporting directly to the Managing Director with a dotted line to our German HQ, this role is to transform our currently lean accounting operation into a high-impact, highly visible department that supports rapid growth, operational excellence, and sound business decision-making. The VP of Finance / Controller leads strategic financial planning, manufacturing cost accounting, budgeting, forecasting, internal controls, and ensures seamless, compliant reporting to our parent company. This is a "hands-on" leadership role for a professional who combines strong execution with strategic thinking, communicates with clarity and influence, builds effective cross-functional partnerships, and thrives in fast-paced, high-pressure environments with resilience, accountability, and a continuous learning mindset.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Strategic Financial Leadership: Act as a primary business partner to the leadership team, providing data-driven insights to guide manufacturing expansion and capital investments. Develop, implement, and enforce fiscal policies and procedures.
• Financial Reporting & Compliance: Lead month-end and year-end close processes; prepare accurate P&L, balance sheets, and cash flow statements in alignment with both U.S. GAAP and German HQ Group standards. Provide timely, accurate financial data to support strategic decision-making.
• Manufacturing Finance & Costing: Establish and manage cost-accounting frameworks, including standard cost setting, inventory valuation (raw materials/finished goods), variance analysis, and margin optimization.
• Visibility & Financial Planning and Analysis: Build and maintain comprehensive budgeting, forecasting, and KPI frameworks that provide real-time visibility into financial performance, market trends, and budget adherence.
• Operational Cash Management: Oversee accounts receivable, accounts payable, and procurement tracking; implement strategies to optimize working capital and ensure rigorous authorization for expenditures.
• Payroll & HR Collaboration: Oversee end-to-end payroll processing and tax filings from third party processor, ensuring legal compliance and collaborating with HR to maintain accurate employee benefit and record-keeping systems.
• Systems & Internal Controls: Implement and optimize financial systems (ERP) and internal controls to safeguard company assets, ensure audit readiness, and streamline inter-departmental workflows.
• Audit & Regulatory Oversight: Manage all internal and external audits, ensuring all financial records and reporting remain compliant with local, state, and federal regulatory requirements.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Collaborate with Operations, Procurement, and Sales to support company-wide initiatives and provide tailored ad-hoc analysis to improve overall business performance.
• People & Process Development: Directly manage and mentor the current accounting staff while identifying future hiring needs and implementing the organizational structures necessary to support further growth.
• Perform other related duties as required

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of accounting or financial management experience
• Experience in financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting
• Expertise of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Experience with QuickBooks or similar ERP
• Excellent attention to detail, strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to collaborate, and to translate complex financial data for non-finance operations and engineering teams

VALUED BUT NOT REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• MBA or CPA/CMA
• Experience integrating Microsoft Dynamics 365 or similar ERP
• Experience with auditing and systems integration
• International business expertise
• Bi-lingual

REPORTING TO THIS POSITION

• Accountant

COMPENSATION RANGE

$175,000-$200,000